Browns vs. Jaguars NFL Week 1 Odds, Picks and Prediction: Trevor Lawrence Faces Garrett-Less Browns
The Browns are set to begin a new era under head coach Todd Monken. Cleveland went 5-12 last season, and is hoping that Monken can get things moving in the right direction.
On the other side, the Jaguars won the AFC South last year with a record of 13-4. Jacksonville would fall in the wild card round in a tight 27-24 contest against Buffalo, but the Jags are capable of making some more playoff noise in 2026.
These teams don’t see each other often, as they’ve met just three times since 2020. The Browns have won all three of those matchups, which included an 18-13 victory in their most recent meeting on September 15, 2024.
Browns vs. Jaguars Kickoff, Weather, TV, Streaming Info
Kickoff is slated for 1 PM ET at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL.
Early weather forecasts call for humid temperatures in the 90s, with a possible chance for rain in the afternoon.
NFL Betting Odds, Point Spread, Trends
Jacksonville enters as an 8.5-point favorite, and has odds of -455 on the moneyline. On the other side, the Browns have moneyline odds of +350 as 8.5-point underdogs.
Last season, Jacksonville finished with an overall record of 13-4 and went 12-4-1 against the spread. Cleveland went 5-12 and went 8-9-0 against the spread.
The total, or over/under, for this contest is listed at 40.5. The over went 10-7 for Jacksonville last season, and 8-9 for Cleveland.
With odds of +135, Jacksonville’s Bayshul Tuten is the most likely player to score a touchdown in this matchup. He collected seven total touchdowns last season. With odds of +155, Quinshon Judkins has the shortest odds of any Browns player to find the end zone. Like Tuten, Judkins also scored seven touchdowns last season.
NFL Player Odds and Props
Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins Over 59.5 rushing yards (-120)
Deshaun Watson has struggled all throughout his tenure with the Browns, and it was a bit surprising to see him get the starting nod. Given Watson’s ineffectiveness, more could be asked of Quinshon Judkins in this one. His volume alone should be able to put him in a solid position to reach the 60-yard mark on the ground.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence Over 235.5 passing yards (-112)
Trevor Lawrence thrived in his first season running Liam Coen’s offense, throwing for 4,007 yards and setting a new career-best with 29 touchdowns. Cleveland’s pass rush is not nearly as intimidating without Myles Garrett, so Lawrence should have more time to operate and spread the ball around to all of his receivers.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have named Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback heading into this Week 1 matchup. Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been a miserable one, as he has often been injured and has performed poorly when healthy. The more time that passes, the worse Watson’s full guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract looks.
Cleveland made headlines over the offseason by sending two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowler Myles Garrett to the Rams. The Browns got Jared Verse back in return, and while he is a solid talent, replacing the production that Garrett brought to the table won’t be an easy task. It will be interesting to see how Cleveland’s defense performs without Garrett wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen’s tenure in Jacksonville is off to a roaring start. The Jaguars won 13 games last season and gave the Bills all they could handle in the wild card round. Coen is a brilliant offensive mind, and it’s clear that Trevor Lawrence is comfortable operating in his system. Lawrence threw for over 4,000 yards and a career-high 29 touchdown passes last season, and he looks primed for another strong campaign in 2026.
Lawrence also has great receivers at his disposal. Brian Thomas Jr. appears to be fully healthy after a tough season a year ago, and Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers give Lawrence plenty of options. Cleveland’s offense may have a tough time keeping up with Jacksonville in this one.
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