The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to find an identity in 2022, and that’s made them a bettors nightmare this season.
After leaning heavily on the passing game early in the year, the Jaguars eventually found more offensive success by feeding Travis Etienne Jr. often.
On the other side of the ball, the Jacksonville defense has slalomed between dominant performances and glaring deficiencies. The pass defense has shut down some opponents and been shredded by others. The same can be said for a run defense that gave up over 150 rushing yards three times and held three teams under 60 yards on the ground.
Still, the Jaguars are getting a little easier to figure out as the season is approaching its end. Here are five prop bets offered at Tipico Sportsbook that look like they could be winners in the Jaguars’ Week 12 matchup at home against the visiting Baltimore Ravens:
Lamar Jackson - Anytime touchdown (+160)
The Ravens’ running game is a nightmare to stop. The team averages the second most yards per rush (5.4) and averages the second most yards per game (162.8).
That’s already a daunting challenge for a Jaguars defense that has had up-and-down performances against the run, and it’s made worse by the probability that Gus Edwards will be back from injury in Week 12.
But if there’s one player who could be especially difficult for the young Jaguars defensive front to stop, it’s former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Quarterbacks have used their legs to torch Jacksonville defenders this season, none moreso than the Giants’ Daniel Jones who had 107 rushing yards in an October win against the Jaguars.
There will be a lot of defensive focus centered around slowing Jackson, but keeping him out of the end zone for 60 minutes seems like a stretch.
Trevor Lawrence - Over passing yards (233.5)
Lawrence has thrown for at least 235 passing yards in seven of the Jaguars’ 10 games, including all three of the team’s wins.
When the Jaguars offense is at its best, Lawrence is efficient and leading the team down the field with completions in bunches. That’s a game plan that could work well against a Ravens defense that allows 249.8 passing yards per game.
The key for Lawrence will be avoiding the negative plays that Baltimore thrives on defensively. The Ravens are second in the NFL in takeaways and ninth in sacks.
But that shouldn’t stop Lawrence from racking up passing yards in bunches and pushing his yardage total to the over.
Lamar Jackson - Under passing touchdowns (1.5)
In the Ravens’ last seven games, Jackson has thrown more than one touchdown pass just once and he’s been held under 175 passing yards four times.
Few teams run the ball more often than Baltimore and that could be amplified by the return of Gus Edwards to the lineup.
A few opposing quarterbacks have torched the Jaguars secondary, though. Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz each threw four touchdown passes against Jacksonville, and Matt Ryan had three. But the Jaguars secondary has also held six of its opponents to no more than one passing touchdown.
With offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and tight end Isaiah Likely out, and wide receivers Demarcus Robinson and Devin Duvernay both banged up, the Ravens offense will probably be as run heavy as ever.
Gus Edwards - Over rushing yards (37.5)
Edwards was listed as questionable in Week 11, but the Ravens chose to be cautious about the back’s return. After another week of practicing, including full participation in Thursday and Friday sessions, it looks like Edwards will be good to go against the Jaguars.
How many touches he gets remains to be seen, but 37.5 yards is an awfully low total for a back who typically eclipses that number with ease.
When Edwards came back in Week 7 from a knee injury that kept him out for the first six games of the season, he rattled off 66 and 65 yards in back-to-back games before he was shut down with a hamstring problem.
Edwards averages 5.2 yards per carry over the course his career and the Ravens are collectively averaging 5.4 yards in 2022. It shouldn’t take too many touches for Edwards to get to 40 yards against a Jaguars defense that has struggled against the run, at times.
Evan Engram - Over receptions (3.5)
Engram caught at least four passes in six of his first eight games with the Jaguars, but tallied just four receptions for 22 yards in the last two games before the team’s Week 11 bye.
Still, Engram is averaging 5.1 targets per game since joining the Jaguars in the offseason.
Against the Ravens, Engram could be a significant part of the Jaguars’ game plan. Five of the team’s 10 opponents this season have thrown a touchdown pass to a tight end.
Tight ends are averaging 4.6 receptions and 41 yards against the Ravens. Engram should see a handful of balls and needs to catch just four Sunday to hit the over.
