A new season begins for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and today's game against the Cleveland Browns will be the last one that opens in Jacksonville for a little while.
The Jaguars are in the midst of a massive renovation of EverBank Stadium
, one that will see reduced capacity this year and send the team to Orlando in 2027. The Jags hope to give fans something worth waiting for after a rousing 13-4 season in 2025 ended with a whimper in the wild-card round of the playoffs.Trevor Lawrence has yet to beat the Browns — Jacksonville has lost three straight in the series — but he won't have Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett breathing down his neck this time after Cleveland traded him over the offseason. They did get former Florida State pass
rusher Jared Verse in return, and Denzel Ward still leads a fearsome secondary that will challenge Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.
Watch Jaguars vs. Browns live on Fubo (free trial)
With Travis Etienne gone, Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez are the top running backs now. Tuten showed flashes of being a lead back in his rookie season, picking up a modest 307 yards and five touchdowns.
The Jags' defense was among the best in the NFL last year, and while All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd left in free agency, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker still lead a fearsome front. A healthy Travis Hunter is expected to be a starter at cornerback with limited looks at receiver. They'll be tasked with shutting down Deshaun Watson, who beat Hunter's college teammate Shedeur Sanders for the starting job (much to the chagrin of many Browns fans).
Jaguars vs Browns odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, Sept. 12.
- Moneyline: Browns (+333) | Jaguars (-450)
- Spread: Jaguars by 9
- Over/under: 40
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered.
Jaguars vs Browns predictions, picks for NFL Week 1
Demetrius Harvey, Florida Times-Union
Jaguars 24, Browns 10: "Jaguars get off to a good start before settling down against a solid Browns defense. Cleveland’s offense makes it an easy day for Jacksonville."
Juston Lewis, Florida Times-Union
Jaguars 34, Browns 13: "Year 2 of the Liam Coen era should open with a decisive win. This is a matchup of two teams at different points of a rebuild and it should look like it."
Bill Bender, Sporting News
Jaguars 23, Browns 17: "The Browns were 4-2 ATS last season as an underdog of more than seven points, with upset victories against Cincinnati and Green Bay. Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson will be the focus against a Jacksonville defense that ranked third in the NFL with a plus-13 turnover margin last season."
Dan Labbe, Cleveland.com
Jaguars 23, Browns 18: "The Browns will surprise some people with the weapons they have and how this offense can operate at its peak, but it’s hard to fully buy in when the biggest question is at the most important position."
Jaguars vs Browns 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 Browns predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 1 NFL game?
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