Jaguars vs. Texans: Betting Odds, Point Spread, Over/Under
The Jacksonville Jaguars have an important game at home in Week 5, hosting a divisional rival in the Houston Texans. And, for once, the Jaguars are looking like the heavy favorite entering the game.
Considering Sunday gives the Jaguars a chance to not only built some cushion between them and their AFC South counterparts but also put a bad Week 4 loss to the Eagles behind them, it is fair to say the Jaguars have quite a bit riding on Sunday. And for the first time since Week 8 in 2019, the Jaguars are touchdown favorites entering a contest. It has been nearly three seasons since the Jaguars weren't the smart team to bet against, and Sunday will put to the rest whether they have earned that.
“It tells you it’s a resilient group and they can sort of put behind the loss from the week before and kind of focus on the next game," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday.
"It’s always about the week we’re in. We never look past that current game. I think they do a great job of just after Monday, putting that one to rest, we’re focused on the next game plan. That’s what it takes. It’s such a long year. When you’re talking 17, 18 plus, 19, you get into the post season, 20 plus games, that’s a long season. You’ve got to learn to adapt and move on.”
So with the Jaguars set to take on the Texans in a key AFC South battle, let's take a look at this week's odds. All betting odds are courtesy of Sports Illustrated Sportsbook.
Point Spread: Jaguars -8.5
Moneyline: -333 Jaguars, +260 Texans
Over/Under: 43.5 (-110)
The Jaguars are favorited by more than a touchdown as the Texans, the NFL's only winless team, enter their stadium. The Jaguars are 1-0 at home this season, beating the Colts 24-0 in Week 2.
The Jaguars lost to the Texans twice last year and have lost eight in a row due to their AFC South rival, so the fact they are favorites by 8.5 points shows which way the two teams have trended since 2022 began.
While the Jaguars are a top-5 team in DVOA and a top-10 team in terms of EPA, the Texans hover close to the bottom of the list. Houston has had a chance to win each of its games, but it has also either lost or tied bad opponents such as the Colts, Bears and Broncos.
The Texans have had the Jaguars' number in recent years, and so far in 2022 the Texans look like anything but a pushover. They have struggled, but they also run the ball well and have a strong front-four that could potentially create problems for the Jaguars.
"I think it’s an underrated defensive line. I think those guys, having been in the division last year and played against them twice, and coming out of those games feeling like it’s a talented, young pass rush group," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said this week.
"Then, you add Jerry Hughes who’s had a lot of production in this league for a long, long time, he does a great job. I think as they roll through guys, the edge players are pretty good. Greenard does a good job, Lopez is a great player, Maliek Collins, all those guys. Then you add Mario Addision potentially back into the mix, I think he’s a talented front that does a good job to present a lot of problems.”
