NFL Predictions: Bengals vs. Jaguars Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Thursday, 06 October 2011 16:07

Our Bengals vs. Jaguars NFL preview will make predictions on which squad comes out ahead on the final score.

The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) have a 1:00 PM ET game coming up on Sunday, and our NFL predictions will try to nail the perfect final score after breaking down both squads.  Those wanting to place a bet on the Bengals vs. Jaguars game will find a line of Jacksonville -1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook.

Cincinnati began their year with a 27-17 road win at the Cleveland Browns before barely losing 22-24 at Denver against the Broncos.  The Bengals then fell 8-13 at home to the San Francisco 49ers before taking out the visiting Buffalo Bills 23-20 last time out.  Cincinnati has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2011 NFL season and they’ve covered the odds in 3 of their 4 games.

Jacksonville hasn’t been as successful for bettors, covering the spread only 1 time all year.  It came in their 16-14 opening week triumph over the Tennessee Titans, but things have unraveled a bit since.  The Jaguars are on a 3-game losing streak with 3-32, 10-16, and 10-23 losses to the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints, respectively.

Jacksonville has won outright in 4 of the 5 games against the Bengals since 2001, although Cincinnati was a 21-19 home winner in the most recent head-to-head meeting in 2008.  That was the only game out of the 5 where the Bengals covered the point spread, while the under has been a winner in just 1 of these recent clashes.

The Bengals vs. Jaguars game will be a clash of rookie quarterbacks, and it is tough to say who will perform better.  Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton (868 yards, 58.1%, 4 TD, 4 INT) has made bigger plays, but he’s also made bigger mistakes.  Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert (387 yards, 47.8%, 2 TD, 2 INT) has missed on too many throws, but he’s also shown the potential that has me believing he’ll be the better quarterback between these two when the year is wrapped up.

With the quarterbacks being a bit of a scratch, this one will come down to the running game and defense.  Jacksonville runs for 126.8 yards per game while Cincinnati clocks in at 115.2.  I believe that the Jaguars have faced off against the stronger defenses this season and that they are more likely to run the ball well.  That being said, Jacksonville’s lack of a passing game limits what they can do on offense and they’ll have to get that facet working to put up more than the 9.8 points per game they are averaging thus far.

Cincinnati has the better defensive statistics but, yet again, they have faced the poorer offenses.  Jacksonville hasn’t been great at stopping either the run or the pass, but they’ve shown that they are at least capable in both areas.  Cincinnati’s rush defense has been impressive while allowing only 3.1 yards per rush, but I just have to wonder if they are looking good because of their talent or because of their schedule.

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Although the Bengals have lost me money by wagering against them this season already, I have to go with the Jaguars to find a way to win at home.  They are good on both sides of the ball and Gabbert is getting stronger in every game he plays.  Dalton makes too many mistakes and I believe that Jacksonville will make life tough on him in this road environment.

Bengals vs. Jaguars Score Predictions:

Bengals 17

Jaguars 20