The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Cincinnati to face the winless Bengals in an AFC duel on Sunday. Although the Bengals are winless, they are facing a new Jaguars team. The Jaguars recently traded star-studded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Rams for future draft picks.
With Gardner Minshew and his following being the future of the South, Jacksonville looks to steal a win in uncharted territories. Neither team is having an ideal season as the Bengals have been blown out of the water by their opponents and the Jaguars are struggling to relive the 2017 playoff run.
However, the Jaguars have a slight advantage as they are four-point favorites against the Bengals.
How can the Bengals win their first game? How does Minshew continue his mojo? It all comes down to a few key points from each team.
Overall, the Bengals need to play a full 60 minutes, too. Against the Ravens and Seahawks, Cincinnati had an early lead that lasted a while. However, the Bengals could not hold onto the lead. Two weeks ago against the Arizona Cardinals, they trailed late and tied it. Despite the late push, they failed to complete the comeback.
The Bengals must also allow Joe Mixon to run the ball. He struggles with a swiss cheese offensive line, but if he can emulate his 2018 performances, the Bengals will win close games.
On the other side of the field, the Jaguars are relying on two players: Minshew and D.J. Chark. Chark, the 61st pick in the 2018 draft, is third in receiving yards with 528 this year. Chark will face the backups and the top two defensive backs for the Bengals are on the injury report.
Defensively, the Jaguars need to see how they can handle the passing game. Without Ramsey, A.J. Bouye and Tre Herndon carry the Jaguars now. It will be tough now considering they will face Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate.
Game Info:
Date: Sunday, October 20
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium
TV Info: NFL Network
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Jaguars -4.0 (-115), Bengals +4.0 (-105)
Moneyline: Jaguars (-200), Bengals (+170)
Over/Under: Over 43.5 (-110), Under 43.5 (-110)
Take the Jaguars’ point spread and money line. The Bengals will keep it close, but the Jaguars are capable to run through the Bengals front seen and Minshew will have time in the pocket to make plays, too. Also, this game will be lower-scoring in the cold weather, so take the under.
Prediction
If Mixon can finally wake up the run game, the Bengals can win their first game at home. However, the likeliness of that happening is not very strong. Also, the Jaguars’ offense is more productive then they seem. With the Bengals mess of injuries, Chark and the offense will push the over/under. By the end of this game, the Bengals will stay winless.
Final Score: Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Cincinnati Bengals 14
