Commanders vs. Bengals – where to watch the game: TV channel, kick-off time, NFL live stream, spread, odds, forecast

Two LSU legends face off on Monday Night Football when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals host Jayden Daniels' Washington Commanders. This will be only the second-ever quarterback clash between Heisman Trophy winners from the same school, as both were once the playmakers in Baton Rouge.

Rookie Daniels earned his first NFL win last week against the New York Giants, completing 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards, while new Commanders kicker Austin Seibert converted all seven of his field goal attempts. The Bengals started 0-2 for the third straight season, most recently losing by one point to the Kansas City Chiefs after an unfortunate pass interference call on the final drive.

Can Daniels pull off an upset win at the national level? Or are Burrow and the Bengals back on track here? Below, we analyze this Week 3 interconference matchup. First, here's how to watch the game:

How to watch

Date: Monday, September 23 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati)
Channel: ABCs | Electricity: fubo (try for free)
Consequences: CBS Sports App
Opportunities: Bengals -7.5 Over/Under 47

All NFL odds are from SportsLine Consensus.

Trends

• The overall score is 5-5-1
• Washington won the last game against Cincinnati 20-9. Joe Burrow tore his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments in this game.
• Rookie starting quarterbacks have a 13-4-1 record against the spread in prime time since 2022
• Commanders have a record of 3-0 SU and ATS in their last three Monday games

Injury report

Washington will be without its sack leader as Ferrell is out with a knee injury. In fact, he is the only Commander to record a sack this year. Forbes is surprisingly listed as questionable because of his thumb injury. Coach Dan Quinn said they will wait until Monday to make a final decision, but he may play next week.

The big news for the Bengals is that wide receiver Tee Higgins is not listed on their latest injury report, so he will make his debut in 2024 after missing the first two games with a hamstring injury. Tight end Mike Gesicki also was not assigned to play after being limited earlier in the week with a calf injury. According to The Athletic, Jenkins Jr. (thumb) will play with a brace on his hand, and they will monitor how he does.

When the commanders have the ball

We can forget about Caleb Williams and Bo Nix, Daniels is the best rookie quarterback in the first two weeks. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to complete 75% of his passes, rush for 100 yards and throw no interceptions in two games. Statistically, Washington has the tenth-best offense in the NFL (362 yards per game), but that doesn't mean that all of the team's big names are left high and dry.

Many expected Terry McLaurin to peak as a star receiver with Daniels now under center, but he has caught just eight passes for 39 yards. We'll see if he can take off under the lights on Monday night, but Washington's focus in this matchup could be the running game. Daniels' legs are special – both when it comes to moving the chains and escaping pressure in the pocket. The rookie is averaging 66 rushing yards per game, which ranks 18th in the NFL entering Week 3. Lamar Jackson is the only quarterback averaging more.

Daniels' 132 rushing yards are the fifth-most by a quarterback in his first two career starts since 1970. The Bengals have had the seventh-worst run defense through the first two weeks — and injuries on the interior haven't helped them. That means Brian Robinson Jr., who just had a career-high 133 rushing yards against the Giants, and Daniels could lead Washington's attack plan as a runner.

Daniels' ability to run two offenses at once is one way to keep the defense on its toes, but tempo is important, too. And that's something new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has put a lot of emphasis on. Washington has played 63 no-huddle plays, the most in the NFL. Last week against the Giants, they played 37 no-huddle plays, the most no-huddle plays by any team in the last two seasons. Kingsbury is clearly trying to keep the defense on its toes, and looking at our limited sample, it's working. Washington has averaged 6.4 yards per play no-huddle and 5.1 yards per play off-huddle. You see that a lot in college offenses, but high-tempo no-huddle systems wear down defenses and contribute to mismatches. That is, when executed correctly.

When the Bengals have the ball

Bengals fans see Week 3 as a “turning point.” If Cincinnati does indeed bounce back here, it will probably be because of the passing game. The Commanders have one of the 10 worst pass defenses that Burrow must exploit.

In Week 1, Washington allowed Baker Mayfield to complete 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. It was essentially a perfect game, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored 37 points and punted just once. In Week 2, Giants rookie wideout Malik Nabers caught 10 of 18 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against Washington. Imagine what this more versatile Bengals passing attack can do.

Higgins will make his debut in 2024 and has his eye on the next big contract. Ja'Marr Chase has gained just 48.5 yards and has yet to catch a touchdown through the first two weeks, but expect his performance to improve on Monday night. This is the first time Cincinnati has had its entire arsenal at its disposal.

It's not just about the receivers, though. Gesicki was Burrow's best weapon last week, catching seven of nine passes for 91 yards against the Chiefs. In fact, Burrow set a career-high with 151 passing yards against tight ends last week. Will that happen more often in Week 3?

forecast

The Bengals are hungry for their first win and have a chance to get it in front of their home crowd in prime time. Despite losing to Kansas City last week, you have to be encouraged by the improvements Cincinnati made from Week 1 to Week 2. The Commanders have the potential to be that spirited team with a versatile quarterback that brings a whole different element to the game, but I'm betting on a Bengals rebound here.

As for the spread, that's a whole other question. 7.5 points is a lot, and you hate the thought of getting caught on the hook with a backdoor cover. But the Bengals are 6-1 ATS in their last seven prime-time home games.

Expected result: Bengals 27-17 against Commanders

Larry Hartstein, who has a 30-13-1 ATS record in Commanders games, has released his best picks for the Commanders vs. Bengals matchup in Week 3. We can tell you he's on the over-scoring side, but who covers the spread? You can read about it here.