Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks Matchup Preview (10/31/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks Matchup Preview (10/31/21)

The Seahawks are suddenly 2-5 as their season is slipping away, and it’s hard to argue that any team would miss its starting quarterback more than they would. Geno Smith has struggled to stay upright behind a sieve of an offensive line, and while the pass-catching talent is solid, the offense has floundered in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Jacksonville is coming off a bye week following the first win of Trevor Lawrence’s young career, and I expect them to continue to improve as a team. This isn’t the headline-grabbing, show-stopping matchup of the week, but there’s still plenty of intrigue in this game.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Odds

The Trends

• Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog
• Seahawks are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after an ATS win
• Under is 5-1 in the Jaguars’ last 6 games as an underdog
• Under is 13-3 in the Seahawks’ last 16 games overall

The Pick

The Seahawks’ home crowd played a massive role in their ability to cover the spread last week against the Saints, but I expect the home fans to be much louder and more present for a Monday Night game against the Saints than a Sunday matinee against the Jaguars. The talent discrepancy between these teams is minimal. I’d rather back the team coming off a bye week with some positive momentum, especially with Trevor Lawrence continuing to improve as a passer in his rookie season.

My predictions: Jaguars win 24-21, Jaguars cover, over 43 points

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, October 31
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Location: Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
TV Coverage: CBS

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks Live Stream

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Injuries

Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Myles Jack (back) Q, CB Tyson Campbell (toe) Q, OT Ben Bartch (concussion) Q, OG A.J. Cann (knee) IR eligible to return, C Brandon Linder (knee – MCL) IR

Seattle Seahawks: DE Darrell Taylor (neck) Q, OG Damien Lewis (shoulder) Q, QB Russell Wilson (finger) IR, RB Chris Carson (neck) IR

Jacksonville Jaguars Analysis

Trevor Lawrence’s rookie numbers don’t jump off the page as he’s thrown more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven) this year. However, he seemed to turn a corner as of late as he has a passer rating over 90 in each of his past three games and has completed 66% of his passes over that span. Also, Lawrence pulled off an incredible Jackie Moon costume over the bye week, which makes me like him even more. Urban Meyer is starting to get his feet under him as an NFL head coach, but the team still needs to find ways to utilize better Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault, its two best pass-catchers who have not been remarkably consistent.

You might not expect it, but the Jacksonville offensive line has held up nicely in front of Lawrence as the Jaguars are allowing the seventh-lowest adjusted sack rate and rank fourth in run blocking per Football Outsiders. That success has come even with two starters, A.J. Cann and Brandon Linder, on Injured Reserve. The run-blocking has been incredibly beneficial for James Robinson, averaging 17 carries for 97 yards per game over the last month, and has run for five touchdowns over that span. Carlos Hyde has taken a back seat in recent weeks to better the team as Robinson is arguably its most dynamic offensive player.

Jacksonville has one outstanding defensive piece in Josh Allen, who leads the team with 2.5 sacks. Allen has impressed in his third NFL season and is quietly one of the better pass-rushers in the NFL. However, the Jaguars have just eight sacks this year, tied for the fewest in the NFL. Outside of Shaquill Griffin, the cornerbacks have been a work in progress, and without Myles Jack, the run defense has suffered. Football Outsiders ranks Jacksonville as the worst defense in the NFL in terms of DVOA, and they have allowed the seventh-most points and the third-most yards per game this season. Geno Smith should have a much easier time against this team than against the Saints and Steelers over the past two weeks.

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: Dan Arnold
TE2: Chris Manhertz

Seattle Seahawks Analysis

Geno Smith has struggled to replace Russell Wilson as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback as he has completed just 63.3% of his passes this season and has been sacked ten times over the past two weeks. Seattle has allowed 23 sacks this season, the third-most in the NFL, and Geno Smith doesn’t have the same ability to extend plays with his legs and buy his receivers time downfield when the pocket breaks down. Duane Brown, the team’s longtime starting left tackle, is clearly on the decline at 36 years old, and he’s going to have a tough time keeping Josh Allen away from his quarterback this week.

Seattle’s run game has suffered without Russell Wilson and Chris Carson healthy, and Alex Collins suffered mightly with just 16 carries for 35 yards against the Saints on Monday. Rashaad Penny didn’t fare much better with just six carries for nine yards. A lack of any consistent run game hurts Seattle’s ability to keep the defense honest, particularly with Geno Smith at quarterback. D.K. Metcalf was quiet outside of one 84-yard touchdown reception, which, to be fair, was an excellent play. Tyler Lockett has been held to just four catches for 47 yards over the past two weeks.

Defensively, Seattle has been middle-of-the-pack in most metrics, although its run defense has recovered nicely from a poor start to the year, and they now rank 11th in run defense DVOA. Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Jamal Adams combine to make Seattle very difficult to run against. However, Adams is very predictable as a defensive player, and the lack of ability to keep the offense on its toes hurts the team in coverage. D.J. Reed has been a solid addition at cornerback, but losing Shaquill Griffin to the Jaguars hurt their coverage overall. Seattle ranks 25th in pass-defense DVOA, and Trevor Lawrence should have a solid afternoon.

Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart

QB: Geno Smith
RB1: Alex Collins
RB2: Rashaad Penny
WR1: DK Metcalf
WR2: Tyler Lockett
WR3: Freddie Swain
TE1: Gerald Everett
TE2: Will Dissly

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks Daily Fantasy Picks

I believe Trevor Lawrence will have a solid performance against a beatable Seahawks’ secondary, but he doesn’t have enough upside to make him a priority DFS play. If you are going to build one Lawrence lineup, I’d most like to pair him with Marvin Jones. Laviska Shenault’s role has been too inconsistent to trust him. I like Dan Arnold as a cheap TE option who could find the end zone this week, and I also like James Robinson even against an improving Seattle run defense. You’re not playing Geno Smith on the Seahawks’ side, and I’m staying away from the RBs until we get more clarity on the team situation. It’s hard to trust any of the pass-catchers with Smith at quarterback, but Metcalf is a good option as a good bet to get in the end zone on any given week.