NFL Games Today: Jaguars vs. Bengals Predictions & Odds

The Jacksonville Jaguars visit the Cincinnati Bengals in a key early season football game between AFC heavyweights. The Bengals suffered their first loss last week against division rival Pittsburgh losing outright as a 3.5-point favorite in NFL betting odds.

Jacksonville moved to 2-1 taking over first place in the AFC South after a dominant 35-6 win over New England. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow has never lost to the Jags going 3-0 helping the Bengals win the last four meetings.

NFL Games Today and Tonight

All 32 NFL teams are in action in Week 4 before the byes start rotating around the league starting next week. The Sunday schedule opens with another International Series game, this one in London featuring the Colts and Commanders, who each got their first wins of the year the previous week. The Jaguars and Bengals get the early window started at 1 p.m. ET.

Who Plays Football Tonight?

• If you haven’t checked the NFL schedule and are wondering who plays football tonight, the Carolina Panthers get their first Sunday Night Football appearance in a decade hosting the Detroit Lions.

Top NFL Matchups to Watch Today

• There are key matchups all across the NFL in Week 4, but the Jaguars at Bengals confrontation is significant for standings and seedings in the NFC with both clubs expected to contend for a playoff spot. 
• The Jags enter the week in first place in the AFC South while the Bengals are tied for the AFC North lead.

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NFL Odds for Today’s Games

For the second time in as many games this season the Bengals will be a home favorite laying 2.5-points on the NFL lines. Cincinnati won and covered in its season-opening 33-27 home win over Tampa Bay as a 4.5-point favorite. The Jags are 0-1 straight up and against the NFL betting line on the road losing at Denver 20-13 in Week 2 as a 2.5-point dog.

NFL Moneyline and Point Spread Odds

• NFL odds have Jacksonville catching 2.5-points (+102). They are priced at +130 on the moneyline.
• The Bengals need to win by at least a field goal for a spread bet on them to cash. They are juiced at -117. At -145 on the moneyline Cincinnati has a roughly 58 percent implied win probability.

NFL Totals and Over/Under Lines

• The total surfaced at 51.5 points, which is the highest on the Week 4 board. With two elite QBs the game has the potential to be a high-scoring affair. 
• The Jags scored a season-high 35 points last week but went UNDER the total for the second time this season by holding the Patriots to two field goals. The Bengals are 2-1 against the OVER.

NFL Matchup Previews

Both NFL teams have been good offensively ranking among the top half of the league in scoring and total yards. Jacksonville averages 27.3 points, but the damage was done at home where they combined to score 69 points in two games. The Jags managed just 13 points in their lone road contest.

Offense vs. Defense Matchups

• Cincinnati’s 28th ranked pass defense will face a stiff challenge stopping Trevor Lawrence and the Jags. Lawrence threw three TD passes last week but had quiet numbers otherwise with a ground game that totaled 137 yards.
• Through three games the Jags had the best scoring defense in the NFL allowing only 12.0 points per game. 

Key Matchup Advantages

• Jacksonville has a statistical advantage on defense allowing just three TDs all season with two of them coming in the fourth quarter of their 20-13 loss to Denver in Week 2.
• The Bengals have yet to break out offensively but they have talent in the passing game to do it at any time. Valuing the football is key against a Jags’ unit that has the second-best turnover ratio in the NFL.

NFL Players to Watch Today

Picked No. 1 overall in back-to-back NFL drafts, quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow are NFL players to watch. Lawrence has thrown for 616 yards and seven TDs while Burrow has completed 71 percent of his throws for 743 yards and six scores.

Quarterbacks and Offensive Playmakers

• Two dynamic QBs with solid NFL stats will play a crucial role in the outcome of this game. And both are surrounded by playmakers. Ja’Marr Chase terrorized Jacksonville last year with 14 catches for 165 yards and a TD.
• Parker Washington is the Jags leading receiver and Bhayshul Tuten has rushed for more than 200 yards with two TDs.

Defensive Players Who Could Impact the Game

• Former No. 2 overall draft pick Travis Hunter had his first NFL interception last week. Elite edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen will be tasked with pressuring Joe Burrow.
• Jonathan Allen, Dexter Lawrence and Cedric Johnson all have 2.0 sacks and the Bengals are fourth in the NFL with 10 sacks.

NFL Stats to Know Before Today’s Games

There are some NFL stats anomalies worth noting ahead of this game. Cincy’s O line ranks first in the NFL in run-block win rate yet the Bengals are only 27th in rushing yards. Conversely the Jags are 29th in run-stop win rate but are seventh in yards per rush allowed.

Offensive and Defensive NFL Stats

• Jacksonville averages 314.3 yards per game but just 195 yards through the air. They are 10th in the NFL in scoring at 27.3 points per game. Cincinnati averages 323.3 yards per game but only 91.3 yards on the ground. They average 26.7 points.
• The Jags didn’t allow a TD in last week’s win and lead the NFL giving up just 12.0 points per game.

Recent Team and Player Trends

• The Jags have clicked at home averaging 34.5 points per game. They struggled in their lone road contest amassing 268 yards and 13 points in a loss to Denver.
• In last week’s loss Cincinnati’s defense allowed six explosive plays of over 20 yards. Since the start of last season the Bengals have allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL.

NFL Lines and Betting Movement

The NFL lines for this game have remained remarkably stable. The Bengals are heavily backed but have held firm at -2.5.

Opening Lines vs. Current NFL Lines

• Sportsbooks are hesitant to move the line to the key number of -3 instead increasing the juice on the favored Bengals.
• The total opened as the highest on the board and has resisted moving downward despite Jacksonville’s league-leading scoring defense.

What Can Move NFL Odds Before Kickoff?

• Several factors can lead to NFL lines moving before kickoff. Key injuries are a big reason, but weather conditions for outdoor games and betting volume can also play a role.

NFL Predictions for Today’s Games

Cincinnati scored more than 30 points in each of the last two games with Jacksonville and has the offensive firepower to put up a lot of points. The Jags have weapons as well which is a reason why the game total is the highest for the week.

Predictions for Today’s Top NFL Games

• Two of the top teams in the AFC will put on a show and given the closeness of the team homefield is worth backing making the Bengals the pick to win and cover in this football game.

Potential Upsets to Watch

• The 2.5-point spread tells us this game is expected to be close. It wouldn’t be a major upset if the Jags won, but keeping Burrow and his pass catchers under will help secure a victory.

NFL Betting Angles for Today

The Bengals have injury concerns in the secondary allowing Trevor Lawrence to potentially exploit a Cincinnati weakness. Backing the Jags with 2.5 points takes advantage of this roster edge.

Spread and Moneyline Betting Angles

• In what is expected to be a close game, the Jaguars have plenty of value at plus-odds on the NFL betting moneyline.

Player Prop Betting Angles

• Facing a weakened Cincinnati will allow the Jags to utilize the forward pass giving value to the OVER on the passing yardage total for Trevor Lawrence.

Final NFL Games Today Outlook

with Cincinnati getting the standard homefield backing the game with Jacksonville is a near tossup. I do like Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense to have success against the NFL’s best scoring defense setting this game up to be a shootout. The Bengals will bounce back after a crushing loss covering the 2.5-point NFL odds spread and going over the game total.