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The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently 9.5 point underdogs, according to Odds Shark, heading to Heinz Field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. While most aren't expecting the Jaguars to come away with a victory, it is a winnable football game. The Jaguars match up really well with the Steelers, especially given the fact that the Steelers are going to be missing some key players on defense and have been giving up yards on the ground.
Let's look at the match up.
A look at the match up from Odds Shark:
Call it a surprising trend, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have been a terrific bet when they visit Pittsburgh over the years.
The Jags are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in their past 6 trips to face the Steelers. And they get 14 points from oddsmakers who seem to believe the Steelers are back after their Week 5 thumping of Tennessee.
Jacksonville meanwhile has lost four in a row, sits at 1-4 ATS for the season, and is 0-5 ATS in their past five games as a dog of 9 or more points.
I do think the 9.5 point spread is a bit high, given the past match ups between the Jaguars and Steelers, but the Jaguars average only 11.5 points per game and have been terrible in the redzone, scoring only two touchdowns in the redzone all season. It is a winnable game for the Jaguars however, despite all the defeciencies.
The Jaguars defense should be able to once again keep the Jaguars in the game, especially given the state of the Steelers offensive line. The Jaguars defenders will have to be able to get to Ben Roethlisberger and actually get him on the ground, since Roethlisberger seems to be at his best when leaving the pocket.
A win here in Pittsburgh may not ignite a winning streak, given who the next two games are against, but it would do a lot to raise the moral of a fanbase who are seemingly in a downward spiral. A win on the road could help push some tickets for the Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens, which currently has 6,120 tickets left. Not that a win will magically get those and the other 9,000+ tickets for the remaining home games, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.
Official Prediction: Jaguars 24, Steelers 21