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Jaguars vs Saints Odds, Lines, Picks, and Best Bets for Week 2 Matchup

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NFL Football

Updated Aug 22, 2021 · 4:00 PM PDT

Trevor Lawrence throws pass
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence looks for a receiver against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
  • The Jacksonville Jaguars are 4-point underdogs in New Orleans Monday vs the Saints
  • Both teams are still unsure of their Week 1 starters for the regular season
  • Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Two clubs still trying to figure out who’ll be under center come Week 1 will try to find clarity Monday night, as the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the New Orleans Saints.

Kickoff goes at 8pm from the Caesars Superdome in the Big Easy. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Jaguars vs Saints Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Jacksonville Jaguars +170 +4.0 (-110) Ov 40 (-110)
New Orleans Saints -200 -4.0 (-110) Un 40 (-110)

Odds as of August 22 at DraftKings.

The Saints opened as a 4-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 40. There’s been no line movement as of yet, even though the bettors are siding with the visitors. In all, 86% of the bets placed against the spread and the moneyline are on the Jaguars.

Lawrence vs Minshew

Perhaps Urban Meyer doesn’t want Trevor Lawrence buying into his own hype as a generational talent.

For a second straight week, the head coach hasn’t named a starter for the game, and said during the week that he still doesn’t know who will be his starting pivot come Week 1.

Lawrence looked good in limited work in his debut, a 23-13 Week 1 preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns. After getting crunched on his very first pass attempt, the Clemson standout looked just fine.

He was 6-of-9 for 71 yards, with no TD’s or interceptions, his best pass a 35-yard strike to Marvin Jones Jr.

Last season’s starter and fan favorite Gardner Minshew is challenging the rookie. Minshew was 4-for-8 for 48 yards and an interception against the Browns. The second-year pro has a career 1-8 record as a starter.

It’s clear that Meyer wants more offensive pop. His biggest concern after the first half against the Browns was the offense generating a paltry 85 yards. If either can sustain good offensive flow, you’d suspect they’d get a leg up in the competition – if you believe Meyer is actually considering not starting Lawrence.

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Winston vs Hill

Life after Drew Brees didn’t look so promising for the Saints after a 17-14 loss in Baltimore.

Head coach Sean Payton wouldn’t even address the starting quarterback situation, more miffed that his team committed six turnovers and looked all out of sorts in the loss.

Jameis Winston has been named the starter in Week 2, though you should expect close to the same amount of reps for Taysom Hill.

Winston sat much of last year, though did show a few flashes when he was called upon. Can he cut down on turnovers, though? He’s just a season removed from setting an historic 30 TD, 30 INT season with the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2019.

Against Baltimore, he was 7-for-12 for 96 yards, throwing a touchdown and a pick.

Hill didn’t fare much better, going 8-for-12 for 81 yards with an interception of his own.

Hill did get the call last year when Brees went down with a rib injury. In those four starts from Week 11-14, he went 82-for-114, throwing for 834 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for four scores.

Other Battles to Watch

There’s also a logjam for a receiver spot behind DJ Chark, Jones and Laviska Shenault Jr. Assuming Jamal Agnew takes the returner/receiver role, there’s a trio of past first round picks — Phillip Dorsett II, Laquon Treadwell and Tavon Austin — headline the competition.

For the Saints, rookie Tony Jones Jr had an impressive debut against Baltimore. Though he did have a fumble, the Notre Dame product rushed for 82 yards on seven totes, including an 18-yard TD run. He also had five catches for 38 yards, and looked competent in pass protection.

He is likely already ahead of veteran Devonta Freeman for third on the depth chart, and could work in lock-step with Latavius Murray behind Alvin Kamara.

Best Bet

Payton hinted his defensive starters would see little to no time at all in this one. With very little depth on that side of the ball, New Orleans just wants to get them to the regular season healthy.

That should allow Lawrence and Minshew to showcase and put some points on the board.

All week, Meyer and Lawrence talked about how winning was important, even if it was the preseason. This is a team that’s lost 15 straight regular season games and 16 straight overall. Clearly, getting a W means more to Jacksonville than it does to the veteran-laden Saints. That should be enough to get them over the top in this one.

Pick: Jaguars +4 (-110)

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