Jaguars vs. Falcons Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NFL Preseason Week 3

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons will wrap up their respective preseason schedules on Friday night.

The Jaguars come into tonight's game with a 2-0 record in their exhibition games while the Falcons have fallen to both the Dolphins and Ravens, causing them a winless preseason record of 0-2. The Jaguars have announced their starters will play the first half of tonight's game. Will that be enough to lead them to an undefeated 3-0 preseason campaign?

Let's find out what the oddsmakers think.

Jaguars vs. Falcons Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Jaguars -7.5 (-110)
Falcons +7.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Jaguars -360
Falcons +290

Total

OVER 35.5 (-110)
UNDER 35.5 (-110)

Jaguars vs. Falcons How to Watch

Date: Friday, Aug. 23
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
How to Watch (TV): NFL Network
Jaguars preseason record: 2-0
Falcons preseason record: 0-2

Jaguars vs. Falcons Betting Trends

Jaguars are 9-7 all-time in preseason games vs. Falcons
Doug Pederson is 14-13 straight up and 15-12 against the spread in the preseason in his career
Raheem Morris is 5-9 SU and 6-8 ATS in the preseason in his career

Jaguars vs. Falcons Key Players to Watch

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence: The Jaguars' starting quarterback will be playing around a half of football tonight in Atlanta. He went 3-of-4 for 42 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars' preseason opener, but didn't see the field in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. This is the final warmup for what will be a pivotal season in Lawrence's career.

Atlanta Falcons

Chris Blair: The Falcons will be playing their backups tonight with roster spots on the line. One of the key players in those battle is Chris Blair, who is aiming for not only a spot on the roster, but a spot on the wide receiver depth chart that could result in some regular season reps. With Rondale Moore and Jakeem Grant Sr. on injured reserve, there's an opening for the No. 4 receiver on this team. Blair will look to cap off an already strong preseason in which he has accumulated six receptions for 136 yards.

Jaguars vs. Falcons Prediction and Pick

I broke down my best bet for this game in today's edition of "Best NFL Picks Today":

"The Jaguars have announced they plan to play their starters for the entire first half, which would have made them a good bet if you placed it right before it was announced. Now that the line has adjusted to 7.5 points in the Jaguars' favor, the betting value is no longer there.

"Instead, I'm going to back the Falcons getting a touchdown. They won't play their starters for the majority of the game and their top two quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., won't make an appearance. Still, with their backups, including quarterback Taylor Heinicke, they can do enough to keep this a one touchdown game."

Pick: Falcons +7.5 (-110)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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