Jaguars vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 2 Odds, Prediction
Cincinnati won its season opener for the first time in four years despite getting out-gained by Cleveland, 327-141. Jacksonville, meanwhile, was also a Week 1 winner, getting the Liam Coen era off to a positive start with a 26-10 win at home over the Carolina Panthers.
Both wins masked some troubling early signs on offence, while each defence appeared up to snuff last week.
The Bengals are 3.5-point favourites at home with current moneyline odds of -190 o the NFL odds. Jacksonville’s moneyline is set at +155. The total is listed at 48.5 points.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Cincinnati failed to cover as a 5.5-point road favourite against the Browns last week, while the Jaguars covered as a 3.5-point home favourite in the win over Carolina.
Both teams played to the under in a week when only four contests went over the total. The Bengals vs Browns game combined for 33 points and went 15 below the listed 48 total. Jacksonville and Carolina’s 36 combined points were 9.5 points below the listed 45.5-point total.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Coen, brought to Jacksonville to sprinkle some of his offensive and quarterback guru magic onto the Jaguars, oversaw a successful opening weekend. Trevor Lawrence, who had a rough, injury-plagued 2024 season, threw for 178 yards and a touchdown while Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 143 yards in the win.
The revamped Jags defence had two interceptions and did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter as Jacksonville outgained Carolina, 378-255. Travis Hunter played 45 total snaps. That included 33 on offence, where he had six catches for 33 yards.
Not all was rosy for the Jaguars. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who had a scintillating 87-catch, 1,242-yard, 10-touchdown rookie season last year, had just one catch for 11 yards, to go with a nine-yard rushing touchdown. Thomas Jr. never had fewer than two catches in a game in his rookie campaign.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals won their season opener for the first time in four seasons. That alone is cause for celebration. But Cincinnati’s offensive performance in its victory over the Browns was nothing to write home about.
Joe Burrow went 14 for 23 for just 113 passing yards, the third-lowest total of his career. The Bengals had only 141 yards of total offence, with only seven yards coming in the second half, as Cincinnati went three-and-out on five out of its six possessions. Star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were effectively neutralized, totalling a combined five catches for 59 yards.
However, the team’s much-maligned defence was clutch, recording two second-half interceptions, including one by DJ Turner that effectively clinched the game with 1:30 remaining.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Jaguars vs. Bengals?
It has been seven years since either the Jaguars or the Bengals started the season 2-0. With Burrow under center, the Bengals have legitimate postseason aspirations, while new Jaguars coach Liam Coen is hoping to replicate the offensive magic he displayed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield last year with his new team and Lawrence.
Burrow, without Myles Garrett in his face all game, and his highly-paid wideouts should bounce back in a big way this week. The Jaguars could be a feel-good story this season, but not this week. Look for Cincinnati to double-up Jacksonville and win at home 27-13.
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