Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Week 13 of the NFL slate comes to a close as a pair of teams from the AFC take the field down in the Sunshine State. The Cincinnati Bengals are on the road as they make the trip to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. Cincinnati comes in off a 16-10 home loss to the Steelers last Sunday, failing to cover the line as a two-point underdog, in their previous contest. Jacksonville hung on for a 24-21 road victory over Houston in an AFC South battle last Sunday, covering the line as a one-point favorite. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Jaguars own a 13-11 advantage but the Bengals have won the last two meetings, including a 24-21 home win in the most recent matchup on September 30, 2021.
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Cincinnati Bengals Trying to Avoid Spiral
Cincinnati lost their third straight game as they were beaten at home by Pittsburgh in their previous contest. The Bengals dropped to 5-6 on the season and stand in the basement of the AFC North: they stand 11 in the AFC playoff picture. Against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati saw the game scoreless after the opening quarter, led 7-3 at the half and trailed 10-7 after three quarters. The Bengals trailed 16-7 in the fourth quarter and got within 16-10 with 2:04 to play: they failed to recover the ensuing on-side kick, allowing Pittsburgh to run out the clock. Cincinnati was outgained 421-222 in total offense, gave up 22 first downs while picking up 10 and lost time of possession by a 37:17 to 22:43 margin in the game. Both teams turned the ball over once in the contest.
For the year, the Bengals are 19 in the league in passing offense with 215.9 yards per contest while they are 32 in rushing with 75.8 yards per game. Cincinnati is 23 in the league in scoring offense with 19.3 points per game while they stand 19 in scoring defense by allowing an average of 22 points per game. Joe Burrow has completed 244 of 365 passes for 2,309 yards with 15 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 88 yards on the ground. Jake Browning (27 of 41, 295 yards, two TD, INT, 48 rush yards) is the backup QB. Joe Mixon leads the team in the run game as he’s totaled 161 carries for 621 yards and four scores. He’s done the heavy lifting as next in line is Trayveon Williams, who has 12 carries for 59 yards on the season. In the passing game, Tyler Boyd is second on the team with 50 catches for 462 yards plus two scores. Ja’Marr Chase (team-high 75 catches, team-high 914 yards, six TD) and Tee Higgins (27 catches, 328 yards, two TD) are solid secondary options. Evan McPherson has hit 23 of 23 extra point attempts and 17 of 21 field goal tries with a long of 56 this season.
Burrow (wrist) last played against Baltimore on November 16. He underwent surgery this week and is out for the season. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele (illness) didn’t practice Friday. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (quad/ankle), tackle D’Ante Smith (knee), defensive tackle B.J. Hill (non-injury related/rest) and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (non-injury related/rest) were each limited both Thursday and Friday. Watch for further updates throughout the weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars Maintaining AFC South Advantage
Jacksonville managed to hold off Houston on the road in their previous contest to solidify their hold on the top spot in the AFC South. The Jaguars improved to 8-3 on the season and they hold a two-game lead over Houston and Indianapolis for the top spot in the division. Against Houston, Jacksonville led 3-0 after the opening quarter, 13-7 at the half and 21-14 after three quarters. The Jaguars led 24-21 late and saw the Texans drive into scoring position in the final minute only to have Houston miss a game-tying 58-yard field goal with 29 seconds to play. Jacksonville held a 445-352 edge in total offense, recorded 22 first downs while allowing 19 and owned a 33:54 to 26:06 margin to offset committing the game’s lone turnover.
On the season, Jacksonville is 12 in the league in passing offense with 238 yards per contest and 18 in rushing offense with 106.2 yards per game. The Jaguars are 12 in the league in scoring offense as they average 23.1 points per contest and stand 12 in scoring defense by allowing 20.5 points per contest. Trevor Lawrence has completed 249 of 370 passes for 2,746 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the year. He adds 240 yards plus three scores on the ground. C.J. Beathard is three of four for 14 yards in limited work. Travis Etienne Jr. leads the Jaguars on the ground with 194 carries for 726 yards and seven scores. Tank Bigsby is next in line with 36 carries for 86 yards and two scores this season. Tight end Evan Engram leads the team with 64 receptions for 524 yards on the season. Christian Kirk (56 catches, team-high 761 yards, three TD), Calvin Ridley (47 grabs, 663 yards, five TD) and Etienne Jr. (36 receptions, 312 yards, TD) are the only other players with more than 125 receiving yards this season. Brandon McManus has hit all 23 extra point attempts and 23 of 26 field goal attempts with a long of 56 this season.
Tackle Cam Robinson (knee) was placed on injured reserve this week, so he is out for this contest. Tight ends Luke Farrell (toe) and Brenton Strange (foot), running back Travis Etienne Jr. (ribs) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) were all limited Friday. Each of them, with the exception of Strange, were also limited Thursday. Watch for further information heading through the weekend.
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Cincinnati is a team that has fallen apart after losing Burrow for the season with the wrist injury. Three straight losses has dropped the Bengals to 5-6 on the season and their chances of making the postseason continue to slip, especially with a 0-4 mark in division play this season. Browning is trying to keep his team in games but the fact remains that the team is falling apart at the seams. Giving up 400-plus yards of offense to a Pittsburgh team that hadn’t reached that level in 58 games is concerning. Jacksonville has played well of late and they are at home here. More importantly, they have their former #1 overall pick and signal caller under center. That’s enough to give the advantage to the Jaguars as they send the Bengals to a fourth straight defeat.
Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars -8.5
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Cincinnati enters this game having seen the under post a 6-5 mark in their 11 games this season. The Bengals have seen the over post a 3-2 mark in their five road games this season. Each of their last three road games (against Arizona, San Francisco and Baltimore) have gone over the number. Jacksonville enters this week having seen the under post a 6-5 mark in their 11 games on the year. The Jaguars have gone over the number in three of their five home games on the season. While the Bengals are dealing with injury issues, this total may be a little low, especially seeing what kind of numbers that Pittsburgh put up offensively against them. Jacksonville will actually finish drives where the Steelers failed to: look for this game to go over the total.
Prediction: Over 38.5
Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO. If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career. Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.
