Jaguars Cowboys Betting – Two Sub-.500 Teams Try To Climb Back Into Playoff Contention
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t figure to be a playoff team, but the Dallas Cowboys certainly did. Yet, both clubs will be fighting for their NFL lives this weekend.
NFL Betting: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Dallas Cowboys
Online Betting Odds: Cowboys -6.5
Why To Bet On The Jaguars
Jacksonville, it must be said, did beat the defending AFC champion Indianapolis Colts earlier this season. Coach Jack Del Rio’s team is capable of playing at an elevated level and being competitive on a weekly basis. The Jaguars, at 3-4, could still produce a winning season if they can find a higher gear over the next nine games. This team has legitimate offensive talent and skill-position potency. The key is for regular starting quarterback David Garrard to return to the starting lineup. Garrard got knocked out of a 30-3 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 18 with a concussion. Partly because that game was played on Monday Night Football, Garrard wasn’t able to make the quick turnaround in time for this past Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Garrard’s presence would have made a big difference for Jacksonville. The Jaguars trailed by only one point late in the third quarter, but the Jags’ third-string quarterback, Todd Bouman (filling in for both Garrard and injured second-stringer Trent Edwards), threw a pick-six to Kansas City’s Derrick Johnson. The play turned a 21-20 game into a 28-20 Kansas City lead, and the Chiefs pulled away in the fourth quarter, 42-20. If Garrard can play this week against Dallas, the Jaguars are entirely capable of winning. It’s no secret that while your backups need to be ready in the NFL, you generally need your best players to be on the field. Garrard, if he plays, instantly transforms a gloomy outlook to a positive one in Jacksonville.
Why To Bet On The Cowboys
This is yet another must-win home game for Dallas, which is running out of chances to get back into the NFC East race and must play at a very high level in order to make the postseason. The calendar is still in October, but there is December-level urgency inside the Cowboys’ camp. Coach Wade Phillips knows that he can’t hold onto this job forever if he fails to deliver results. This holds true even without quarterback Tony Romo, who suffered a broken collarbone on Monday night against the New York Giants and will be out from six to eight weeks. It’s not as though Romo played well before his injury: He couldn’t get the ball over the hands of defensive linemen. If Romo’s replacement, veteran Jon Kitna, can simply eliminate turnovers this week and play an efficient, low-risk game, the Cowboys have the receivers and other playmakers that can turn them into a good team. Even without Romo, there’s a lot of talent throughout the Cowboys’ offense. It should be able to move the ball with considerable regularity against a Jacksonville team that allowed 42 points to the Kansas City Chiefs (who are not an offensive juggernaut) last Sunday, Oct. 24.
How The Game Will Play Out
If Garrard does play, he might still be cobwebby after his recent concussion. Dallas will be desperate on its home field, and that’s a recipe for a solid performance. Dallas should win, but the number is really large when one considers that Romo will be out. The Jaguars will lose the game, but they’ll cover the number.
Jaguars Cowboys Betting Pick: Jaguars
