Jaguars @ Bengals (-7.5)
Over/Under: 46.5
Thursday is FINALLY here and we are back to having football to watch after a long two-day break. I don't know how much longer I could have taken.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jags are heading up north to face off against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. This will be the second time these two have played against each other. I think we all remember what happened last time, but in case you don't,
What a team, for real.
The Bengals come into this game with a record of 2-1 and a big division win against the Steelers. Burrow has had a solid season completing 70 percent of his passes and throwing seven touchdowns.
The defense has been pretty decent as well, but then again their last two opponents have been the Bears and Steelers who are both having terrible quarterback and offensive line play at the moment. They will be without their best defender Jessie Bates who is out with a neck injury.
Tee Higgins is out for the second straight week for the Bengals offense. This makes it seem like a heavy Jamar Chase night in primetime. The rookie already has four touchdowns this season which is tied with Mike Williams for the AFC lead. Not to mention Joe Mixon currently sits at second in rushing yards for the entire league.
The Jags on the other hand are going through some tough times. Jacksonville has started out 0-3 this year and Trevor Lawrence has looked pretty rattled in his first few games in the league.
Lawrence is completing just 54% of his passes so far while tossing seven interceptions. He has been asked to throw the ball 39 times a game. If that doesn't seem like it's good for a rookie quarterback, that's because its' not. James Robinson has finally started to see more touches in Urban Meyer's offense though and so you would assume they have figured out a plan to run the ball more.
On the defensive side of the ball it's even worse. The Jags rank in the bottom five of the league in yards allowed, points allowed, and sacks. They have also only forced one turnover through the first three games. Let's just say there's a reason this team has lost 18 straight games dating back to last season.
I think this game holds a lot of value for both teams. The Bengals can get to 3-1 in a division where every win is crucial, while the Jags have an opportunity to sneak a win out against a team coming off an emotional win and short rest.
At some point or another, Trevor Lawrence is going to have a breakout game where he puts up 300+ yards and lights up a defense without turning the ball over. I think that tonight is the night.
The last time these two QBs played it didn't go well for Trevor Lawrence, and Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about Burrow from their days at Ohio State. This is juicy and I like the Jags to cover and we're taking the over as well. Bengals don't have their best secondary player and it will result in POINTS POINTS POINTS.
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