Underdawgs

Getting ready to pile on the Browns as the losses mount? No need. The Las Vegas oddsmakers have done it for you.
Thursday morning, the books for Sunday's games had the 2-4 Browns listed as two-point underdogs to the winless Houston Texans (0-6).
The Texans have been outscored 179-74 through six games, losing by an average of 18 points per game. Houston ranks dead last in the league offensively, third-last in defense.
How bad are the Texans? The 2004 Browns, last year's steaming pile of ineptitude and injuries, beat them the last week of the season.
The Browns have managed no offensive touchdowns in 15 of the past 16 quarters, but they are understandably upset at having to look up at a winless team in the weekly odds.
"That is sad. Really, really sad for us to be looked at that way," Andra Davis reportedly said.
Before you pray for lightning to strike the MGM Grand, keep in mind that the weekly odds are not made by the guidelines of any scientific formula. It's basically a bunch of guys sitting around in a room, watching a lot of football, taking into account trends and injuries, and making lines that they think will allow the betting houses they serve to turn a maximum profit.
Chances are, the oddsmakers looked at Cleveland's home loss to the pitiful Lions, Gary Baxter's season-ending pectoral tear, and the fact that the Browns are playing a road game against a team that is due for a win, and figured enough people would place money on Houston to justify pushing the line in their favor.
Remember, the oddsmakers aren't passing judgment on the better team when they make their lines. They are trying to cover their butts based on which team they think will garner the most bets.
Still, it would be nice if the Browns used this perceived slight as motivation. If they are worth giving the time of day this season, they should beat the Texans.