Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Matchup Preview (12/26/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Matchup Preview (12/26/21)

The New York Jets are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday, December 26th, at 1:00 PM EST. Once again, the two AFC teams find themselves at the bottom of their divisions. The Jets are entering Week 16 with a mere 3-11 record, while the Jaguars have maintained a six-game losing streak placing them at 2-12. Last year, both teams were neck and neck for last place in the league, but the last-minute Jets win landed the Jaguars with the first-round draft pick. With their selection, they drafted their starting quarterback, Trevor Laurence, out of Clemson. The young QB has struggled to find his groove but wants to prove himself against the Jets. The matchup might not be the most exciting of the week since playoff chances for both teams faded weeks ago, but there is still an opportunity for an evenly matched and exciting play from both teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Betting Odds

The Jacksonville Jaguars are flying north this weekend to battle one of their most easily matched opponents, the New York Jets. Both teams have rookie quarterbacks that were first and second overall draft picks that have struggled to establish their offensive coordination. The Jaguars are also trying to recover from the firing of their head coach, Urban Meyer after news came to light of him kicking a player. This may be a rocky game for the Florida team that could give the Jets the edge they need to secure their fourth win.

At the start of this week, the Jets are projected to win with 52.4% confidence, according to ESPN’s matchup predictor. DraftKings also favors the Jets with a -2.5 (110) spread, leaving the Jaguars with +2.5 (-110). The moneyline was placed at -135 for the Jets and +115 for the Jaguars. New York has been hit hard with the omicron variant, and it makes me wary to see how many of the Jets’ players may become infected before game time. When considering betting on this game, I would suggest waiting until the very last minute to make a decision due to the high possibility of high infection rates of both teams.

One bet I would feel comfortable taking for this matchup would be to take the under. The over/under is placed at 41.5 points, and both the Jets and the Jaguars have a strong record of hitting the under bet. The young quarterbacks need to establish their place a bit more before they’ll confidently put up large point sums.

My Prediction: Jets win 17-14

TV Schedule

Date: 12/26/21
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Metlife Stadium – East Ruthersford, NJ
TV Coverage: CBS

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Live Stream

Where can you watch Jaguars vs. Jets 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 Jaguars vs. Jets Free Online Now.

Jacksonville Jaguars Analysis

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had menial success all year. They have been especially unsuccessful on the road with an away record of 0-6. At Metlife Stadium, cold and rainy weather may prohibit the Florida team from performing at their best once again. The six-game losing streak is weighing the Jaguars down like an anchor in the water. They’re struggling to get into a pattern and find the best offensive strategy for their rookie quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars planned to build their team around the new quarterback they picked up round one but have not given him the weapons or strategy he needs to be successful. Maybe with a new interim head coach, Darrell Bevell, the play calling and strategy may work in favor of Lawrence’s strengths.

In his first year, Lawrence has thrown for 2,945 yards and nine touchdowns. The stats aren’t bad for a rookie year, but his completion percentage dwindles. He finds himself with a 58.1% completion statistic, leaving him in the bottom seven in the league. His offensive line isn’t giving him much help since he’s been sacked 28 times and frequently has to throw the ball away to avoid another sack and loss of yards. The Jaguars need to focus on a quick offense that focuses on the needs of Lawrence and not try to be fancy with big throws downfield. 

The Jaguars will need to be unpredictable with their play calling to take full advantage of the lacking Jets defense. The Jets struggle in both pass and rush defense, so switching between the two can lead to great benefit. The team’s leading receiver, Mavin Jones Jr., will once again be a big target for this matchup. Jones Jr. has 624 receiving yards this season with three touchdowns. He averages 11.1 yards per reception, leaving him mediocre compared to other receivers in the league. However, he has the ability to take advantage of lazy cornerbacks, so if the Jets aren’t awake and prepared, Jones will leave them in the dust. 

The team’s top rusher has been the one keeping the team afloat. Running back, James Robinson has the most overall yards on the team. This season, he has 757 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The Jaguars have left their faith in Robinson many times. He averages 58.2 rushing yards per game but can reach stats up to 150 yards per game. With the mediocre Jets rush defense, the Jaguars might attempt to take great advantage and leave the ball with Robinson for big plays.

Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart

QB: Trevor Lawrence
RB1: James Robinson
RB2: Carlos Hyde
WR1: Marvin Jones Jr.
WR2: Laviska Shenault Jr.
WR3: Jamal Agnew
TE1: James O’Shaughnessy

New York Jets Analysis

The New York Jets have continued their streak of disappointing seasons. With only three wins entering Week 16, fans and players are beginning to feel defeated and are desperate to end the season on a high note. The Jets have had more success at home since two of their three wins were obtained at MetLife stadium, so their chances of victory may be slightly higher. COVID surges in New York and New Jersey, as well as surges within the NFL, worry individuals that there may be positive tests entering the Jets facility before Sunday’s game. As of Tuesday, six players have been placed on the COVID reserve list, but the list may still grow as the week continues. 

Thankfully for the Jets, their QB1 remains healthy going into this week. Wilson has been the primary quarterback for the Jets during his rookie season. However, he missed a few games in November earlier this year due to a PCL sprain in his knee. He has fully recovered from his injury but has only thrown for two touchdowns since his return. Wilson has struggled with only being able to put up 1,911 yards, and six touchdown passes this season. He has only played ten games this season, averaging 191 yards per game and just over half of a touchdown per match. The rookie quarterback has found himself on the ground more than most quarterbacks in the league. He is the fifth most sacked quarterback in the league with a staggering 34 sacks. The Jets’ offensive line will need to hold the Jaguars’ defense at bay to give Wilson adequate time to make plays. Wilson also needs to improve his decision-making. He holds the ball forever, leaving defensive lines ample opportunity to breakthrough. Together, Wilson needs to work with his team to close gaps in the line and have receivers force gaps downfield. 

With their top receiver, Elijah Moore, out from a quad injury and COVID, the Jets may turn to their rush game to have a better chance at victory. Their top rusher, Michael Carter, may become the team’s biggest weapon this weekend. Carter has 448 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season. The Jaguars have a struggling rush defense, so if the Jets give Carter a good block, he can have opportunities for big plays.

New York Jets Depth Chart

QB: Zach Wilson
RB1: Michael Carter
RB2: Ty Johnson
RB3: Tevin Coleman
WR1: Jamison Crowder
WR2: Keelan Cole
WR3: Denzel Mims
TE1: Ryan Griffin

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Daily Fantasy Picks

This matchup may not be the most exciting for fantasy owners. Both quarterbacks have struggled to obtain point sums that would be of value for owners. Trevor Lawrence averages only 11.4 fantasy points per game, and Zach Wilson averages 10.5 fantasy points. Both teams just haven’t established themselves to be a successful teams with big players. It will be an unsuspecting miracle if one of the players on the team has a stellar game. If Elijah Moore was healthy, he might have been a good choice. Unfortunately, that is not the case. If you’re in the fantasy football playoffs, I’m sure there are other players that would be more beneficial to your team than those on these two teams.