NFL Odds Week 14: Jaguars 3-point underdogs to Vikings

The Jacksonville Jaguars opened as just three point underdogs to the Minnesota Vikings, who travel to EverBank Field on Sunday for their Week 14 matchup. I say “just” because I was a little surprised the line was only just three points, considering the Jaguars are in the midst of a seven game losing streak (for the third time under Gus Bradley…). It’s not the Vikings are world beaters, but the Jaguars offense has just been a rolling dumpster fire pretty much all season and they’re facing a very good defense when Minnesota comes to town.

The Jaguars faced a really good defense last week in the Denver Broncos and the offense was essentially completely shutout sans a long Blake Bortles run for a touchdown on fourth down. I would expect more of the same from the Vikings defense this week, especially if the Jaguars have the same injury issues on Sunday they had last week, namely without Chris Ivory in the lineup. T.J. Yeldon is still banged up and Denard Robinson also left the game with an injury, so an already thin group is even thinner.

Also like the Broncos, the Jaguars will be facing an offense that leaves a lot to be desired on the field. While Sam Bradford isn’t likely to be as bad as the likes of Paxton Lynch and Nick Foles, he certainly hasn’t been too good this season for Minnesota. Bradford’s numbers on paper look excellent, but the team is also in a rut of winning just one out of their last seven games and Bradford has been largely mediocre in the majority of them. He’s not likely going to turn the ball over, which isn’t something the Jaguars have been good at doing anyway, so they’ll need to just continue to do what they’ve done against bad defenses: Suffocate them and hope for a mistake.