New England Patriots vs Jacksonville Jaguars preview, odds, prediction, live stream
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars are set for an AFC Championship rematch in Week 2 at TIAA Bank Field.
The New England Patriots had a solid Week 1 performance in their home opener against the Houston Texans. New England defeated Houston 27-20, riding a dominant first half to victory. This week, they will be facing off with a team that has revenge on their mind.
In Week 2, the Patriots hit the road for the first time this season. They will be heading down to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of the 2018 AFC Championship game.
The championship game at Gillette Stadium was a thrilling game between the upstart Jaguars and continuously dominant Patriots. Jacksonville led for a majority of the game before New England willed themselves to victory.
In the game, the biggest difference was the quarterback position. The Jaguars unwillingness to open up their offense with Blake Bortles was ultimately their downfall. The conservative gameplan ended up being their undoing, as they played timidly on offense as the Patriots kept their foot on the gas.
This time around, injuries will play a major part. Both teams are going to be missing important parts of their lineups.
New England will be without starting right tackle, Marcus Cannon. Running backs Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead both made the trip, but the amount of playing time they will receive is anyone’s guess after getting in some limited sessions this week.
With so many pieces banged up offensively, the Patriots game plan should include plenty of quick-hitting, short passes to get the ball out of Tom Brady‘s hand quickly before the vaunted Jaguars’ defensive front.
For Jacksonville, running back Leonard Fournette looks unlikely to suit up. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jacksonville is not optimistic that Fournette will get on the field against New England.
There is a long time to go before game time, but the #Jaguars are not optimistic that star RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) will play vs. the #Patriots, sources say. Not a surprise, he didn’t practice all week and they did promote Brandon Wilds from the practice squad.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2018
That isn’t good news for the Jaguars, as Fournette is a big component of their offense. Without him, T.J. Yeldon will most likely be the starting running back. Still, even with Fournette sidelined, expect New England to stack the box and dare Bortles to beat them.
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TV and Live Stream Info
Date: September 16th, 2018
Start time: 4:25 PM ET
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Stadium: TIAA Bank Field
TV Info: CBS with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo
Live Stream: FuboTV Link
The odds for this game shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Things opened as a PK, but the Patriots have moved ahead as slight favorites. The total has also dropped slightly. All odds are courtesy of Odds Sharks.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Patriots -1.5
Moneyline: New England -115 up to -130, Jacksonville -105 up to +110
Over/Under: 44 or 44.5
Prediction
Expect this game to be a little less competitive than the AFC Championship game was. Without Fournette, the Patriots have little to worry about with the Jaguars offense. As long as they do not allow the Jaguars opportunistic defense to control the game, they should move their record to 2-0 on the season.
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Final Score: Patriots 24, Jaguars 13