Packers vs. Jaguars Prediction
Will the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars put on an offensive showcase when they meet up this Sunday at 1PM ET?
According to the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Green Bay is favored on the road in this game, as the Packers are getting odds of -4.5 points against the Jaguars. The over/under total for this game is listed at 48 points. These two last met in 2012 with the Packers getting a 24-15 win. These two have hit the under in their last two encounters.
The Packers went 10-6 last season but still reached the second round of the playoffs. Surprisingly, Green Bay was 12-6 with the under last season. That was due in part to the loss of Jordy Nelson before the season started. His injury seemed to impact the rest of the offense. They ranked just 23rd in the NFL last season on offense, averaging only 334.6 yards per game. Nelson is back from his injury, which should see Aaron Rodgers resort back to his 2014 season when he threw for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns. Green Bay is also hoping Eddie Lacy returns to his 2014 form after rushing for just 758 yards in 2015 after looking out of shape. The Green Bay defense ranked 15th in 2015, allowing 20.2 points and 346.7 yards per game. This year’s unit shouldn’t be much different.
The Jaguars went 5-11 last season but still seemed to take a step forward as a franchise. Blake Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns and gave the fans hope that they have a franchise QB. He has great receiving options in Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Julius Thomas. The team also added Chris Ivory in the backfield to pair with T.J. Yeldon. While the offense looks formidable, the defense was addressed the offseason. Jacksonville signed DL Malik Jackson and CB Prince Amukamara while drafting CB Jalen Ramsey and LB Myles Jack early in the NFL Draft. The Jags gave up 375 yards and 28 points per game in 2015, but those numbers should improve this year. They were 10-6 with the over last season due to all their shootouts.
NFL Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
This game is tough to call on the total. Jacksonville isn’t likely to score and allow as much as it did last season while Green Bay should do the opposite. Jacksonville fell behind early a lot and had to air it out. This year’s team should be more competitive. Green Bay should have an offense that looks more like it did in 2014, which was tough to stop. However, it also puts the defense in prevent mode more often, which opens the door to big plays being given up. Rodgers should be able to take advantage of a young Jacksonville defense, but Bortles and company should be able to respond at home against an average GB defense. Look for this game to have plenty of big plays and push the over.
NFL WEEK 1 PREDICTION: PACKERS/JAGUARS OVER 48