The Week 8 NFL Sunday slate of games comes to an end with Monday Night Football. After a wild weekend of high-scoring action, football fans should be treated to another points-filled affair under the Monday night lights. Who’s facing off in tonight’s intra-division clash, and how can prospective viewers find the matchup?
Who Plays on Monday Night Football Tonight?
Teams
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Location
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Monday Night Football tonight will feature a showdown between two longtime rivals when the Cincinnati Bengals travel across the state of Ohio to take on the Cleveland Browns. The schedule-makers couldn’t have planned this one more perfectly, as we get the orange and black-clad Bengals against the likewise-orange Browns on Halloween night.
The defending AFC Champions head into this contest on a two-game winning streak after taking down two successive NFC South opponents in the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons in the team’s last two matchups.
The Browns, on the other hand, limp into this primetime matchup on a four-game losing streak. Cleveland’s offense has sputtered over the last two weeks, scoring just 15 and 20 points against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, after performing quite well over the first bunch of weeks of the season.
Backup QB Jacoby Brissett has done his best to pilot the aerial attack during his tenure as the starter, but the Browns’ offense simply can’t get it done when the opposing side finds a way to slow down Nick Chubb (though that’s proven difficult for any team to do thus far).
MORE: Week 9 NFL Power Rankings
With superstar second-year wideout Ja’Marr Chase sidelined with a hip injury, expect Bengals QB Joe Burrow to hone in on the near-equally talented Tee Higgins and veteran slot man Tyler Boyd as two of his favorite targets. Tight end Hayden Hurst should pick up some extra work as well.
Against a Browns defense that ranks 25th in rushing yards per game allowed (135.6), I’d also expect Cincinnati to get Joe Mixon going on the ground. Mixon has struggled with efficiency this season, but Cleveland’s soft run defense could present a get-right matchup.
As for Cleveland’s offense, the team will assuredly continue leaning on Nick Chubb, as Cincinnati’s defense sits middle of the pack at 17th in rushing yards per game allowed (119.0). When Chubb gets rolling, he becomes nearly as difficult to stop as the Kool-Aid Man when he’s placed within striking distance of a brick wall.
The opening line for this contest sits at Cincinnati (-3). That line is likely based, in large part, on the opposing trajectories of these two teams. It appears that even with Cincinnati being sans-Chase, Vegas expects the Bengals’ offense to outpace a struggling Browns squad.
PFN’s Betting Director BJ Rudell broke down this game in his Week 8 picks and predictions.
“The Ja’Marr Chase news hasn’t yet impacted this betting line (as of midday Friday). I expect this game to shift toward pick’em status by Sunday, but who knows. Regardless, I remain comfortable betting on the Bengals’ still strong passing game overcoming all-world RB Nick Chubb.
The X-factor is Joe Mixon, whose 3.3 yards per carry has weakened a key part of Cincy’s win strategy. If he continues to struggle, don’t be surprised if Samaje Perine earns 6-8 touches, helping to sustain a couple of scoring drives.”
What Time Is Monday Night Football Tonight?
Date: Oct. 31, 2022
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV Channel and Live Stream for Monday Night Football
TV channels: ESPN
Live stream: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV
Want to stream this Monday night matchup and watch one of the league’s hottest passing attacks go head-to-head with one of the NFL’s top ground games? Check out Vidgo or fuboTV, two streaming platforms that provide you with live sports across multiple devices. Additionally, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to live stream NFL games.