LeBron James is never shy about showing love for his hometown team, so it was only natural that he named the Cleveland Browns as his sleeper pick for the 2025 NFL season. The NBA superstar revealed his predictions in a new video for DraftKings Sportsbook, where he broke down his outlook for the year.
LeBron’s Browns choice certainly raised some eyebrows, considering the team is led by veteran quarterback Joe Flacco with rookie Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings. But James kept it more conventional with his other calls. He predicted another Super Bowl showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, though he held back from picking a winner. For MVP, he selected Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Unsurprisingly, the Browns enter the season with low expectations. According to The Athletic’s Austin Mock, the team is projected to win just 5.4 games. His colleague Zac Jackson was even more doubtful, writing that “the Browns are going to let Flacco fling it until it’s time to pull the plug and play the rookie quarterbacks, and I just don’t see enough roster depth or enough offensive pop for the Browns to become a true surprise team. They’ll be feisty, and ultimately they’ll fade into the reality of the best plan, which is playing for the future and trying to secure a high draft pick for next April.”
When it comes to Oddsmakers, they seem to agree. DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Cleveland at +125 to win more than 5.5 games and -150 to fall short of that number. Pro Football Focus echoed those projections with a 5.5 win estimate, painting a consistent picture of where the Browns stand.
Get this, as for the rest of LeBron’s picks, they line up with what many analysts believe. The Eagles are fresh off a championship run and still boast one of the deepest rosters in football, thanks to general manager Howie Roseman’s ability to retool with young talent and bargain signings. The Chiefs continue to have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid at the helm, and that pairing alone keeps them in the title conversation.
But as you could imagine, naming Lamar Jackson as MVP is also a safe yet strong choice. Jackson’s 2024 campaign included 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and only four interceptions, with a 66.7 percent completion rate. He also ran for 915 yards and four scores, earning first-team All-Pro honors. While Josh Allen ultimately won MVP, many argued Jackson had the stronger case.