Surprise, folks! We are now living in a world where the Jacksonville Jaguars have a win to brag about after defeating the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. With a newfound swagger, the Jags are dead set on notching their second in a row when the Miami Dolphins come into town on Sunday. Will the good times keep on rolling for the Jaguars? Or will the Dolphins bring back Jacksonville down to earth?
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[sc:Football ]Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville
When: Sunday, October 26, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Miami Dolphins (-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+5); total: 43.5 – see all NFL lines
Betting on the Miami Dolphins
[sc:NFL240banner ]Ryan Tannehill and the rest of the Dolphins have no time to dwell on their heartbreaking loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. That was evident when the Dolphins, using their bruising running game complemented by Tannehill’s exceptional orchestration of their passing attack, scored a 27-24 road win at Soldier Field Sunday.
Tannehill looked like every bit a franchise quarterback against Chicago, passing for 277 yards and two touchdowns with no interception. He was sacked four times, though, bringing into light the need to provide Tannehill tighter security in the pocket. Pass protection becomes an even more pressing concern when taking into account the Jaguars’ pass rush that is second in the NFL with 22.0 total sacks.
But if the Jags do indeed get to rattle Miami’s passing game, the Dolphins will always have their blistering backfield on standby to generate yards. The absence of Knowshon Moreno (knee) hasn’t slowed down the Dolphins’ rushing attack, which is fifth in the NFL with 136.3 yards per outing. Lamar Miller leads the backfield cast with 65.2 rushing yards per game followed by Tannehill (25.0), who’s been excelling under offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s read-option scheme.
All this talk about the offense of the Dolphins makes you almost forget the remarkable job of their defense. Cameron Wake has been a nightmare for opposing offenses. He now has 4.5 sacks in six games and he’s likely to add more to that against Jacksonville, which has done a pathetic job of protecting Blake Bortles. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan, on the other hand, is coming off his best game thus far this season. Finnegan was a pest for the Jay Cutler and the Bears’ passing game, coming away with four tackles, a forced fumble, and four pass defended.
The Dolphins are 2-0 ATS in their last two road games. Since 2010, they are also 2-0 ATS as road chalks.
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Betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars
There was no chicanery involved. No trick plays. The Jaguars simply won by playing good enough football on both ends of the field to stymie the Cleveland Browns, 24-6, in Week 7. It was their first victory in 10 games since last season.
So how did the Jags do it? By getting it together on defense, that’s how. Jacksonville didn’t get a solid output from Blake Bortles, who completed just 17 of his 31 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions, but the Jags’ defense didn’t allow Cleveland to convert any TDs off those turnovers.
In fact, the Browns only had two red zone excursions and in each, they only settled for field goals. Jacksonville’s defense inside the 20-yard line is currently second best in the NFL with an opponent red zone TD scoring percentage of 37.04%. They have been even better in the past three games, during which the Jags had a 22.22% clip. Jacksonville’s ability to hold the fort will be tested anew against Miami’s offense that is currently second in the league with 4.7 red zone attempts per game.
Denard Robinson, meanwhile, has given the Jags’ listless rushing attack – 30th in the NFL with 86.0 yards per game – a badly needed boost when he ran for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Cleveland. Those 22 attempts were also the most he’s had this entire season.
Writer’s Prediction
Miami wins, but Jacksonville (+5) covers.
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