Week 14 of the NFL season will kick off with an AFC South battle between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars and Titans were expected to battle for the AFC South crown, but that has not worked out that way. This should be a low scoring game as both of these teams have terrific defenses. The Titans won the first meeting over the Jaguars by a score of 9-6.
Jacksonville went through a seven game losing streak earlier this season, and come in with a 4-8 record. The Jaguars have no chance at making the playoffs this season. Tennessee brings a 6-6 record into this game, and is clinging to hope of a postseason berth. The Titans were able to beat the Jets, 26-22, in week 13. Tennessee comes into this game as a four-point favorite over the Jaguars in this game.
Jacksonville Defense Makes A Return
The Jaguars defense has struggled for much of 2018, but they played at a high level in their week 13 victory over the Colts. Jacksonville was able to shutout the Colts to snap their long losing streak. The Jaguars were able to sack Colts quarterback three times in the win, and also forced an interception. Calais Campbell leads the Jags with seven sacks this season, and Jalen Ramsey has picked off three passes.
Offensively, the Jaguars have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. Jacksonville is averaging just 16.9 points per game, and are on their second quarterback of the season after benching Blake Bortles. Injuries to running back Leonard Fournette have also hurt the Jags on offense this season, but they lack talent at the skill positions. The Jaguars managed just 232 total yards against the Titans in their first meeting.
Mariota Playing Better For Titans
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is starting to play better at the right time. Mariota threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Jets in week 13. He has completed over 68 percent of his passes this season. The Titans are averaging just 18.4 points per game this season, and they will need to find more offense if they are going to make a late postseason push.
The Titans defense is the reason that they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Tennessee has given up just 20.4 points per game this season, but they have put together a bunch of dominating performances this season. The Titans have forced just 10 turnovers this season, but they should get a chance at some takeaways against a struggling Jaguars offense.
Titans Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
If you are a fan of defense, this is the game for you. Both the Titans and Jaguars are terrific on that side of the ball, and both offenses should struggle in this game. Neither team was able to score a touchdown in the last meeting, but look for the Titans to find the end zone this week. Jacksonville simply can’t score, and they won’t be able to win on the road. Bet the Tennessee Titans -4.0 over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
