The Jacksonville Jaguars have won three straight on the back of an offense that’s starting to find its footing and a defense that is racking up takeaways at a league-leading pace. The New Orleans Saints have lost three of their last four and will be without both of their starting offensive tackles Thursday night.
Yet, it’s the Jaguars that will walk into the Caesars Superdome as underdogs.
That is almost entirely because of a knee injury suffered by quarterback Trevor Lawrence late in the Jaguars’ 37-20 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. While it appears likely that the third-year quarterback will start, that’s no guarantee and his mobility and health, even if he is in the lineup, are in doubt.
But what do the experts think? Here’s a roundup of predictions for the Thursday night contest:
USA Today
Chris Bumbaca: Jaguars 16-13
Jarrett Bell: Jaguars 23-20
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Jaguars 26-21
Nate Davis: Jaguars 19-16
Safid Deen: Saints 20-17
Tyler Dragon: Jaguars 24-20
Victoria Hernandez: Jaguars 23-21
Lorenzo Reyes: Saints 21-17
NFL.com
Ali Bhanpuri: Jaguars 20-18
Brooke Cersosimo: Jaguars 22-19
Dan Parr: Jaguars 22-20
Gennaro Filice: Saints 14-11
Tom Blair: Jaguars 20-17
ESPN
Stephania Bell: Jaguars
Matt Bowen: Jaguars
Kimberley Martin: Jaguars
Eric Moody: Saints
Jason Reid: Jaguars
Sam Wickersham: Jaguars
CBS Sports
Pete Prisco: Jaguars
Will Brinson: Jaguars
Jared Dubin: Jaguars
Ryan Wilson: Saints
John Breech: Jaguars
Tyler Sullivan: Jaguars
Dave Richard: Saints
Sporting News
Trevor Lawrence (knee) might not play with the quick turnaround, and that means C.J. Beathard would start at New Orleans. The Saints are 1-5 ATS this season, but they were favored in the five losses. A home underdog in a pick ’em could work out, especially if Lawrence can’t go. We’re making this pick assuming Lawrence plays, but will re-evaluate if he’s out.
Pick: Jaguars 23, Saints 20
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report’s Week 7 picks
Gary Davenport: Jaguars
Brad Gagnon: Jaguars
Ian Hanford: Jaguars
Kris Knox: Jaguars
Maurice Moton: Jaguars
Wes O’Donnell: Jaguars
Brent Sobleski: Jaguars
Bottom Line
Pundits and oddsmakers are on opposite sides in this one. While the Saints are the favorites, experts don’t think they should be. Here’s the final tally:
Jaguars: 28
Saints: 6
