Titans vs Jaguars Picks, Odds & Preview – Tennessee Vies for 5th Straight Win Over Jags
By Daniel Coyle in NFL Football
Updated: April 7, 2020 at 9:50 am EDTPublished:
- Following a disappointing 19-17 loss to Indianapolis, the Titans visit Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football as 1.5-point favorites
- The Titans have won four straight against Jacksonville, and posted SU victories in five of seven overall
- The Jaguars are reeling following the loss of QB Nick Foles to injury, and have lost outright in 12 of 14 regular-season contests
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be aiming to avoid a fifth straight outright loss to Tennessee when they host the division rival Titans on Thursday Night Football as narrow 1.5-point underdogs on the Tennessee Titans vs Jacksonville Jaguars odds.
Tennessee vs Jacksonville Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | -1.5 (-109) | -125 | O 39 (-109) |
| Jacksonville | +1.5 (-109) | +105 | U 39 (-109) |
*Odds taken 9/19/19
Jaguars Hampered by Injury to Nick Foles
The Jaguars have endured a difficult start to their 2019 NFL campaign, falling to defeat in each of their first two contests, dropping their squad to a dismal 2-12 straight up in their past 14 regular-season outings going into Thursday night’s clash with the Titans at TIAA Bank Field.
Sucks to hear. Nick Foles has broken left clavicle and will be out a while 😞 pic.twitter.com/FmAhyCGrxD
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 8, 2019
After going winless in preseason action, the Jaguars were quickly stung by the injury bug in their season-opening 40-26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Former Super Bowl hero and recently anointed starting quarterback Nick Foles failed to make it out of the first quarter of his Jacksonville debut, going down with a collarbone injury that is expected to sideline him for at least two months.
Minshew Steps Up in Relief
While rookie pivot Gardner Minshew has performed admirably in place of Foles, the Jacksonville offense has largely sputtered in the early going of the campaign. Minshew has connected on 77.6% of pass attempts, and three touchdowns against just one interception in his unexpected debut.
4th AND 10
GARDNER MINSHEW AINT HEARD NO BELL pic.twitter.com/JvVLy9CNLx— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 15, 2019
The 23-year-old has also displayed surprising scrambling ability, rushing for 62 yards. However, Minshew has enjoyed little help from the Jaguars offensive line, which has allowed him to get sacked on five occasions and has accounted for a third of the yardage as part of a ground game that has yet to produce a touchdown.
Jags’ Offensive Woes Nothing New
Jacksonville’s recent offensive woes are painfully familiar to North Florida football fans. The Jaguars have averaged just 12.3 points per game during their current 2-5 SU run, fueling a 5-2 run for the “Under” in totals betting, and have topped 18 points just once during a 1-5 SU slide on home turf.
Jalen Ramsey is focused on winning, while he's still in Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/NGptu0WM48
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 17, 2019
The Jaguars also face concerns on defense. While the squad deserves full marks for limiting Houston to just 263 total yards in last weekend’s heartbreaking 13-12 loss, locker room harmony has been sorely tested by a trade demand from star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Which Titans Squad Will Show Up on Thursday
The big question heading into Thursday’s contest is, which Titans team will show up?
After shocking the highly-touted Cleveland Browns with a lopsided 43-13 win as 5.5-point road underdogs in their season opener, Tennessee took a big step back last weekend, falling 19-17 to the Indianapolis Colts as 3-point home chalk.
The Titans’ Week 2 loss has also dampened their position on the odds to win the AFC South, with Tennessee falling to a lengthy +320 bet after briefly rocketing to strong +190 second-favorites following their decisive win in Cleveland.
Titans Dominant in Past Dates With Jags
However, the Titans have enjoyed steady success against Jacksonville, posting four straight outright wins over the Jaguars, capped by a 30-9 rout in Tennessee as 5.5-point favorites in Week 14 of last season.
Vrabel on @Titans QB Marcus Mariota’s bounce back ability … pic.twitter.com/85wCo6iOpc
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 17, 2019
Tennessee has also effectively shut down the Jaguars’ offense while posting SU and ATS wins in their past two visits to Jacksonville. The Titans have limited the Jaguars to just 22 total points in their past two road meetings, and just 10.25 points per game overall during their four-game win streak.
But while Tennessee has won six meetings with the Jaguars with Marcus Mariota under center, the Titans’ starting quarterback has produced middling numbers in recent appearances against Jacksonville. Mariota has failed to find the end zone in his past two dates with the Jaguars. The 25-year-old is also coming off a shaky 154-yard performance against Indianapolis and has been sacked four times in each of his first two games this season.
Picks: Titans -1.5 (-109), Titans moneyline (-125), Under 39.0 points (-109)
Sports Writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
