MNF Bengals vs. Jaguars Week 13 odds and predictions
Every week, VSiN will be doing an in-depth dive on the week’s Monday Night Football game. In Week 13, that game features the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bengals are coming off a brutal loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and this is a team that is borderline spiraling right now. Meanwhile, the Jaguars earned a 24-21 road win over the Houston Texans last week. They have now won two in a row and are playing some good football. With that out of the way, keep reading for our Bengals vs. Jaguars preview, picks and player props.
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How To Watch Bengals vs. Jaguars
Date: Monday, December 4
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Bengals vs. Jaguars Spread
Things were ugly for the Bengals in last week’s 16-10 loss to the Steelers. However, Pittsburgh is a tough matchup for a player like Jake Browning, who hasn’t had much time to prepare as Cincinnati’s starter. But I think he’ll look better and better each week, and I wouldn’t rule out him playing better against the Jaguars this week. This Jacksonville defense is right on par with Pittsburgh this season, and the team is stingy against the pass. But the Bengals had an extra day to prepare for this game, so Browning is going to get more and more familiar with what Zac Taylor wants him to do. And Cincinnati’s weapons are still excellent, so he can do some damage by just getting the ball out quickly and allowing his guys to make plays.
I also think the Bengals will be a little more committed to the run in this game. After rushing for 136 yards against the Baltimore Ravens two games ago, Cincinnati rushed only 11 times for 25 yards against Pittsburgh. The Bengals simply couldn’t get it going early, so they gave up on it. But this team can’t just drop back and pass as often as it did when Joe Burrow was healthy. They need to get Joe Mixon and the running game going, as that’ll make life easier on Browning. It’s also not impossible to run against the Jags. Jacksonville is allowing 4.9 yards per carry over the last three weeks, so there’s definitely some hope for Cincinnati on the ground.
If the Bengals can get Mixon going, I just don’t really see them failing to stay within this number. Cincinnati’s defense has been problematic at times, but the team is capable of putting forth a good effort on that side of the ball. And Trevor Lawrence has proven to be inconsistent early in his career, so I’m not expecting him to go out and perform at an extremely high level for a third week in a row.
It’s also just hard to ignore that Cincinnati is 19-8 against the spread on the road over the last three seasons. Of course, a lot of that has to do with Burrow’s ability to play at a high level under pressure. But his coaches also deserve credit for putting together the plans for those games, and everybody else has to step up in order for those covers to consistently happen. I think we’ll see a good group effort from Cincinnati here, which probably means hanging somewhat tight in a low-scoring game.
Bengals vs. Jaguars Total
This is a game with a total in the high 30s and I’dl lean towards going Under here. I just don’t think the Bengals will let this thing turn into a high-scoring affair. I expect them to get back to pounding away on the ground offensively, as they’ll need to try and keep the Jaguars offense off the field. I also think they’ll play very conservatively defensively, employing a bend-don’t-break approach to limit the big plays Jacksonville makes.
The Under is also 17-5 when Cincinnati has played as an underdog over the last three seasons, and it’s also 12-3 when the team is a road underdog. Primetime Unders also happen to be 28-10 this season, and this one looks like it can easily add to that trend.
Bengals vs. Jaguars Player Props
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Joe Mixon Over 13.5 Rushing Attempts (-122 – Play up to 14.5 attempts)
I mentioned it earlier in this article but I’d be shocked if the Bengals don’t try to ride Mixon here. I know the running back isn’t having a great year, but this team can’t afford to try and air it out with Browning again. The quarterback will be at his best if he is feeding off an impactful ground attack. And while I’m not sure Mixon will be efficient with his touches here, I’m very confident he’ll get his opportunities.
Bengals vs. Jaguars Prediction
I probably won’t be touching the side or total in this game. If you must take anything here, I’d strongly suggest going with the Mixon prop. He has had at least 14 carries in six of his last nine games and the Bengals passing game can’t be relied on the way it was with Burrow.
Lean: Mixon Over 13.5 Rushing Attempts
Head to our Pro Picks page to see how VSiN analysts are betting Bengals vs. Jaguars!
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