Two explosive offenses square off today in Cincinnati when the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Bengals. One will rise to the level of true contender in the AFC, while the other falls back to .500 and will have to deal with some big questions.
For the Jaguars, the big one remains: "Is this for real?" Jacksonville bounced back after falling flat in Denver with a resounding 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots. Trevor Lawrence has taken great care of the ball so far this year, with three touchdowns in the win giving him seven on the year against just two interceptions. On the other side, Travis Hunter grabbed his first NFL pick, part of three takeaways on the day for the league's No. 1 scoring defense, allowing no more than 20 points through
three weeks.
That's likely to change against the Bengals, who have been held to just 20 one time this year. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are always good for big days, but this year looked to be a turnaround season for the much-maligned defense. That gleam dulled a bit with last week's 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which saw Aaron Rodgers turn back the clock for three touchdowns and Jaylen Warren run for 127 yards. Could Bhayshul Tuten keep up his strong start as a follow-up?
Watch Jaguars vs. Bengals live on Fubo (free trial)
Jaguars vs Bengals odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Oct. 2.
- Moneyline: Jaguars (+125) | Bengals (-145)
- Spread: Bengals by 2½
- Over/under: 51½
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Jaguars vs Bengals predictions, picks for NFL Week 4
Demetrius Harvey, Florida Times-Union
Jaguars 34, Bengals 30: "This is the next big test for Jacksonville's secondary and its interior offensive line. Can they stop Ja'Marr Chase? Can they slow down Dexter Lawrence? I think they squeak it out."
Bill Bender, Sporting News
Bengals 31, Jaguars 26: "The Bengals average 91.3 rushing yards per game, which could make closing out a game like this difficult. Cincinnati has won the last three meetings by a combined total of 10 points."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY
Jaguars 34, Bengals 24: "Was Cincinnati's defensive improvement over the first two weeks merely a mirage? Any notion of progress for the unit will be put to the test by Jacksonville, which ranks fourth in EPA/play and can get the Bengals' maligned linebackers out of sorts."
Bobby Kownack, NFL.com
Jaguars 30, Bengals 27: "If the Bengals prove unable to limit the damage again defensively, Joe Burrow and Co. will have a mighty tough task keeping up against the No. 1 defense in points allowed."
Jaguars vs Bengals time, TV channel today
- Kickoff time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS
- Livestream: Fubo (free trial) | Paramount+
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars vs Bengals predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 4 NFL game?
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