Sports fans are going to be in for a treat this Thursday night with two spectacular matches guaranteed to bring the house down. Our first game features a promising showdown between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are both looking to bounce back from a tough loss, at Target Center.
Then over at Paul Brown Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals put their unbeaten 7-0 record on the line when the Cleveland Browns pay them a visit for what’s surely going to be another matchup you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Read on below for a brief breakdown of these two high-quality games. And while you’re at it check out our other NFL Week 9 previews: Raiders at Steelers and Rams at Vikings. Enjoy.
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Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00 PM ET)
The Miami Heat are fresh off their first home loss of the season thanks to the Hawks, who beat then 98-92 on Wednesday night. From the very beginning, they trailed the entire game and managed to close late in the fourth quarter but eventually fell short.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside were the main bright spots in this setback. The two combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds to lead the way. They’ll that their efforts won’t be wasted tonight when they match against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center this evening.
Speaking of the Timberwolves, they’re also coming off a loss opposite the Blazers on Tuesday night. Ricky Rubio flirted once again with a triple-double in that game, posting 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Meanwhile, Kevin Martin led the charge in scoring with his team-high of 24 points.
Miami is 2-8 ATS in its past 10 road games while Minnesota is 2-8 ATS as well in its previous 10 at home.
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals (8:25 PM ET)
Line: Cleveland Browns (+11) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-11); total; 45.5– view all NFL lines
The Cleveland Browns couldn’t stop the bleeding on Sunday night as they lost to the Cardinals, 34-20, which was the Browns’ third-straight defeat. They are 2-6 on the season and are tied with the Ravens for last place in their division.
The Browns will be without starting quarterback Josh McCown, who has succumbed to his littany of injuries. In steps Johnny Manziel, who has not started since leading the Browns to a 28-14 win over the Titans in Week 2. In limited time this season, Manziel has completed 56 percent of his passes for 393 yards, three passing touchdowns, one interception and four fumbles.
The Bengals, meanwhile, are still perfect thus far on the year and will definitely be looking to stretch their unbeaten record. Even though they won their last game against the Steelers in Week 8, the Cincy offense struggled in this one but eventually found a way to win with a clutch performance from their quarterback in Andy Dalton. Dalton completed 23 of his 38 passes for 231 yards and connected with A.J Green for a 9-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to give them the eventual 16-10 victory.
Cleveland is 1-4 SU and 3-2 ATS in its last five games on the road. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is 7-2-1 SU and 5-3-2 ATS in its previous 10 home games.
Click here our comprehensive preview of this intriguing clash.
