When the season began, who would have thought that a Week 18 game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars would not only be for the AFC South Division title but the host Jaguars would be favored?
Having a win-and-get-in the scenario for both teams is some good scheduling or at least a little lucky considering that Jacksonville had the No. 1 overall pick in each of the last two NFL Drafts and few expected the Jaguars to be in this position this season,
Don’t expect another 14-point win by Jacksonville. However, with the Jaguars winning four games in a row and Tennessee losing its last six, it is easy to understand why the sportsbook lists Jacksonville as the favorite.
Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence practiced on a limited basis on Thursday so he looks to be good to go as he continues to work through a toe injury.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and NFL lines for Lions vs Packers. We’ve plenty of Vegas NFL odds and NFL week 18 picks for you to consider.
#TENvsJAX Status Report pic.twitter.com/Xw1V7pK2P8
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 5, 2023
The NFL betting lines list a 40-point total for the huge AFC South showdown and only four games in Week 18 have lower numbers.
Tennessee is 5-2-1 against the Las Vegas odds on the road while Jacksonville has covered in four of seven home games.
Below, we have four proposition bets ahead of this matchup that will determine the AFC South Division title, highlighting some key players in both camps. Examine the latest NFL news, injury reports, and stats to help with NFL predictions and picks.
NFL: Titans vs Jaguars Props
- Derrick Henry 90½ rushing yards O/U -115
- Joshua Dobbs 29½ passing attempts O/U -110/-120
- Longest catch by Travis Etienne O/U -115
- Christian Kirk 58½ receiving yards OU -145/+115
King Henry To Hit the Ground Running
The last time Derrick Henry faced the Jacksonville Jaguars, he ran for 121 yards and a touchdown despite Tennessee playing from behind for the entire second half.
It was the third straight time and fourth time in five games that Henry topped the 100-yard mark against the Jaguars.
He is averaging nearly 142 rushing yards with eight scoring runs over the last five games against Jacksonville. That leaves those who bet online with a few ways to proceed.
The best options according to the NFL odds seem to be Henry going over 90½ yards (-115), scoring a touchdown (-150), and reaching the end zone twice (+350).
This is a much better Jacksonville defense than some of the ones that Henry has run wild on. Still another 100-yard game would seem to be in the cards for Tennessee’s running back.
- Pick: Henry to go over 90½ yards (-115)
Game Management Time for Dobbs
It will be Joshua Dobbs at quarterback for the Titans. Tennessee fans would be more than happy to see him hand the ball off to Henry or one of the other running backs on every play. That simply is not a reasonable expectation.
A week ago Dobbs threw the ball 39 times and Tennessee, playing without an injured Henry, ran the ball 24 times. That is not a winning formula.
Tennessee averaged 25 passing attempts and 31 running plays in its seven wins and that seems like a better ratio.
- Pick: Dobbs to throw less than 29½ passes (-120)
Etienne Catching On
Henry is not the only talented running back in the game.
Travis Etienne is a much different runner than Henry, but his results are still pretty impressive.
He has rushed for 1,108 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Etienne is also a threat in the passing game with 33 receptions.
He has a catch longer than 10 yards in four of the last six games and his season-long 30-yard reception took place in last week’s win over Houston.
Don’t be surprised to see Etienne getting free in the passing game once again.
- Pick: Etienne to have a catch longer than 10½ yards (-115).
Veteran Receivers to Deliver for Jags
Other than moving on from the Urban Meyer disaster, the next best move by Jacksonville was to bring in some veterans for Lawrence.
Christian Kirk came in from Arizona, Zay Jones arrived in Jacksonville after spending three seasons with the Raiders and former New York Giants tight end Evan Engram has had some huge games.
With a chance to win the AFC South and secure a playoff spot, the experience of Lawrence’s pass catches could be key.
Jones is at -145 to go over 52½-yard mark and Kirk has the same price to top 58½ yards.
Kirk has been quiet with 45 yards on five receptions over the last two weeks and he is due to make a larger impact.
- Pick: Kirk to go over 58½ receiving yards (-145).
