Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans, 12/28/18 Predictions & Odds

Jaguars vs. Texans Total Prediction

The Houston Texans have yet to wrap up the AFC South crown but they will with a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. With the total sitting in the low-40s, will the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff result in a defensive struggle?

Game Snapshot

313 Jacksonville Jaguars at 314 Houston Texans

1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 30

NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Texans are 6.5-point favorites to beat the Jaguars. The total, meanwhile, sits at 40.5 points. As of this writing, 63% of the public betting tickets are on the Texans to cover the point spread.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Leonard Fournette (ankle, foot) is not expected to practice Thursday. While he was listed as limited on Wednesday, Fournette was not seen doing any work in the part of practice open to the media. With nothing to play for in the season finale, it would not be surprising if the Jaguars decided to hold Fournette out. T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde have traded inactive tags the last two weeks, so it is tough to know who will get the majority of the work if Fournette sits.

Houston Texans

Lamar Miller (ankle) was limited at Wednesday's practice. Miller was a spectator for Sunday's loss to Philadelphia but seems to be trending in the right direction. Alfred Blue did little in his absence, providing just 14 yards on four carries. If his ankle is up to it, Miller will get the Jaguars in Week 17. He rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown when these teams met in Week 7.

NFL Betting Trends

Jacksonville

The over is 4-1 in the Jaguars’ last five road games and 15-7 in their last 22 conference games.

Houston

The under is 12-5 in the Texans’ last 17 games versus AFC opponents and is 5-1 in their last six games played in Week 17 of the season.

Prediction

The Jaguars are going back to Blake Bortles under center after he came off the bench to lead Jacksonville to a victory last week in Miami. The Jags are likely to move on from Bortles this offseason but he still has an opportunity to showcase himself for other teams on Sunday. On the other side of the ball, the Jags struggled defensively on the road until last week in South Beach and I expect them to struggle this weekend against Deshaun Watson and Co. With the total set in the low 40s, I’m rolling the dice with the over.

NFL Week 17 Prediction: Jaguars/Texans over 40.5