Prime-Time First TD Bets — Sunday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
The Broncos got off to a solid start in Week 1 despite losing second-year phenom Jerry Jeudy to a high-ankle sprain, as they controlled the game against the Giants from start to finish. While doing that is not necessarily a big ask, you could argue the same can be said about the Jaguars, who finished a mere 1-15 in 2020.
Speaking of the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence lost his first regular-season game (between high school, college, and the NFL) to the lowly Texans, reminding us that as bad as the Texans are, the Jaguars did, in fact, finish 1-15 last season. Can they turn their fortunes around against a much more stout defense?
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Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars Panthers Week 1 Odds
Date/Time: September 19, 1:00 PM ET
Arena: TIAA Bank Field
How to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds: Denver -4 | O/U 45.0 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Latest Broncos-Jaguars Odds
Looking for the latest odds for this matchup? Here are they courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Broncos -6
- Total: 45.0
Opening Odds – Broncos @ Jaguars
This line makes sense, as the Broncos’ defense has been one of the better units in the league for the last few seasons. They allowed the second-fewest passing touchdowns in 2020 (21) and while they gave up the third-most rushing touchdowns (23), they got Von Miller back to start the 2021 season.
Because of their well-rounded attack on both ends of the ball, they come in as heavy favorites against a Jaguars team that surrendered 37 (yes, 37) points to the Texans. The total is also not insanely high, which lines up with the prowess of both of these offensive units.
Quarterback Analysis – Teddy Bridgewater vs Trevor Lawrence
Bridgewater looked like the quarterback we’ve come to know over the last year or so, as he was able to move the chains and manage the game, but didn’t do anything to blow the roof off of the building. Even so, he posted a quietly effective (and efficient) line of 264 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, completing 28 of 36 passes. Against a leaky Jaguars’ secondary, we could see a similar line replicated.
Trevor Lawrence had flashes of brilliance in his debut but also flashes where he reminded us that it was still his first NFL game, as he finished with 332 yards and three touchdowns, but also added a trio of interceptions. Much of the production can be attributed to sheer volume, as he attempted 51 total passes, completing only 28. If he makes the same mistakes in this game, he could be in a much worse spot given the strengths of this Denver defense.
Latest Broncos Betting News & Info
The storyline for the Broncos (aside from the replacement of Jeudy) will be how they approach the ground game. After all three of the Texans’ running backs were able to find paydirt and Mark Ingram looked serviceable on 26 carries (!!), we could see an explosion out of the duo of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. The latter received 56% of the running back carries, while the former logged 101 yards on only 11 carries. It would make sense to see both heavily involved on Sunday.
Latest Jaguars Betting News & Info
Despite Lawrence’s poor decision-making, the fact of the matter is that he threw the ball 51 times. This bodes incredibly well for the production of his receivers, as the volume outweighed the inefficiency. Four of the Jaguars’ pass-catchers logged at least eight targets with D.J. Chark leading the way with 12. He only managed to haul in three but finished second in the league among wideouts in air yards (195).
The question becomes how successful these receivers will be against a stout secondary. Given the volume alone, it could lead to offensive production, but efficiency may be incredibly hard to come by.
Broncos vs Betting Picks – NFL Week 2
This game in general is one that I want to stay away from when it comes to betting. If looking strictly at the spread and total, I will not have any bet on my bet slip between these two teams. With that said, my lean for the total is listed below.
Here are our betting picks for Broncos vs. Jaguars in Week 2.
FTNBets Best Bets
- Spread: no bet
- Total: over 45.0 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
For more information, betting picks, and analysis, check out the FTN NFL Bet Tracker.
How To Bet On This Game
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