Jacksonville Visits Houston in Key AFC South Game
Jaguars vs Texans Betting Odds See Jags Favored
Before the season began, few people expected the Week 12 matchup between Jacksonville and Houston to be big. But that’s the way it’s worked out. The game is for first place in the AFC South. A Jacksonville win gives the Jaguars some breathing room and a two-game division lead. A Houston win creates a first-place tie atop the division standings. But Houston would hold the tie-breaker, having beaten the Jaguars in Jacksonville. So, this one is big for both NFL teams. The Jaguars vs Texans betting odds have Jacksonville favored by 1.5 points, and the total on the game is 47.5 points.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 
Day/Time:
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Stream: CBS
Line: Jacksonville -1.5
Jaguars Have Been Road Warriors
Jacksonville is the only undefeated road team remaining in the NFL. The Jaguars have won all four road games but are just 3-3 at home this season. And one of those ‘home’ games was played in London, so the Jags are 2-3 in Jacksonville and 5-0 away from EverBank Field. They’ll need to continue their road mastery if they want to keep the division lead.
The Jaguars rebounded from a dismal effort against the 49ers with a 34-14 win over Tennessee last week. Jacksonville rushed for 128 yards, its second-highest output of the season. The Jags don’t run the ball well, gaining just 3.7 yards per carry.
But Jacksonville is 6-1 straight-up and against the point spread when running for more than 100 yards. Despite having Trevor Lawrence, the ground game has been the key to Jacksonville’s success or failure, this season. But it’s not as though the passing game is bad. The Jaguars throw for 225.4 yards per game and complete 68.1% of their passes.
Jacksonville is solid defensively, allowing 20.4 points per game. The Jaguars are decent against the run and the pass. Jacksonville sees more passes than most teams, in part because it allows 3.9 yards per rush.
The secondary could be a little short-handed Sunday, however, as the NFL latest injury report shows cornerback Tyson Campbell missed Thursday’s practice with a hamstring issue. Campbell, the team’s fifth-leading tackler, is listed as questionable. The Jaguars need all the secondary help they can get against CJ Stroud, who threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting.
Time to Take Texans Seriously
A three-game winning streak has Houston right in the midst of an NFL playoff hunt, something not expected before the season began. Houston’s Super Bowl odds have dropped from +20000 before the season began to +6000. While Stroud and the offense get a lot of the credit for Houston’s turnaround, the defense has also done its share. So, it’s been a team effort for the Texans.
The offense is averaging 23.8 points per game after scoring 17 points a game last NFL season. Stroud has been the main part of the offense, throwing for 277.7 yards per game and 7.8 yards per attempt. The Texans don’t run the ball particularly well, but Stroud has been up to the challenge so far with 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
The Texans allowed 24.7 points per game last season and have cut that to 20.8 points per game this season. Houston does a good job defending the run, but the pass defense is a little spotty at times. The Texans are allowing 241.4 yards per game and 7.0 yards per pass attempt. But that hasn’t hurt too much, as the team has allowed more than 100 rushing yards just once in the last six weeks. That came in last week’s 21-16 win over Arizona.
What to Expect
The Jacksonville Jaguars did a fair job running the ball in the first meeting between the teams, gaining 116 yards on 27 carries. But Houston’s run defense has picked it up since then.
Houston allowed more than 100 rushing yards in each of its first four games. Jacksonville will run a little bit. But the Jaguars are going to let Lawrence do his thing here. That’s where the Houston Texans struggle the most defensively.
Houston is going to throw the ball, but won’t completely abandon the run. The Texans have rushed for more than 100 yards in four of their last five games. One reason is because teams are respecting the pass a bit more. But you have to take what the defense gives you to be successful in the NFL.
Who to Bet On?
The Jaguars vs Texans betting odds of Jacksonville -1.5 points is a pretty solid number. Kenny White’s NFL power rankings have the Jags 2.5 points on a neutral field, which would make this game essentially even. The line pretty much reflects that. Teaser bettors will be looking at the Texans with the chance to push the line to Houston +7.5.
The Jaguars vs Texans betting odds on the total might be a shade on the low side. The game figures to see quite a bit more passing than running plays. That’s what each team does best and where each team is the worst defensively, so take the over 47.5 in this one.
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