Titans vs. Jaguars Odds, Injuries, Prediction: AFC South Title at Stake in NFL Week 18

The Tennessee Titans are scheduled to play the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Saturday night in the final week of the NFL’s 2022 regular season.

At stake is the AFC South title.

When odds were first posted for this game in May, the defending South champion Titans were listed as a 3.5-point favorite. Jacksonville is now a 6.5-point choice across the board at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and PointsBet.

Titans vs. Jaguars Betting Lines: Point Spread, Totals, Moneyline

Here are current odds from top US sports betting apps. It’s always recommended to shop around various sportsbooks to find the best prices for your bets and to take advantage of multiple sportsbook bonuses.

Where the Titans and Jaguars Stand Heading Into Week 18

The Jaguars (8-8 straight up/8-8 against the spread) are coming off a 31-3 victory in Houston on Sunday and have won four in a row (4-0 ATS, too). The Titans (7-9 SU/8-7-1 ATS), who once led Jacksonville by four games in the standings, have lost six in a row, including last Thursday’s 27-13 defeat at the hands of Dallas.

Jacksonville started its surge four weeks ago in Nashville, beating the Titans 36-22 as a 3-point underdog thanks in large part to a plus-4 turnover advantage. The Jags’ odds to win the Super Bowl before that game were +50000. Now, they are listed at +5000 at DraftKings and BetMGM.

Jacksonville will clinch the division crown with a victory or a tie here. For the Titans, a victory would give them and the Jags 8-9 marks, but Tennessee would get the title by virtue of a better division record. Jacksonville also could make the playoff field despite a defeat, provided Buffalo beats New England (no line as of Tuesday afternoon) in Week 18 and the NY Jets topple the host Miami Dolphins, who are a favorite of 0.5 to 1.5 points.

While Jacksonville will be going with star QB Trevor Lawrence, Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel announced that six-year backup Josh Dobbs, acquired off Detroit’s practice squad on Dec. 21 after top QB Ryan Tannehill (IR) injured an ankle, will be getting his second straight career start over rookie backup Malik Willis. In last week’s outing, Dobbs operated without many key players who were rested in a game that meant nothing to Tennessee’s playoff hopes. Among them was former two-time rushing champ, Derrick Henry.

Tannehill is one of an NFL team-high 34 Titans who have gone on IR this year.

Lawrence has led the Jaguars’ resurgence with 14 TD throws and only two INTs in the past eight weeks. In that win over the Titans, he had three scoring passes and no interceptions with a career-high 368 passing yards. He faced a defense that yields the most air yards per game (279.3) in the league.

Check updated numbers: NFL playoffs odds | Super Bowl 57 odds

Titans vs. Jaguars Injuries

RB Derrick Henry (hip) was a full participant at Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday practices. WR Treylon Burks (groin) did not participate on Thursday and is listed as questionable.

QB Trevor Lawrence (toe) was a limited participant at Wednesday and Thursday practices and is listed as questionable.

NFL Prediction

Dobbs certainly is as upgrade over Willis, who had three awful starts earlier for the Titans before at least temporarily losing the job. And Dobbs has had extra time to prep for this key battle thanks to their extended break after playing  Thursday.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, are working on a short week and fans are grumbling about the perceived scheduling injustice. But at least Jacksonville rested many key players, including RB Travis Etienne, for most of the second half last week and will be facing a familiar foe — if not a familiar QB.

Note: Probably the biggest scheduling atomic wedgy this year went to New Orleans eight weeks ago when they came off a MNF game and had to travel to Pittsburgh to face a Steelers team off a bye. Pittsburgh won 20-10, running 34 more plays than the Saints and holding N.O. to a season-low 186 yards.

But that scheduling quirk is not going to be enough for the Titans going against a defense that has yielded only three points in each of its past two games, including a 19-3 prime-time victory in the Meadowlands against the NY Jets.

Henry can only do so much, regardless of how much rest he’s had.

Most likely the Titans’ best chance to win is to harass Lawrence in a big way. But that’s not likely to happen since the Jaguars didn’t allow any sacks on 42 drop-backs in that win four weeks ago at Tennessee. That was one of six games this season he stayed clean. And that was the only game the Titans didn’t get to the quarterback.

Forecast: Jaguars 28, Titans 16

NFL Week 18: Odds | Bookies Battle 2022