Thursday Night Football Betting Picks: New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Oct. 19

Thursday Night Football Betting Picks: New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Oct. 19

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

Saints vs. Jaguars Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Thursday Night Football, Week 7

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Thursday Night Football kicks off Week 7 with a matchup between the Saints and Jaguars in New Orleans. Let's dig into the betting options for this game and highlight some wagers to consider.

Saints vs. Jaguars Betting Odds for Thursday Night Football

Saints: Spread -2 (-110), -125 Moneyline
Jaguars: Spread +2 (-110), +105 Moneyline
Game Total: 40 points

The headline surrounding this game is the status of Trevor Lawrence (knee), who is officially listed as questionable. He was a limited participant in practice Tuesday and Wednesday, but reports early Thursday morning indicated that Lawrence intends to try and play.

Saints vs. Jaguars Betting Picks This Week

If Lawrence plays, he might be limited by his injury. He hasn't had the best of seasons as it is, throwing for more than 280 yards in a game just one time. Against the Colts in Week 6, he threw for a paltry 181 yards. He also has one or no touchdown passes in four of six games. Any limitations on the health front for Lawrence would likely push the Jaguars to rely heavily on their rushing attack.

If Lawrence can't play, C.J. Beathard would be in line to start. Don't expect the Jaguars to want him to throw 40+ passes. Travis Etienne Jr. is going to be a big part of this matchup for the Jaguars, regardless of who is at quarterback. They have already been giving him a heavy workload, leaving him with at least 18 rushing attempts in five of their six games. With his rushing attempts prop set at 16.5, the over is the way to go.

Saints vs. Jaguars Best Bet: Travis Etienne Jr. over 16.5 rush attempts (-110 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

Staying with Etienne, he is also a great weapon in the passing game. After catching just 35 passes for 316 yards over 17 games last season, he has 21 receptions for 172 yards through six weeks. His increased workload in that department has enabled him to post at least 20 receiving yards in a game four times. With his speed, all it could take is two or three receptions for him to go over his modest receiving yards prop total.

Saints vs. Jaguars Best Bet: Travis Etienne Jr. over 19.5 receiving yards (-125 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

Both of these teams have good defenses. The Saints have given up 16.0 points per game, while the Jaguars have allowed an average of 20.3 points per game. In terms of this game's total, the Saints and their opponents have not combined for more than 35 points in a game this season. Given the injury concerns around Lawrence, even if he starts, he might not be completely effective. Expect points to be at a premium in this matchup.

Saints vs. Jaguars Best Bet: Under 40 points (-110 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit

Saints vs. Jaguars Prediction

The Saints having home-field advantage on a short week is significant. The Jaguars played in London in Weeks 4 and 5, so they have been on the road a lot lately. Add in the question marks around Lawrence's knee and the Saints have a prime opportunity to get a win and push their overall record over .500 for the season.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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