Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Monday, October 18, 2010, 5:30 pm EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Titans -3
Current Line: Titans -3
Opening Total: 42
Current Total: 45
Money Line: Titans -140 / Jaguars +120
In a year when parity has ruled the NFL so far, the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) host the Tennessee Titans (3-2) in a battle for first place in a AFC South on Monday Night Football. Of course the Indianapolis Colts were again expected to run away with the division this year, but both the Jaguars and Titans find themselves in an early four-way tie with them and Houston. In tonights game the Jags are 3 point home underdogs on the current NFL point spreads.
Jacksonville has won two straight games against Buffalo and Indy since losing in consecutive weeks to Philadelphia and San Diego by a combined 50 points. The Jaguars were able to rally back from a 10-point deficit against the Bills on the road last week to win 36-26 behind a balanced offensive performance between the run and pass.
Quarterback David Garrard did not throw for a lot of yards (178), but he was efficient in completing 16 of 20 passes with three touchdowns and one interception against the Bills. Garrard has thrown five touchdown passes with one pick combined in winning the last two games for Jacksonville after throwing one touchdown pass and five interceptions in the previous two games. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew was also effective against Buffalo with 19 carries for 84 yards while rookie backup Deji Karim added 70 yards on 15 attempts.
Tennessee’s defense has given up 242.6 passing yards per game (27th in the NFL) compared to 101.8 on the ground (11th), so the Jaguars would obviously be better off trying to throw here. However, the Titans seemed to bait Dallas to do the same thing in a 34-27 win last week and saw Cowboys quarterback throw three interceptions to go along with his 406 passing yards, including one that was returned to the one-yard line late in the game and resulted in a Chris Johnson touchdown.
Johnson rushed for 131 yards against Dallas and scored two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 485. He rushed for 228 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-13 victory at home against the Jaguars after totaling 83 in the first meeting a year ago, which resulted in a 37-17 road loss.
Like Tennessee, Jacksonville has been solid defensively against the run (allowing 102.8 yards per game) but has been brutal against the pass (giving up an average of 282.2). And like Garrard, Titans quarterback Vince Young will have the opportunity to throw the ball around even if that is not his strong suit. Young did not play in the first meeting with the Jaguars last season (Kerry Collins started), but he was 15 of 18 for 125 yards in the rematch later in the year.
The home team is 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 meetings with the UNDER cashing in three of the last four games between the teams. Tennessee is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games against teams with a winning record while Jacksonville is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 at home.
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