JACKSONVILLE (0-3) AT CINCINNATI (2-1)
TV: NFL, 8:20 p.m.
Line: Cincinnati by 7 1/2; O/U: 46
Jaguars-Bengals, much like Panthers-Texans last week, isn’t exactly appointment TV (next Thursday’s Rams-Seahawks game is, though, so don’t make any plans). Still, seeing the last two No. 1 overall picks face off in prime time is a bit intriguing.
The last time Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence played in the same game, Burrow and LSU beat Lawrence and Clemson in the 2020 national championship game. That was 42-25, a game between two 14-0 teams. This one won’t be as high scoring but Burrow’s Bengals will prevail again.
The Bengals, off a 24-10 win at Pittsburgh, can get to 3-1 and be atop the competitive AFC North. The Bengals won just four games last year, and Burrow was 2-7-1 before a season-ending injury. Burrow has a new favorite weapon in big-play rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase, with whom he played at LSU. Chase has 11 catches for 220 yards and four TDs in his first three NFL games.
Things haven’t been as easy for Lawrence, who already has more losses than he did in college. NFL Sundays are a whole different beast, and there’s no reason to back a Jaguars team that is 0-3 against the spread with 37-21, 23-13 and 31-19 losses. With a national audience watching, expect Burrow and the Bengals to continue their strong start with a double-digit win.
The pick: Cincinnati
