Regarded as two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Jaguars (+7.5) will take on the Bengals this Thursday evening.
While the Bengals are 2-1 so far in this young season, they have not impressed. The biggest bright spot has been Joe Burrow, who has returned after suffering from injury last season. Burrow was able to connect with former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase in Week 3, so look for him to continue to feed his fellow Tiger. This matchup will also be the first in which Cincinnati is a favorite.
The Jaguars are winless this season, and it is apparent that rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence is having a tough time adjusting to NFL competition. Lawrence and company were on their way to their first win last Sunday, but a late pick-six in the third quarter followed by two turnovers in the fourth were all the Arizona Cardinals needed to steal away a victory. The Jaguars actually lead the league in turnovers, and new head coach Urban Meyer will have to address this issue in Week 4.
There are actually several trends worth noting: Jacksonville is 0-18 straight up in its last 18 games, while the Bengals are 7-2-1 against the spread in their last 10 home games. The under has also hit in 2 of each team’s 3 games this season.
Given these two teams are developing their young talent and essentially rebuilding, we are rolling with the Jaguars +7.5 in this one. Expect sloppy play and minimal scoring as well, as the O/U sits at just 46.