Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Matchup Preview (9/30/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)
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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Matchup Preview (9/30/21)
No matter what the sport is, the number one overall pick in the draft is under a microscope the following years. This makes sense, as if a weak team ends up with the number one pick, they need them to contribute immediately. Well, this Thursday we get two see the most recent number one overall picks in the NFL facing off. Joe Burrow won a National Championship at LSU before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in 2020. His rookie season was going fairly smoothly until an ACL injury ended his first year prematurely. And who was he facing in his National Championship win? Trevor Lawrence, who led Clemson to a title in 2018 and was drafted first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars this past offseason, but has had a rougher start in comparison.
While neither team was expected to light the world on fire this year, both have had very different starts to the year. The Bengals are sitting at 2-1 and coming off a big win against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. In their first win in Pittsburgh since 2015, the team controlled throughout and left with a final score of 24-10. The Jaguars have had a less positive start to the 2021 season. They’re 0-3 under new head coach Urban Meyer and just got handed a rough loss against the Arizona Cardinals. They actually led the Cards 19-10 in the third quarter before being outscored 21-0 the rest of the game. We’ll learn a lot more about both teams once they face off against each other on Thursday night. Let’s take a look at what you should expect.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Betting Odds
I’m trying not to overreact about how both teams have started the season. However, it’s hard to overlook it as well. The Jaguars haven’t just lost three straight games, but haven’t covered a single matchup. And, while the Bengals likely aren’t playoff-bound, they’ve beaten teams much better than the Jaguars this season.
I actually expect James Robinson to have a good game here. Not only is he coming off a good game rushing and receiving last week, but he faces a Bengals defense that allowed Najee Harris to gain 142 yards, including 102 through the air. Expect Lawrence to use the running back as a go-to receiver in case he runs into trouble.
Although I’m liking the Bengals in this matchup, I’m never a fan of a 7.5-point line. That’s why, if you use DraftKings Sportsbook, grab Bengals -7 before that number gets bet up. I think Burrow, Chase, and Mixon will pick on a weak Jaguars defense all night with some strong, time-consuming drives. However, while he throws plenty of picks, Trevor Lawrence is capable of putting together a scoring drive here and there. Even if it’s garbage time, he’ll do enough to put some points on the board. Plus, Bengals defensive back Trae Waynes is looking to miss the game with a hamstring injury, and a number of other defensive backs are banged up, which may provide some more opportunities for Lawrence and the Jaguars offense. It might be stressful towards the end, but lay the points with the Bengals (even if you must do 7.5) at home and enjoy a slugfest between former top picks.
My predictions: Bengals win 28-20, Bengals -7, over 45.5
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TV Schedule
Date: Thursday, September 30
Time: 8:20 PM ET
Location: Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
TV Coverage: NFL
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Live Stream
Where can you watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Free Online Now.
Injuries
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Tavon Austin (quad) IR, CB Tre Herndon (knee) O, OT Cam Robinson Q, G Andrew Norwell (ankle) Q, DE Roy Robertson-Harris (ankle) O, TE James O’Shaughnessy (ankle) IR
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Tee Higgins (shoulder) O, OT (ankle) Riley Reiff Q, CB Darius Phillips (hand) Q, LB Markus Bailey (hamstring) Q S Jessie Bates III (neck) Q, CB Trae Waynes (hamstring) O, G Xavier Su’a-Filo (knee) O, CB Chidobe Awuzie (groin) Q
Jacksonville Jaguars Analysis
The fact that some sportsbooks had a projected 6.5 win total for the Jaguars is becoming more difficult to understand every week. The team is now 0-18 since their Week 1 win against the Colts to start 2020. Coach Urban Meyer is clearly struggling in his transition to the pros, as evidenced by his reported comparison between coaching in the NFL and weekly matchups against Alabama.
Like his coach, QB Trevor Lawrence is finding life outside of the campus a bit difficult. He’s thrown five touchdowns and seven picks, and is on pace to break the rookie record for interceptions. On the bright side, running back James Robinson broke out against the Cardinals, with 136 total yards and a touchdown. And… that concludes the positive portion of this section.
The defense, meanwhile, is once again near the bottom of the league. They’re currently allowing 418 yards and 30.3 points per game. Worse, they’ve only recorded four sacks and a single interception on the year. The Jags were hoping a new coach and a new quarterback might start changing the franchise around, but the results have been lukewarm so far. If they’re going to get momentum for the rest of the season, an upset win against the Bengals is crucial.
Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart
QB: Trevor Lawrence
RB1: James Robinson
RB2: Carlos Hyde
WR1: Laviska Shenault Jr.
WR2: DJ Chark Jr.
WR3: Marvin Jones Jr.
TE1: Chris Manhertz
Cincinnati Bengals Analysis
While not many people were high on the Bengals this offseason, with some even expecting coach Zac Taylor to be fired early on, the team has been surprisingly solid in three weeks. They’ve already won half as many games as last year, with a close win against Minnesota in Week 1 and a road win against last year’s AFC North champs last Sunday. The team’s showing some life, and they’ve got to be excited to see the Jaguars coming to town.
QB Joe Burrow has looked solid so far this season, tossing seven TDs with four picks. He’s formed quite a connection with his former college receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who caught two TDs last week and is primed to keep performing this season. Meanwhile, running back Joe Mixon is having a major comeback from last year’s injury-shortened campaign. He’s second in the league with 286 yards and currently averaging 4.3 yards per run. While the Bengals have allowed Burrow to be sacked 10 times in the first two games, the team is hoping that last week, in which the Steelers didn’t even get a hit on the young quarterback, is a sign of things to come.
The Bengals defense has surprised so far this year. After ranking towards the bottom of the league last year (389.2 yards per game), they’re in the top ten right now, allowing 317 yards and only 18 points per game. Linebacker Logan Wilson has three interceptions so far this season, and the entire team has 10 total sacks. Defensive linemen BJ Hill and Trey Hendrickson have been dominant, combining for 5.5 sacks and 13 tackles.
Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Joe Burrow
RB1: Joe Mixon
RB2: Samaje Perine
WR1: Tyler Boyd
WR2: Ja’Marr Chase
WR3: Auden Tate
TE1: CJ Uzomah
Jaguars vs Bengals Best Bets Player Props
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals Daily Fantasy Picks
Like I said, I’m, a big fan of James Robinson in this game. He’s currently listed at $5,700 on DraftKings while averaging more fantasy points per game than more expensive players like Jonathan Taylor. Plus, give some consideration to Joe Mixon at $6,500. I’d like him to start finding the endzone more often, as he’s only scored one TD this entire year. However, this is a favorable matchup against a defense that allows 115.7 rushing yards per game.
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