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- Jacksonville (8-3) is an 8.5-point home favorite over the Bengals (5-6) in week 13 of the NFL season
- Trevor Lawrence passed for a season-high 364 yards in last Sunday’s win over the Texans
- Monday Night Football on ESPN kicks off from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL at 8:15 pm ET
This week’s Monday Night Football matchup was supposed to be a showdown between two of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks. Instead, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars will face a depressing Jake Browning-led Bengals squad whose Super Bowl aspirations went down the toilet with Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury.
Before we check the odds and make our picks on this all-AFC matchup, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
Jaguars vs Bengals
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +8.5 (-110) | +320 | Ov 38 (-110) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | -8.5 (-110) | -400 | Un 38 (-110) |
Trevor Lawrence heats up
Many were questioning Trevor Lawrence’s label as a “generational talent” following an embarrassing 34-3 loss to the 49ers in mid-November. However, the 24-year-old has come alive in consecutive wins. After accounting for four total TDs in a week 11 triumph over the Titans, Lawrence outdueled CJ Stroud in a 24-21 victory over Houston on Sunday, throwing for 364 yards and a TD with a rushing score.
At 8-3, Jacksonville has a legit shot at the conference’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Cincinnati is the first of their three matchups against AFC North opponents with games on tap with Cleveland and Baltimore.
Trevor Lawrence vs the Texans:
– 364 passing yards
– 2 total TDs
– 24-21 win
– Jags move to 8-3 🐆 pic.twitter.com/3KWfRUH3Nm— PFF (@PFF) November 26, 2023
Bengals down bad
Jake Browning passed for 227 yards, a TD and an INT in a 16-10 defeat to the Steelers in week 12. While it was a respectable first-career start for the 27-year-old backup, it’s clear the Bengals will struggle to score points without their franchise QB. Joe Mixon also ran for only 16 yards on eight carries in Sunday’s loss.
With a 5-6 record, Cincinnati’s season is all but over. Zac Taylor’s career record is an ugly 4-28-1 without Burrow.
Jacksonville vs Cincinnati
Jacksonville is a 8.5-point home favorite at EverBank Stadium on Monday night and the over/under of 38 is the second-lowest total on the entire week 13 slate. The Jaguars are 12th in both points scored (23.1) and passing yards (238) per game while maintaining a league-average run game.
Travis Etienne has slumped since his week 9 bye, with 143 rushing yards on 43 attempts (3.33 ypcs) with no TDs on the ground or through the air. Lou Anarumo’s defense can be beaten either way. Cincinnati is permitting the fourth-most rushing yards (139.6) and seventh-most passing yards per week (249.6).
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow is set for wrist surgery on Monday, sources say, while the team prepares for the post-Burrow portion of its season.
My story on Burrow, Jake Browning, and the response to the NFL’s injury report investigation: https://t.co/o9wv0uySHb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 26, 2023
Betting trends
Jacksonville is 2-3 at home straight up and against the spread this season, but they are 2-1 ATS as a home favorite. Cincinnati is 2-3 ATS away from home and 1-1 as a road dog.
Best Bet
Lou Anarumo was a popular head coaching candidate at this time last year, but his defense has been a disaster all season. While Cincinnati may be able to contain Doug Pederson’s offense early on, we think Lawrence will eventually break through.
With no Burrow, the Bengals have no hope. Take Jacksonville to cover the big spread (-8.5) with the OVER 38 on Monday Night Football.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
