JACKSONVILLE JACGUARS AT NEW YORK JETS BETTING PREVIEW

A pair of AFC rivals are fighting for a playoff spot when they meet over the holiday weekend. The Jacksonville Jaguars will visit the New York Jets at 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Jaguars (6-8) secured a comeback victory against the Dallas Cowboys to pull within a game of the Tennessee Titans, who have lost four straight, in the AFC South Division race. That’s notable since the Jags still have a meeting with the Titans to end the year.

The Jets (7-7) are still alive for a wild card spot. However, there are still three teams with a better record than them that aren’t leading a division, and they are also tied with the Patriots.

The Jags are favored by 0.5 points with an over/under of 37.5. Jacksonville is -115 on the moneyline, while the Jets are +100.

Jags Look to Keep Marching

Jacksonville has won three of its last four games and hasn’t been favored since an Oct. 30 loss to Denver as a one-point favorite. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence seems to be finding his groove, and a defense that features No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker is improving.

The Jags are 12th in scoring 23.9 points per game and sixth in gaining 367.9 yards per game. They are 10th in passing (240.7 per game) and rushing (127.2 per game). Their 18 turnovers, though, are tied for 22nd.

Defensively there is room for improvement. 

They are 21st in allowing 23.4 points per game and 27th in allowing 370.7 yards per game. That includes being 29th (252.6 per game) against the pass and 16th (118.1 per game) against the rush. Their 21 takeaways are tied for fourth.

Jets Need to Right the Ship

The Jets have lost three straight games and looked like a surefire playoff team to put some doubt. Those losses include a pair of division leaders, although they previously beat the Bills and the Detroit Lions, sparking their NFC playoff hopes.

Former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson regained his starting role and hoped to boost a struggling offense. The Jets are 23rd in scoring 20.1 points per game and are 19th in gaining 336.9 yards per game. They are 15th in gaining 229.2 yards passing per contest and 24th with 107.6 rushing yards per game. Their 18 turnovers are tied for 21st in the league.

Defensively they are great, allowing 18.8 points per game to rank fifth. They are third in allowing 305.4 yards per game, ranking fourth (193.9) against the pass and 11th (111.5) against the rush.

Trends and predictions

The Jags are 6-7-1 against the spread and 8-6 on over/under. They are 2-5 straight up on the road. They are 0-3 as favorites. 

Meanwhile, the Jets are 8-6 against the spread, 5-9 on over/unders, and 3-4 at home. They are 6-5 as underdogs but 3-5 as ‘dogs of 6.5 points or less.

Dunkel Index: Jags by 3/total 35 points

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