The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Jacksonville Jaguars Week 9 bold predictions. They will host the Las Vegas Raiders at the TIAA Bank Field on Sunday.
After starting the year with a solid 2-1, the Jaguars are on a five-game losing streak. Still, the team finds itself third in the AFC South with a 2-6 record.
Once expected to be a playoff contender, Las Vegas is in a tough spot. The Raiders lost their first three games of the season and are now just 2-5. They are coming off a shutout 24-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
With both teams hoping to turn their seasons around, this AFC clash could be the perfect opportunity to do so. With that being said, here are three bold predictions for the Jaguars as they face the Raiders in Week 9.
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3. Travis Etienne Jr. rushes for 100+ yards, at least one touchdown
Despite the losing streak that started in Week 4, Jacksonville had some bright spots on the field. Probably the biggest one was the emergence of Travis Etienne Jr. After the team traded away James Robinson to the New York Jets, it seems the rookie is ready for the leading role. He now finds himself in the top 10 in rushing yards with 571, ahead of players such as Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey.
In the last two games, Etienne has surpassed 100 yards plus scoring a touchdown on both occasions. Against the Denver Broncos, he had a career-best 156 yards on 24 carries. Prior to that stretch, his best mark was 86 yards, and he had failed to score.
.@swaggy_t1 puts a bow on our opening drive with his first career TD!#NYGvsJAX on FOX pic.twitter.com/ypbkpd73y5
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 23, 2022
Etienne will have some challenges on Sunday. The Raiders are in the top 10 in the league in rushing defense, allowing just 108.6 yards per game. However, since he got momentum on his side, the bold prediction is that Etienne will continue his hot streak and rush for 100-plus yards and score at least one touchdown. If that happens, Jacksonville will be in a great position to win the game.
2. Trevor Lawrence completes 70% or better of his passes for 250+ yards
The Raiders' defense on the ground is among the best in the NFL. The same cannot be said about their passing defense. Across seven games, Las Vegas has allowed quarterbacks to complete 69.2% of their passes, which is tied with the Miami Dolphins for the second-worst in the league. Additionally, the team has allowed 15 passing touchdowns, ranking the Raiders in the bottom three.
Luckily for Jaguars fans, this should mean Trevor Lawrence has a good opportunity to bounce back from last week. Versus the Broncos, the quarterback went 18-for-31 on his passes for just 133 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. In the week before against the New York Giants, Lawrence completed a season-worst 51.2% of his pass attempts with no scores.
However, he has shown flashes of his potential. Lawrence already has three performances with a completion rate of at least 70%. This includes the game versus the Indianapolis Colts where he only had two incompletions and finished with a 90.9% rate.
The Jaguars strike first in London ❗️
Trevor Lawrence finds Evan Engram for the touchdown.pic.twitter.com/4MdUKyg2ci
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 30, 2022
Based on what Lawrence has shown in 2022 and how Las Vegas' passing defense is, the bold prediction is that the quarterback will once again complete 70% or better of his passes and go for at least 250 yards on Sunday.
1. The Jaguars win by one score
With both teams underperforming this season, it is difficult to know what can happen in Week 9. According to FanDuel, the Raiders are the favorites to win this game. However, the spread is just -1.5. This means that things should be very close for most of the day, with no team opening a comfortable lead. Every possession should matter and taking care of the ball could be the deciding factor.
In all of their losses this year, the Jaguars were defeated by one touchdown at most. Except for the shutout to the Saints last week, all of the Raiders' losses have been close games too. That includes an overtime defeat at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Despite being underdogs, the Jaguars could steal the game from the Raiders. It will certainly depend on how Etienne Jr. and Lawrence play, as well as the defensive line against Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs. The Las Vegas running back has three 100-yard performances in 2022 and is in the top five in the league with 676 rushing yards.
All things considered, this should be a one-score game. In the end, it will either come down to Lawrence commanding the offense down the field or the defensive unit making a big stop. The bold prediction is that Jacksonville will succeed and win the contest. Then, both organizations will look back at this game and see how impactful this result was for their aspirations.
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