Raheem Morris and the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff will continue to be cautious in Friday night's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither Kirk Cousins nor Michael Pennis are expected to play. For Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence is expected to start and run for a bit before handing the ball to Mac Jones. The Jaguars expect that to be enough of a lineup to cover the spread.
Let's take a closer look at our game preview, as well as our predictions and NFL picks for the Jaguars vs. Falcons in Friday's Week 3 preseason matchup.
Jaguars vs Falcons predictions
Jaguars vs Falcons Prediction: Jaguars -7 | Bet on -7.5
My Jaguars vs Falcons prediction is the spread, I expect the Jaguars to win on the road, Jacksonville -7.5 according to my live NFL odds page and is available at -110 on FanDuel.
Jaguars vs Falcons odds
Friday, August 23
7pm ET
NFLN
Jaguars Odds Spread Total Money Line
-7.5
-115
35.5
-110o / -110u
-400
Falcons Odds Spread Total Money Line
+7.5
-105
35.5
-110o / -110u
+310
Jaguars vs Falcons point spread: Jaguars -7.5 | Falcons +7.5Jaguars vs Falcons total: Over/Under 35.5Jaguars vs Falcons moneyline: Jaguars -400 | Falcons +310
The spread started out at Jaguars -4.5, but early movement moved the spread in Jacksonville's favor, and then moved it further to -7.5 for the Jaguars on Friday night. The total started out at 35.5 and remains unchanged.
John Lanfranca's Jaguars vs. Falcons preview
Atlanta's offense hasn't been particularly impressive so far this preseason. Michael Pennis threw for over 100 yards in his short time on the court, but the quarterback's play has been lackluster otherwise. The Falcons' remaining quarterbacks completed just 24 of 57 passes for a poor completion rate of 42.1% and only 4.4 yards per attempt.
The Falcons offense, excluding Penix, has only reached the red zone four times in two games, with one of those drives starting at the opponent's 35-yard line and the other resulting in a missed punt. The Jaguars defense is a top-tier unit that should play the majority of key snaps, and after allowing just 10 points per game in their two preseason games, it's hard to imagine the Falcons scoring more than 10-13 points in this game.
The lack of depth in Atlanta's defense has also been evident this month. The Ravens completed just 84 percent of their passes against them in their last matchup. Penix also played in Miami, where the Falcons lost by 39 yards and seven points. It's clear that Raheem Morris isn't all that concerned about winning these upcoming exhibition games.
The Jaguars will clearly have the advantage on offense. Trevor Lawrence may appear on a couple of drives, and if he only appears on one series, it will be because he led the team with a scoring drive to start the game. Mac Jones was a key part of the team's 20-7 win over Tampa Bay a week ago, in which the Jaguars outshot the Buccaneers, 333-207. Jones had a passer rating of 127.1, with 210 passes and one pass over nine yards. If Jones has another strong performance, he will solidify his status as the backup quarterback behind Lawrence.
CJ Beatard was given extensive playing time in the Jaguars' preseason opener against Kansas City, where he also completed over 100 passes. He sat out the game due to injury, but Jones should see more minutes. Regardless of who leads the offense, they'll benefit from having an explosive receiver trio in Devin Duvernay, Parker Washington and Austin Trammell. All three are competing for a spot on the roster, and all three have produced explosive plays of 25+ yards in the preseason.
How to watch Jaguars vs. Falcons: Start time, channel, location
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia Date: Friday, August 23, 2024 Kickoff: 7pm ET TV/Streaming: NFL+
The Jaguars-Falcons game will be broadcast live on NFL+ and on local television. The Jaguars-Falcons game is scheduled to kick off at 7 PM ET on Friday night from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Betting on Jaguars vs Falcons with QuickSlip
My Jaguars vs Falcons prediction: Jaguars cover
Jaguars vs Falcons best bets
Jacksonville is 2-0 this preseason and undefeated in 2023. The Jaguars have scored at least 20 points in each of the past two exhibition games and have won four of the last five by seven or more points. The Falcons offense will likely fall behind early and will be unable to catch up in this one.
Jaguars vs. Falcons Pick: Jaguars -7.5 | Bet on -7.5
Jaguars vs. Falcons betting trends
73% of the bets and 81% of the bankroll are on the Jaguars covering the spread. 56% of the bets and 48% of the bankroll are on the under.
All data comes from Action Network's published betting rates.
Jaguars vs Falcons Weather
About the Author
John Lanfranca is a contributor for The Action Network who specializes in NFL betting with a focus on sides, totals and player props. He has been betting since 2006. John has been involved in football from a young age and currently coaches at the high school level. He has had multiple five-figure entries in NFL DFS while also breaking into the industry with FantasyShark and writing daily articles on betting, DFS and the NFL Draft while also contributing as a podcaster. John has demonstrated an ability to win consistently when betting the NFL spread, routinely finishing the season with a 55-60% win rate.
Follow John Lanfranca @JohnnyLFootball on Twitter/X.
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