Browns vs. Steelers odds: Pittsburgh 6.5 point favorites over Cleveland in Week 1

The revamped Steelers defense will meet the under-construction Browns offense in Week 1. The Steelers are 6.5 point favorites, which only seems a bit like too little until we remember the Steelers haven't won a season opener since a 2010 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Remembering how slow this team has started the last three seasons provides some caution in what would normally be a fairly easy cover. As it is, the Steelers are -6.5 against Cleveland in Week 1, according to Bovada.lv, Brian Hoyer's first start against the Steelers.

The Browns are without wide receiver Josh Gordon for the year, all but eliminating any passing offense the team may have had this season. Expect the Browns to run the ball frequently, and they could even do it effectively. With the addition of Ben Tate this off-season, as well as picking up Terrence West in the draft and the undrafted free agent Isaiah Crowell blowing up in training camp, this may be a team with some spark on the ground.

The Steelers are looking to run the ball a bit themselves; an odd and seemingly forgotten notion considering they kept six wide receivers on their final roster. That still may change, but for now, expect this to be a battle in the trenches, Cleveland's defense locking horns with Pittsburgh's ground game in the decisive match-up of this contest.