The Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders face off on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL showdown at FedExField.
The Jaguars brought in Doug Pederson this offseason and the hope is that he can be the coach that helps Trevor Lawrence take the next step forward. The Jaguars were busy this offseason trying to give Lawrence more playmakers. Jacksonville brought in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, who both are going to need to have big seasons. Travis Etienne missed last season but he is healthy and will be leaned on here. On defense, Jacksonville wasn’t very good against the run. In this game, Jacksonville needs the defense to be strong, and try to create a couple of turnovers. If they can frustrate Carson Wentz, they will have a shot to win this game.
On the other side of this matchup is the Commanders and they believe they can win the NFC East this season. The Commanders brought in Carson Wentz this season, and there is a ton of pressure on him. His time with the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t end well, and they need him to be a whole lot better this season. On defense, Washington is loaded and Chase Young is a mismatch in this game. In this game, if the Commanders can create some turnovers, it would take a lot of pressure off of Wentz. Wentz also needs to take good care of the ball. Tight end Logan Thomas is dealing with a knee injury and is questionable for this game.
The Jaguars are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games overall. Washington is 6-2-1 against the spread in their last nine games overall. The under is 12-4 in Jacksonville’s last 16 games. The under is 7-3 in the Commanders last ten games as a home favorite.
The obvious choice seems like Washington here, but I’m not so sold that is the smart play here. Wentz turns over the ball too often, and I think the Commanders are going to struggle to score here. Washington’s defense is also elite, and they are going to lockdown Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. Both offenses are going to struggle to score here, and the under is going to cash with ease.