NFL · Thu (9/30) @ 8:22pm ET
| JAX Jaguars | at | CIN Bengals |
| Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio | ||
Here is a look at Thursday night’s NFL game between Jacksonville, on an 18-game losing streak, and host Cincinnati.
The weather forecast as of Wednesday morning called for temps in the high 60s with a zero chance of precipitation and little wind.
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
- Time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Line: Bengals 7.5 (46)
The skinny: For the second straight Thursday, a rookie coach, this time Jacksonville’s Urban Meyer, and rookie QB (Trevor Lawrence) will be teaming on extra short rest when their Jaguars head to Cincinnati for this midweek prime-time meeting.
Facts: Last week’s rookie combo was Texans coach David Culley and QB Davis Mills at home vs. Carolina. Houston was held to 193 yards of offense in a 24-9 defeat. This will be a rematch of the QBs who vied in the NCAA championship game two seasons ago, when Lawrence’s Clemson team lost to LSU and Joe Burrow, 42-25. Burrow was the overall top pick in the 2020 draft by the Bengals, with Lawrence going No. 1 in 2021. When the Bengals and Jaguars met in Week 4 in 2020, Cincinnati prevailed 33-25 as a 3-point choice, spurred by Burrow’s 300 passing yards. Jax gave up 505 yards overall, its most all season. Crummy field position: On 33 of the Jags’ 34 possessions through three weeks they started inside their 30, but still drove to six TDs. In Cincinnati’s 24-10 win at Pittsburgh last week, the Steelers had an edge of 35 offensive snaps, the biggest gap in any game this year. The Bengals boasted that they didn’t give up a sack at Pittsburgh after giving up 10 through two weeks. But then again, Burrow threw only 18 times and the injury-depleted Steelers were without OLB T.J. Watt, last year’s sack leader. By contrast, the Jags have allowed only five sacks. In Burrow’s first career Thursday start, in Week 2 at Cleveland last year under then-second-year coach Zac Taylor, he threw for three TDs, no INTs and had 316 yards in a 35-30 loss at Cleveland as a 6-point dog.
Full Jacksonville Vs. Cincinnati Sports Betting Odds
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Bet TypeSpreads
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Analysis: It’s been a rough season for rookie QBs, with a combined mark of 0-10 when starting against a veteran passer, including Lawrence at 0-3. But what sets this game apart from last week’s Thursday night scenario is that Lawrence has had 36 starts in college and three in the pros. Houston’s Mills, taken in the third round, had only 11 college starts and zero in the pros. Then there’s Meyer, who has as many college national championships as a head coach as Culley has had games coached as sideline boss. And lastly, this is as heavy a favorite the Bengals have been the past four years, making this spread seem a little steep. After all, Cincinnati doesn’t have a signature win, with their three foes in Weeks 1-3 all standing at 1-2.
Forecast: Bengals 26, Jaguars 24
- Last week: 11-5 ATS, 11-5 SU
- Season total: 30-17-1 (.646) ATS; 33-15 (.688) SU
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