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We're back for another betting prediction and pick for Week 4 NFL action as we head to the AFC South for this divisional rivalry. The Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) will visit the Houston Texas (2-1) as both teams try to bounce back from a loss. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Jaguars-Texans prediction and pick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are winless at 0-3 to open the new season following losses to the Dolphins, Browns, and most recently the Bills on Monday Night. Things didn't look great after their first two close losses, but following their 47-10 blowout against the Bills, it may be panic time in Jacksonville as they try to turn their season around.
The Houston Texans are 2-1 after dropping last week's game to the Minnesota Vikings. After scoring 48 points through their first two games, the Texans scored just one touchdown in the 34-7 blowout in Minnesota. Now, CJ Stroud & co. will look to bounce back and turn their offense up at home once again.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Jaguars-Texans Odds
Jacksonville Jaguars: +6.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +215
Houston Texans: -6.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -260
Over: 45.5 (-105)
Under: 45.5 (-115)
How to Watch Jaguars vs. Texans
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET/ 10:00 a.m. PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Jaguars Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been showing signs of decline this season in their offense, but their last loss to Buffalo was a clear indication that this team needs to make improvements just about everywhere. In their most recent loss, they couldn't get the running game going with only 92 collective yards as a team. Trevor Lawrence threw a costly interception and he wasn't much of a factor in the running game at all. Much of his success over the last few seasons has been from scrambling and taking the ball downfield, but we haven't seen much of Lawrence as a runner this season. It'll be interesting if he can improve his passing from the pocket as he's thrown for just two touchdowns on the season thus far.
The Jaguars defense also took a massive hit and they've now given up 85 points through three games. The Bills loss certainly set them back in terms of the defensive rankings, but it's clear that this team is missing pieces in their secondary. They're also dealing with a number of injuries to offensive players like Evan Engram and Gabe Davis, so it'll be interesting to see what approach they take moving forward in trying to spread this ball around to their playmakers.
Why The Texans Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Houston Texans will be the first to admit themselves that they had a bad day last week. That's sometimes the simplest way to put it as their Week 3 performance was nowhere near indicative of what they're capable of as a team. CJ Stroud threw two costly interceptions and had an uncharacteristically inefficient game through the air. Stroud couldn't connect on his deep balls to receivers and he had trouble escaping the Minnesota pass rush, which got to him four times. The Texans also had trouble making it out of the backfield on numerous occasions and it was an all-around poor performance from the offense. However, we can only imagine the motivation for CJ Stroud to rebound in a game against a suspect defense like that of Jacksonville.
The Texans will certainly have to improve their efforts on defense if they want to remain competitive in games. While CJ Stroud and the offense are bound to figure things out throughout the season, the defense has been consistently shaky, giving up 27 in a shootout with the Colts and 34 points with four touchdowns for Sam Darnold and the Vikings last week. Typically a stout unit, their defense will be the key in keeping other teams off the field and letting their own offense go out there and win them football games.
Final Jaguars-Texans Prediction & Pick
This is a very interesting AFC South matchup as both teams are trying to bounce back from a loss. It's been a rough season for the Jaguars as a whole and their recent blowout against Buffalo has this team with their back against the wall. Look for Trevor Lawrence to continue working kinks out as he tries to add to their rushing attack with his legs.
The Texans are trying to bounce back after being stifled by the Vikings in a game where CJ Stroud really didn't look like himself. Expect him to have a big rebound performance here as he's the type of player to shake that game off and come back stronger the next.
Neither of these defenses are playing very well right now, but we have to side with Houston's unit just a bit more due to their strong play from the defensive line and safety positions. Still, we expect a high-scoring game in this one as the Texans take the win at home by a touchdown.
Final Jaguars-Texans Prediction & Pick: Houston Texans -6.5 (-102); Over 45.5 (-105)
