Saints vs Jaguars betting tips: NFL odds and predictions

Doug Pederson’s men have moved to the summit of the AFC South and are now positioned for a charge at the post-season, although there will be natural concerns about Trevor Lawrence’s health after he tweaked his knee in the victory over the Colts. 

New Orleans took a step back last week in their bid to control the NFC South. Dennis Allen’s team failed to build on their dominant win over the New England Patriots, suffering a 20-13 loss on the road to the Houston Texans.

The result left the Saints in third place in the NFC South, but a win over the Jaguars would propel them to the top of the division standings, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons also losing on Sunday. 

Here are our betting tips for the first game of week seven using the best odds from UK bookmakers. 

Etienne to find the end zone again 

Travis Etienne had a quiet few weeks after failing to score a touchdown for three games, but he has made up for lost time against the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts with two scores in each game.  

Etienne has now matched his touchdown tally from last season with five scores and we’re only in week seven.  

The 24-year-old has been reliable out of the backfield, but is now starting to emerge as the superstar he was during his college days at the Clemson Tigers.

The Jaguars have not been prolific on offence, but have been efficient in their play in the red zone, maximising their scoring opportunities in the last two weeks.  

Etienne allowed his team to take control of their game against the Colts with his rushing ability and they will need him against the Saints if Lawrence is not at 100 per cent. 

New Orleans have a stout defence and are ranked sixth in yards allowed and seventh in total points allowed. 

So, chances might be few for the Jags, but we’re backing Etienne to find the end zone any time at odds 6/5 with William Hill. 

Carr to capitalise on Jaguars D 

Although the Jaguars have performed well to reach 4-2, their defence has shown vulnerabilities against the pass. Jacksonville have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL through six weeks of the season.  

There will be opportunities for Carr to exploit downfield with his receiving corps led by Chris Olave and Michael Thomas. 

Olave is blossoming into one of the best young wideouts in the NFL, while the experience of Thomas along with Alvin Kamara out of the backfield will give the Jags a host of issues. 

Carr threw for a season-high 353 yards in the defeat to the Texans, but he had issues being clinical when it mattered the most. 

It has been the story of Carr’s career and the next few games could well dictate whether the Saints can challenge for a post-season berth with him as their quarterback.  

Jacksonville do have a potent pass rush led by Josh Allen, who has seven sacks this season, including three against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. 

If the Saints can keep Carr upright and comfortable in the pocket, he will have the ability to inflict damage throwing the ball.  We’re backing Carr to throw for over 238.5 passing yards at 1/1 with bet365. 

A close game at the Superdome? 

There should be little between the teams, and the UK betting sites have given the edge to the home team with –3 for the Saints on the handicap. 

Lawrence should be fit to take his place in the Jaguars’ line-up for the game after admitting he felt okay after the win over the Colts.  

He’ll have 10 days of rest to follow the contest and with the opportunity to shore up their position on top of the AFC South, Pederson will want his starter in the side. 

The Saints lost their last home game to the Buccaneers 26-9, although the visitors added late touchdowns to distort the scoreline.  

Outside of their thrashing of New England and loss to the Bucs, Allen’s team have been involved in four one-score games. It means they’re a solid outfit, but not a side that is going to blow the Jaguars away. 

We’re going to take Jacksonville at +3 on the handicap at 22/25 with BetMGM in a potential repeat of New Orleans’ 16-15 win over the Tennessee Titans on the opening day of the season. 

Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.