Cincinnati won the last time they faced Baltimore, and things went their way on Thursday, too. Cincinnati were able to grind out a solid victory over Baltimore, winning 34-23. 34 seems to be a good number for Cincinnati as the team scooped up a win with the same point total in their previous contest.
Cincinnati started the match off right with 28 first-half points. Baltimore put up 14, so the score was 28-14 at the half. Cincinnati were outperformed in the second half 6-9 but had enough in reserve to walk away with the win.
Andy Dalton, who passed for 265 yards and 4 touchdowns, was a major factor in Cincinnati's success. A.J. Green was in the mix, too, providing Cincinnati with 3 touchdowns. The victory bumped their record up to 2-0. The loss dropped Baltimore back to even at 1-1.
Next week Cincinnati take on Carolina at 1:00 p.m. As for Baltimore, they will face off against Denver.
“Thursday Night Football” kicks off tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET, when the Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals game is scheduled to start.
What channel is the Ravens-Bengals game on? The game is being broadcast on the pay channel NFL Network. To watch “Thursday Night Football” on TV tonight, you must subscribe to a service that includes the NFL Network.
But what if you don’t have a satellite or cable TV package with the NFL Network? If you’re in that camp, you may be wondering how you can watch “Thursday Night Football” — and, ideally, do so for free.
Here are all the options to live stream the Ravens vs. Bengals game for free, as well as other “Thursday Night Football” games in the 2018 season.
How to Live Stream the Ravens Game Tonight for Free
Sports fans should be happy to know that it’s gotten much easier to live stream NFL games for free in the 2018 season. After downloading the latest versions of either the Yahoo Sports app or the NFL App, you’ll be able to live stream a host of games on your phone (and in some cases, with other mobile devices such as tablets).
Specifically, the Yahoo Sports app and NFL App let fans live stream games that are being broadcast locally in their region by networks like CBS and Fox, as well as all nationally broadcast primetime games. That includes “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, “Monday Night Football” on ESPN, and “Thursday Night Football” on the NFL Network and Fox.
Both the Yahoo Sports and NFL apps are free to download, and viewers can live stream tonight’s Ravens-Bengals game and all other available NFL games for free, without having to log in with any cable or subscription account information.
How to Watch ‘Thursday Night Football’ Online for Free
But if you want to watch tonight’s “Thursday Night Football” game on a TV, you won’t be able to use the Yahoo Sports app or NFL App. Yahoo Sports’ live stream is only available on smartphones, and the NFL App’s live stream tonight works only on smartphones and tablets.
Still, there are many streaming TV services that will allow you to watch the NFL Network online in any manner you prefer — including on a laptop or TV. And yes, you can use these services for free to watch “Thursday Night Football” tonight, by way of free trial periods that last at least a few days.
Fubo TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and the Sling TV streaming services all have packages with the NFL Network. The latter is the cheapest of the bunch, starting at $25 per month for the “Sling Blue” service that includes the channel. The other services charge around $40 to $50 per month for packages that include the NFL Network, alongside dozens of other pay channels.
All of these services make free trials available to new subscribers. The free trial periods generally last five to seven days, so you can try them out for free to watch “Thursday Night Football” and other NFL games this weekend online. Just remember to cancel before the trial period ends if you don’t want to become a paying subscriber.
(Also, note that not all streaming TV services have access to the NFL Network. Hulu Live and YouTube TV do not offer the channel in any of their packages.)
Can I Live Stream ‘Thursday Night Football’ with Amazon Prime?
The NFL signed a contract with Amazon that allows Amazon Prime Video to live stream some — but not all — “Thursday Night Football” games during the 2018 NFL season.
Some of this year’s Thursday Night Football games will appear on NFL Network, and others on Fox — and only the 11 “Thursday Night Football” games being broadcast on Fox will be live streamed on Amazon Prime. In other words, the games broadcast on the NFL Network — including tonight’s Ravens-Bengals matchup — will not be shown on Amazon Prime.
If you want to live stream NFL games for free on Amazon Prime, you’ll have to wait until Week 4 of the 2018 season, when Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings game takes place on Thursday, September 27. Amazon’s NFL live streams of “Thursday Night Football” are available only to Amazon Prime members. Prime subscriptions in the U.S. generally cost $119 per year, or $12.99 per month, after a free 30-day trial.
We’ve included affiliate links in this article. Click here to learn what those are.
The AFC North takes center stage tonight when two of its teams kick off Week 2 of the 2018 NFL season. The Cincinnati Bengals will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football, a pivotal matchup that could shape the playoff picture in what looks to be a wide-open division this year.
This is the 45th all-time meeting in a rivalry that is currently deadlocked. Both the Ravens and Bengals can claim 22 wins apiece, so tonight’s result will put one side ahead in the series, at least until the rematch in Week 11. The outcome will also send one team to the top of the AFC North standings after both these squads came up with big wins in Week 1. Factor in that the two other teams in the division, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, played one another to a draw in the opener and it’s easy to see why this showdown is such a critical one at this early juncture of the new campaign.
It’s worth noting that Baltimore is 5-0 in its last five Thursday Night Football appearances, although the club has struggled at times against this opponent with quarterback Joe Flacco at the helm. Flacco has a losing career record versus the Bengals and is just 3-6 overall at Paul Brown Stadium. Oddsmakers are split on this one, opening the game at a pick ‘em. Early action forced the line to move between BAL -1 and CIN -1, but currently the spread is back to even. The total for the game is sitting at 44 points, down slightly from the opening number of 44.5.
Will the Bengals continue their hot streak against the Ravens, or will Baltimore get revenge for their shortcomings in last year’s season finale with a big win tonight? Pro handicapper Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com has a take on the matchup that you won’t want to miss. Before getting to his prediction for the outcome, have a look at the full schedule, starting time, TV channel, live stream site and latest odds for the Bengals vs. Ravens, as well as the other upcoming Week 2 games of the 2018 NFL season. You can also check out interesting tweets, quotes from key figures and much more for this Thursday Night Football contest.
NFL Week 2 Complete TV Schedule And Odds
Time (ET) Matchup (TV) Odds Total Thursday, Sept. 13 8:20 p.m. Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (NFLN) PK 44 Sunday, Sept. 16 1 p.m. Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (CBS) HOU -2 45 1 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers (CBS) PIT -4 53.5 1 p.m. Indianapolis Colts at Washington Redskins (CBS) WAS -6 45.5 1 p.m. Miami Dolphins at New York Jets (CBS) NYJ -3 44 1 p.m. Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills (CBS) LAC -7 42.5 1 p.m. Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (FOX) ATL -6 44.5 1 p.m. Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (FOX) GB -1 46.5 1 p.m. Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (FOX) NO -8.5 49.5 1 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (FOX) PHI -3 44 4:05 p.m. Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers (FOX) SF -5.5 47.5 4:05 p.m. Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (FOX) LAR -12 45.5 4:25 p.m. New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS) NE -1.5 45 4:25 p.m. Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (CBS) DEN -5.5 45.5 8:20 p.m. New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (NBC) DAL -3 42.5 Monday, Sept. 17 8:15 p.m. Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears (ESPN) CHI -3 43.5
NFL Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook
Thursday Night Football Week 2 Media
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that the shock of losing to Cincy in Week 17 will likely linger until after tonight’s kickoff, but can’t distract his team from getting a win in hostile territory (via BaltimoreSun.com):
That’s life. It’s human nature. You always want to redeem yourself as best as you can, certainly, but it’s not going to factor into who wins the game. It’s not going to matter in the outcome. You still have to play better than your opponent on that day, and that’s really what we have to focus on. You could easily get all wrapped up in that and get distracted from what matters, which is going out there Thursday night and playing well.
Adam Schefter noted how poorly Joe Flacco has performed on the road against the Bengals:
Ravens in Cincinnati tonight, a spot where Baltimore QB Joe Flacco has struggled. In 9 career starts at Paul Brown Stadium, Flacco has gone 3-6 with a 34.7 QBR. He’s 6-4 with a 43.9 total QBR at home vs the Bengals. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2018
The NFL reminded everyone of when Bengals receiver A.J. Green hauled in a miraculous pass to force overtime in a 2013 game that the Ravens would ultimately go on to win:
GMFB tweeted a clip of former NFL receiver Nate Burleson discussing Green’s ability to be a key factor tonight:
Break out your pencils and notebooks cause this will definitely be on the midterm. @Nate13Burleson breaks down why @Bengals WR @ajgreen_18 will be a game changer tonight vs the Ravens.#SeizeTheDEY pic.twitter.com/XVSKpcotf0 — GMFB (@gmfb) September 13, 2018
The Ravens quoted cornerback Marlon Humphrey on his willingness to match up with Green:
“It’s always a good test when you’re going against a guy that’s probably going to be wearing a gold jacket one day." To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. That’s why Ravens CB @marlon_humphrey is pumped up for the matchup against the Bengals. : https://t.co/sLQJlbVUsG pic.twitter.com/9b2x9S5ef2 — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 13, 2018
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis thinks his side will have a tough challenge stopping Flacco after the QB’s elite outing in the opener (via Bengals.com):
I’ve watched them all preseason. As usual, they are well-put together. Joe Flacco played well yesterday, completing 73.5 percent of his passes. They were hot, they created turnovers, and they created field position. We’re going to have our hands full come Thursday night.
Brandon Deffet thinks Baltimore can avenge its 2017 shortcomings by earning another big “W” tonight against the team that knocked them out of playoff contention in Week 17:
The Bengals are a better team than the Bills, but I'd really like to see the Ravens throw up 40+ on them, too. Taking down the team that made the playoffs instead of you, and then the team that was the direct cause of that the very next week would exercise those 2017 demons. — Brandon Deffet (@Im_Deff) September 11, 2018
Nick Kostos is picking the Bengals to win on Thursday Night Football
And I can't believe I'm saying this... but I LOOOOOVVVEEE Andy Dalton and the Bengals in primetime Thursday night as a home PK against the Ravens. Joe Mixon is baby Le'Veon Bell. Ravens not nearly as good as they looked vs. BUF. CIN could easily be one of my Contest picks. — Nick Kostos (@TheKostos) September 11, 2018
The NFL Network pointed out that two of the three NFL Total Access cast predicted a Ravens victory:
Spread Investor is worried about Baltimore’s recent showings against Cincinnati:
Ravens/Bengals— Baltimore is the better team and I’ve been all over them but I’m likely passing bc I don’t like their history in Cincy (1-4 SU/ATS the last 5). I have a lot of stock in Baltimore winning the AFC North and O8.5 wins (+ a 40/1 SB ticket) so may just sit tight. — Spread Investor (@spreadinvestor) September 13, 2018
Harbaugh gave a glowing scouting report of Bengals second-year running back Joe Mixon (via ESPN):
He looks like a big leaguer. Looks like he does it all well. Big, fast, elusive, tough. Pass protection. Catches out of the backfield. Screens. I don’t know what he didn’t do well. I’d like to say he’s a guy you have to stop, but you have to stop everybody on that offense.
Thursday Night Football Week 2 Pro Picks
Pick: Bengals PK
Prediction: Bengals 24 – Ravens 21
The casual NFL fan probably doesn’t know Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
He hasn’t done much of note since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. But you know who surely knows about Tyler Boyd? Ravens fans.
Last season, the Ravens were leading a Week 17 matchup with the Bengals, 27-24, with 58 seconds remaining and a trip to the playoffs on the line. Then, Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown to Boyd on fourth-and-12 and Ravens fans’ jaws dropped. Their season was over thanks to the Dalton-Boyd combination. Boyd totaled just 22 catches for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns last season, so a pretty sizable chunk of his stat line came just from that one catch.
So what did the Ravens do in response? They went out and hired Bengals wide receiver coach James Urban to be their quarterbacks coach, for starters. And then spent all offseason thinking about how to get back at the Bengals.
”We still got that bitter taste in our mouths,” Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr said this week.
Though, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is trying to leave the past in the past. “You always want to redeem yourself as best as you can, certainly, but it’s not going to factor into who wins the game,” he said on Monday.
These two AFC North foes face off tonight on Thursday Night Football in Cincinnati, and there are quite a few reasons to watch.
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1. A.J. Green always dominates against the Ravens and now the Bengals have John Ross on-the-field, too.
In 10 career games against the Ravens, Green has 48 catches for 817 yards and six touchdowns. Back in 2015, Harbaugh had this to say after a 10-catch, 227 yard, two touchdown game for Green against Baltimore.
”One of these days, we’ll figure out how to cover A.J. Green. It’d be nice if we did it one time before he retires.”
Hiring away his former coach is probably a good way to start doing just that. Green and Ross (who both had touchdowns in Week 1) will be looking to impress against a tough Ravens defense tonight.
2. Lamar Jackson isn’t the Ravens’ starting quarterback, but expect him to still play.
The Ravens weren’t kidding when they said they’d figure out a way for both Joe Flacco and Jackson to see the field. The first-round rookie threw four passes and had seven rushing attempts in Week 1. The Bengals need to be prepared to defend against him, and audiences should be excited to watch him play.
Meanwhile, Flacco had a, dare I say, elite, Week 1 performance, going 25 of 34 for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Having the rookie breathing down his neck may be good thing for Flacco.
3. First place (for now) in the AFC North is on the line.
Because the Steelers tied the Browns last Sunday while both the Ravens and Bengals won, the winner of this game will take hold of first place in the AFC North for at least one week. An early lead in the division race is never a bad thing.
4. The Ravens defense is really good, but will it be as good when it’s not facing the Bills?
The Ravens put up 47 points against the Bills last week. They also limited Buffalo to just three points. Can they do it again against the Bengals in Cincinnati’s home opener? The Bengals are also bringing back their 1988 AFC Championship team for a 30-year anniversary celebration, so the Ravens will be looking to spoil that fun. Baltimore cornerback Jimmy Smith is suspended for this game, as is Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict. So both teams will be missing key defensive players.
5. The Bengals are horrible in primetime and embarrassed themselves extraordinarily on Thursday Night Football in Week 2 last year.
Cincinnati is 5-14 in primetime during the Andy Dalton-A.J. Green era (dating back to 2011). The Bengals only have one primetime game on their schedule this year and it’s tonight’s matchup with the Ravens. That’s good news for the Bengals who had a 65-45-2 record overall from 2011-2017.
Last year, the Bengals failed to score a point in their season opener against the Ravens and then went on to not score a touchdown in Week 2 against the Texans, which came in the same week, same location and same TV broadcast as tonight’s game.
Last week, the Bengals put up 34 points against the Colts, including three offensive touchdowns. If they can have that much offensive firepower this week against a good Ravens defense, it will go a long way toward getting the primetime monkey off their backs.
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