Bengals vs. Giants 2016 live stream: How to watch ‘Monday Night Football’ online

The Giants have won three straight, while the Bengals have only won one of their last four games.

Nov 14, 2016, 3:05 PM UTC

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The New York Giants are coming into Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals hot off an impressive Week 9 win against the Eagles. After going 2-3 in their first five games, the Giants have now won three straight and seem to have regained their momentum. They sit second in the NFC East behind the Cowboys.

At a mediocre 3-4-1, Cincinnati is third in its division; however, the AFC North is far from elite. The Ravens, after their Thursday night win over the Browns, are atop with a 5-4 record.

The Bengals don’t have much going for them at the moment, and fans will be looking to forget about their team’s tie against Washington. While they have made the playoffs in five straight seasons, one more loss would put that streak in jeopardy. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, making the playoffs doesn’t guarantee much, as the team is winless in the postseason in the past five trips.

A last-second defensive stand against Philadelphia ensured a nervy Giants victory last Sunday, but they’re hoping for an easier test this week. New York has already opened as two-point favorites in the betting line.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz remains optimistic about a speedy return after leaving with an ankle injury against the Eagles.

Even if he can’t go, the Giants still have one of the best wide receivers in the league — and so do the Bengals. Odell Beckham Jr. has 44 receptions for 676 yards for the Giants, while Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green entered Week 10 leading the NFL with 59 receptions and at No. 2 in receiving yards with 896.

Although they won’t be directly be going up against each other, the matchup is still mouth-watering. Beckham Jr. himself was asked about Green in a recent press conference and had nothing but respect for his counterpart.

“He’s one of best, hands down,” he said. “Pretty much everything you can think of as a receiver, he’s got it, and then some.”

Green aside, the running game will be crucial to the Bengals’ success. Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill have stepped up immensely in the past couple of weeks to steady this (sinking) ship, thanks to improved blocking and good decision-making.

Cincinnati leads the regular season series, 6-3, and coincidentally, the home team has won every meeting between the two franchises. The home-field advantage in this case goes to the Giants, since the game will be at MetLife Stadium.

The two teams last met in 2012 at Paul Brown Stadium, where Cincinnati won 31-13. Dalton impressed with a 199-yard, four-touchdown performance and Green led all receivers with 85 yards and a score. The win against New York put the Bengals at 4-5 that season, and gave them the necessary spark to make it to the playoffs.

Bengals fans will be hoping for similar result this year come Monday night. But unless Marvin Lewis can change up the game plan and limit turnovers, the Giants will capitalize on a slumping Cincinnati team and win four straight for the first time since 2013.