Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak on Sunday as they head East to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The kick-off is scheduled for 1 PM ET at Acrisure Stadium. The Jags beat the New Orleans Saints last Thursday which means they also come into this clash with a little bit more rest than usual. Pittsburgh meanwhile took out the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7 by a score of 24-17 behind a big second half from the offense. Continue reading for the Jaguars vs Steelers picks.
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The red-hot Jaguars are a favorite here, but not by much. They sit at -145 moneyline odds while the Steelers return at +125. Jacksonville is also laying 2.5 points on the spread. The total is set at 40.5. Pittsburgh actually has the upper hand over the Jags in recent memory, winning two straight meetings. But, the last time they went toe to toe was in 2020. A lot has changed since then for both teams.
Jacksonville finally made the playoffs last season under the tutelage of Trevor Lawrence and in 2023, they’ve continued to find success. Doug Pederson’s squad is first in the AFC South and should likely win the division considering how poor the other teams are, paving the way for another postseason appearance. After a pair of losses to the Chiefs and Texans, the Jags have seemingly got back on track, grabbing victories against the Falcons, Bills, Colts, and Saints.
Despite being a game-time decision for Thursday Night Football vs New Orleans, Lawrence showed up and showed out, completing 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. He linked up with Christian Kirk for a late touchdown that proved to be the difference-maker. The run game really thrived with Lawrence and Travis Etienne both doing damage. Etienne had two rushing touchdowns. This contest was probably closer than it should’ve been due to numerous penalties and turnovers, but regardless, a win is a win.
On both sides of the ball, Jacksonville is pretty sound. They’re scoring 24.7 points per game and rank around the middle of the back in both rushing and passing yards. Lawrence has been a limited participant in practice this week due to his sprained knee but there are no signs pointing to him missing out on Sunday. He’s clearly just playing through discomfort and wrapping up the knee as much as possible.
Record-wise, Pittsburgh is decent. 4-2 is certainly respectable and has them in second place in the AFC North. In fact, the Steelers have won back-to-back games as well. That being said, the numbers aren’t exactly great. The offense is 31st in total yards, 25th in passing yards, and 28th in rushing yards. They’re also scoring a mere 17.2 points per contest. Simply not good enough. Kenny Pickett is underwhelming and Najee Harris and the RB room aren’t doing much. Even their usually solid defense is allowing the third-most yards in the NFL.
However, Pittsburgh managed to go on the road and produce when it mattered most in Los Angeles. While there was a questionable call that went the Steelers’ way, it’s still a victory. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both had rushing touchdowns in the fourth while Pickett went 17 for 25 for 230 yards passing. George Pickens had a big game out wide, reeling in five receptions for 107 yards. Pittsburgh woke up in the final quarter after a relatively quiet offensive showing until that point.
On the defensive end, there were some clear bright spots, too. TJ Watt intercepted Matthew Stafford in the first quarter to set up an easy QB sneak for Pickett. Minkah Patrick also had six tackles. The defense has to be stout on Sunday with countless weapons on the Jags around Lawrence including Kirk, Calvin Ridley, Etienne, and Evan Engram, among others.
It’s difficult to base anything off Pittsburgh’s track record against the Jags. While both teams are playing well as of late, I have to go with Jacksonville. They just look like the better team at the moment.
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