Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans Expert NFL Picks Against the Spread 9/15/2019

Sunday, September 15, 2019

NRG Stadium

Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars are headed to NRG Stadium on Sunday where they'll meet the Houston Texans. Jacksonville opens this contest as 3.5-point underdogs. The over/under opens at 44.5. The Jaguars are 0-1-0 ATS and 1-0-0 when betting on the total. The Texans are 1-0-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-1-0 against the spread.

The last time they played, the Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Kansas City Chiefs and were defeated 40-26. Leonard Fournette paced the team on the ground in the game. His longest run of the day went for 14 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for a total of 66 yards via 13 carries which gave him an average of 5.1 yards per run. DJ Chark led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 146 yards on 4 catches. He averaged 36.5 yards per reception in the game. Running the show from under center for the Jaguars was Gardner Minshew who went 22/25 with 275 yards passing and completed 2 touchdowns. He walked away with 1 interception on the day.

The Jaguars step onto the field holding a record of 0-1 for 2019. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the league averaging 26 points per contest, putting them 17th in the league. As a unit, they are averaging 81 rushing yards per contest which is 4th in the AFC. For total yardage, they sit in 6th in the conference and 11th in the league with 428 yards. When it comes to getting in the endzone, the Jaguars currently have a total of 3 passing TDs and 0 rushing touchdowns. They are a team that has the capability to score points in the division and I wouldn't expect it to change too much in this matchup.

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The Jaguars have one of the worst defenses in the league, giving up 40 points per contest which has them at 14th among AFC teams. In regard to rushing yards, Jacksonville is allowing 113 yards per contest putting them 2nd in the division and 18th in the NFL. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per carry putting them 8th among AFC teams and 16th in the NFL overall. In total, they have conceded 81 rushing yards through 1 contest. When it comes to passing yards, the Jaguars have conceded 378 yards. Opponents are completing 73.5% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 11.1 yards per try. They have allowed 3 passing TDs and 1 rushing touchdown.

In their last contest, the Houston Texans went up against the New Orleans Saints and lost 30-28. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Texans was Deshaun Watson who went 20/30 with 268 yards through the air and completed 3 touchdowns. He gave away 1 interception in the game. Carlos Hyde paced the team on the ground during the game. He tore off a long run of 20 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He rushed for 83 yards on 10 carries which meant he averaged 8.3 yards per run. DeAndre Hopkins was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 111 yards on 8 catches. He had an average of 13.9 yards per reception during the game.

The Texans come into this game with a record of 0-1. In discussing the offensive production, the Texans have an offense that could be called mediocre in the league. When talking about the points that are being put on the board, the Texans are currently ranked 2nd among AFC South teams and 11th out of all the teams in the league averaging 28 points per game. Houston is making teams consider moving more up into the box by averaging 180 yards on the ground per game, putting them 3rd among NFL teams. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 180 yards rushing through 1 contest, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Texans average 414 yards per game overall ranking them 12th in the league and 7th in the conference.

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The Texans are allowing 30 points per game which puts them at 3rd among AFC South teams and 24th in the league. When it comes to points allowed, they have allowed 30 points in total. When talking about yards rushing, they are allowing 148 yards per game ranking them 26th in the NFL and 4th among AFC South teams. For 2019, they have conceded 148 yards rushing and 1 rushing touchdown. Their pass defense is one of the worst units in the league. They are allowing 362 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Texans currently sit at 13th in the conference. They have allowed 2 passing touchdowns for the 2019 season.

Who will win tonight's Jaguars/Texans NFL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Jaguars +3.5

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