After a blazing hot 6-2 start to the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars are now fighting for their playoff lives. If they lose this weekend, they could be on the outside looking in for the playoffs. On the other side looking to play spoiler in this NFL Week 18 game on Sunday, Jan. 7, is the Tennessee Titans. Fortunately for the Jags, QB Trevor Lawrence is on track to make his return. As of now, QB Will Levis is also on track to return for the Titans after being sidelined due to an ankle injury in a lopsided loss last weekend.
We’re taking a look at the Jaguars vs. Titans odds and preview, and the best online sportsbook bonuses on the market.
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Odds
The Jags are 3.5-point favorites on the road, which says a lot, but divisional foes with nothing to lose have wrecked many seasons in years past.
The Jags are coming off a much better outing than the Titans last weekend, and they took care of business against Tennessee pretty easily the first time around. However, the Titans have found plenty of ways to be competitive in games they were counted out of all season long.
Jacksonville’s Challenges
Although Lawrence’s return helps the Jags’ odds, it certainly doesn’t guarantee victory. The Jags are 0-4 in his last four starts, and his play had a significant role in those outcomes. In those four games, he tossed five interceptions, was sacked 10 times, and failed to lead the team to at least 20 points twice.
Also in that time span, the Jags have allowed 30 or more points in three of their last five games to offenses led by Jake Browning, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Flacco. Collectively, they allowed 948 yards and six touchdowns in those games. They have allowed the ninth most touchdown passes, and they are also near the bottom of the league in sacks generated. Overcoming the plethora of challenges on both sides of the ball that has plagued them recently could prove to be tall of a task in a short week.
Titans Building for Next Year
Levis has had an up and down season but has shown flashes of being a franchise QB — none bigger than the two-touchdown comeback late in the fourth against the Dolphins. However, there is still much he must prove. Given the circumstances of the game, the Titans may let him be aggressive to see just how much he can manage as they prepare for the offseason. He has now seen the Steelers, the Bucs, and the Texans twice.
Each are premier defenses in their own right and have thrown a lot at the rookie. With another shot at the Jags on deck and more experience under his belt, he could be in for a big game. He is the ultimate X-factor, and it’s challenging to know which version of him you will get. However, he has given them enough to stay within striking distance in most of their games. If that trend continues, the Jags could be in for trouble.
Titans vs. Jaguars Predictions
The Jags are healthier and the better team. The Titans may make it a fight but ultimately come up short thanks to their inability to stop the pass, especially with the injuries they are battling in the secondary.
Prediction: Jags to cover -3.5
