We're back for Week 9 of Thursday Night Football! The AFC North is in the spotlight, as the Cincinnati Bengals host the Cleveland Browns, with the game set to kick off at 5:30 p.m. PT on NFL Network. CBS broadcasted the first half of the TNF schedule, but the second half is exclusively on NFL Network.
The Bengals are unbeaten on the season, coming off a big road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals have struggled recently in prime time games though, dropping seven straight against the spread. They enter this game playing their best football in some time. Andy Dalton is looking sharp, and will look to put together a decent prime time performance to hold the critics at bay.
The Browns are struggling along, sitting at 2-6 on the season, but 3-4-1 ATS. They are rolling out Johnny Manziel tonight, as Josh McCown is out with a rib injury. The Browns have some notable injury issues, with starting cornerback Joe Haden and strong safety Donte Whitner both sidelined due to concussions.
The Bengals opened as a ten-point favorite, but once word got out that Johnny Football was getting the short-week start, the line started climbing. Most sportsbooks have the Bengals at -12, but some have gone as high as -13. I took the Bengals in this one for one of my five SuperContest picks. It is not a perfection situation, but consider it a wager against Johnny Football and that banged up defense. Fingers crossed!
Here is everything you need to know about tonight's game.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
TV Schedule
Game time: 5:30 PM PST
Channel: NFL Network
Date: Thursday, November 5
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Online Streaming
Replay on NFL Game Pass