Quarterback Joe Burrow is done for the season, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ odds to make the NFL playoffs have imploded in his absence. Mathematically, though, they’re still alive. But their margin for error is nonexistent. To keep their postseason ambitions afloat, they’ll need a Week 13 win over…the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This is a tall order. Some even consider it an impossibility. The latest NFL online betting odds reflect as much. Entering Monday Night Football in Week 13, on December 4, at 8:15 p.m. eastern standard time, the Jaguars are heavy favorites to pick up a win on the field at EverBrank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida:
Always remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Jaguars vs. Bengals Week 13 betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, November 28. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on Monday night.
Both teams head into Monday Night Football traveling in polar opposite directions. Injuries are the driving force behind the Bengals’ three-game losing streak. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are coming off a Week 12 victory over the surging Houston Texans. Jacksonville has now won seven of their past eight games and carved out a commanding lead in the AFC South division race.
With that said, the Jaguars’ offense continues to be a seesaw. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has looked pretty mobile after recovering from an ankle issue. However, Jacksonville keeps peppering in games where they fail to eclipse 200 passing yards. Could that inconsistency come back to bite them against the Burrow-less Bengals? OR have the Jaguar’s past couple of victories hinted at a new, more terrifying normal?
NFL Oddsmakers Don’t Give the Cincinnati Bengals Much of a Chance Against the Jacksonville Jaguars
We got our first glimpse into how the Bengals offense would look without Burrow for an entire game this past week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The results were not pretty. Cincinnati mustered just 10 points and 197 passing yards in their loss. Granted, backup quarterback Jake Browning isn’t terrible. He is completing nearly 66 percent of his passes on the season. But he doesn’t have the same arm strength, mobility inside the pocket and, most importantly, the reps with the Bengals’ first-stringers to trust that he’ll be much better.
Cincinnati will invariably have to rely on the run game more often. That’s not great news. Running back Joe Mixon has lost a step at age 27 and is in the middle of another down year. The Bengals’ offensive line also isn’t anything to write home about. They have helped allow 4.3 sacks over their past four games—the fourth-worst mark in the NFL over this span. And even if they play better, the lack of optionality now ingrained into Cincy’s offense will hurt them.
Complicated still, the Jaguars have one of the league’s better run defenses. They are ninth in net yards allowed per rushing attempt and eighth in total rushing touchdowns allowed. Their passing defense has been suspect at times. But again, this isn’t that much of a problem with Browning instead of Burrow under center. On top of that, the Bengals have dramatically improved their late-down defense. They rank inside the top 10 of both third-down and fourth-down defense.
Cincinnati’s defense has shown they can turn games on their own by forcing turnovers. But they’re miles from elite. In particular, their 24th ranking in net yards allowed per passing attempt should be a problem.
OSB Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars (-355)
Can Jacksonville Cruise Their Way to a Comfortable Victory in Week 13?
Even though the Bengals won’t have Burrow, they are not getting the most points of any team on the NFL Week 13 schedule. In fact, the Jaguars are currently favored by barely a touchdown, as you can see from the latest NFL point spread betting odds:
- Jacksonville Jaguars, -7.5 (-115)
- Cincinnati Bengals, +7.5 (-105)
This line is fairly surprising. Though the Jaguars have not cut their teeth with blowouts, their average margin of victory over their past five wins is about 9.5 points. Propping up that number against the shorthanded Bengals shouldn’t be too much trouble.
Let’s also not forget that Jacksonville’s past three home victories have come by an average of almost 18 points. Monday’s showdown should not be a close one. We might even consider juicing the return on this line by selling points up to -9.5.
OSB Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars, -7.5 (-115)
Will Jaguars vs. Bengals be the Lowest Scoring Game During NFL Week 13?
Wondering which NFL Week 13 game has the lowest over/under? Well, look no further. It’s this one. Here are the latest NFL Week 13 over/under betting lines, which actually continue to shift:
- Over 38.5 (-110)
- Under 38.5 (-110)
Going with the “under” is perfectly justifiable. The Bengals are no longer guaranteed to score in double-digits, let alone spit out three touchdowns. And the Jaguars offense has turned in the occasional dud.
We are nevertheless favoring the “over” here. A sub-39-point line is just too low for our tastes. Jacksonville is averaging comfortably over 21 points per game through their last eight tilts. And that includes their three-point disaster against the San Francisco 49ers a week ago.
There is still some semblance of risk. The Jaguars could go for 27 points, and this game could feasibly go “under” anyway. But defenses tend to take their foot off the gas in blowouts. And since we’re expecting the Jaguars to win by 10-plus points, investing in the lowest “over” of Week 13 is a worthwhile dice roll.
OSB Prediction: Over 38.5 (-110)
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