Jacksonville vs Chicago (CHI -1.5, 44.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
Jacksonville vs. Chicago | Sunday, October 13, 2024
Jacksonville finally got a win in Week 5, just about outlasting the Indianapolis Colts after trying their very best to give it away. Thankfully, they held on, giving them a much-needed boost of momentum to take to London, where they will face the Caleb Williams-led Chicago Bears this weekend. It is the start of a doubleheader in London for Jacksonville, which worked out well for them in 2023. There is something about traveling to London that can sometimes prove challenging for NFL teams, but with Jacksonville doing it every year, they know the tricks of the trade, resulting in three wins from the last four international games.
The Jags will need to call on all of that experience to help them down this week’s opponents, as the Bears are boasting one of the league’s top defenses. So far, they have given up the fifth-fewest points per game with 17 and the seventh-fewest yards per game with 294.8. They will fancy their chances going up against Trevor Lawrence, who has struggled so far this year.
Lawrence did bounce back to throw for 371 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Colts, but that was his first game with a completion rate above 60%. On the season, Lawrence has completed just 59.6% of his passes, for 1,100 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has been guilty of missing several wide-open receivers, including a couple of notable misplaced passes that could’ve helped the team secure a victory over the Houston Texans. Jaguars fans would’ve been relieved to see him play well last week against the Colts, but this is a much tougher test and will provide a better indicator of where his form currently is.
Caleb Williams has also had a shaky start to the season, but he at least has the excuse of being a rookie quarterback. You are always going to expect an adjustment period for these guys, and two consecutive performances with a quarterback rating of over 100 are great to see. Williams is also coming off his best game of the season, but this again was against a much inferior opponent, the Carolina Panthers. Nevertheless, he posted his second game with over 300 yards, also passing for two touchdowns and no interceptions. These are things that you love to see as a Chicago Bears fan.
The other good news for Bears fans is that the run game is continuing to improve, with Swift notching 73 yards last week, and Williams’ connection with DJ Moore also appears to be on the up. Moore collected five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns last week, which will have been a relief for him considering he was visibly frustrated with his lack of opportunities up to that point.
This week, Caleb will look to continue his consecutive weeks of improvement against a Jacksonville defense that has given up 287.8 passing yards per game, which is dead last in the NFL. It is a great matchup for him to continue building confidence and chemistry with his receivers. The bigger question is whether he can handle the bright lights of the international stage, because we already know that he has the talent and playmakers to down these Jaguars.
J.A. Cavalier NFL Triple Crown 6-0 NFL Guarantee. 3 straight, 3 parlays. One Week NFL $99 must go 6-0 or entire NFL season free. Straight through Super Bowl.
Get free NFL Picks and NFL Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2024 NFL schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry's premier expert NFL handicappers. J.A. Cavalier has been bringing the NFL betting community the best NFL free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best NFL moneyline and run line odds and game totals.
J.A Cavalier Free PICK
JAGUARS +2.5