Seattle Seahawks (8-4 SU, 5-6-1 ATS) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS)
Week 14 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, December 20, 2017 at 4:25PM EST
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: SEA +3/JAC -3
Over/Under Total: 39.5
The Seattle Seahawks make the trip to EverBank Field on Sunday to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle of 8-4 teams. It should be a good game between two teams that are coming off nice wins on Sunday. The Jags looked powerful in a 30-10 win at home over the Colts, their first of three straight home games. This week gets tougher for Jacksonville with an incoming Seattle bunch that beat the hottest team in the NFL on Sunday night in a 24-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. At 8-4, Seattle now looks to carry that momentum into the final quarter of the season.
On Sunday, the Seahawks showed they still belong with the conference elite. Even a premier running team like the Eagles can struggle against this defense. Meanwhile, the Seahawks were able to create some nice things on the ground, getting another huge game from Russell Wilson. Big plays on the other side of the ball went a long way, as well. Injuries, uneven play, and other rising contenders demanding attention may have forced some people to take their eyes off the Seahawks, but after Sunday, they should get their due respect.
The Seahawks' offense had some nice developments on Sunday. With Mike Davis running for 64 yards and Russell Wilson adding some useful runs along the way, the ground-game was good on Sunday. Wilson was big with three touchdowns through the air, hitting Jimmy Graham, running back JD McKissic, and Tyler Lockett. Doug Baldwin was good with 84 yards. They didn't have an offensive free-for-all, but they made the most of what they produced and with their defense on-point, it was more than enough.
The Seattle defense held a team that entered the game as the league's top-scoring offense to ten points. That counts as a positive showing for a defense that looked to have lost its teeth with mounting injury issues. On Sunday night, they looked pretty good. Sheldon Richardson ripped the ball free from Carson Wentz, with the ball bouncing out of the end zone for a touchback in a key first-half play. They did give up yardage against the Eagles, but were solid when they needed to be, especially in the red-zone. They got two turnovers against the Eagles, with Byron Maxwell getting an interception. Bobby Wagner continues to be huge at linebacker, along with running-mate KJ Wright. And also, Frank Clark had two sacks.
Jacksonville faced a stern test on Sunday. They have won five out of 6 and are rightfully identified as an interesting contender coming out of the AFC. But their last six games have been against the Colts, Bengals, Chargers, Browns, Cardinals, and Colts. Let's see how they do against a team in good form that means business. On Sunday, however, they continued to apply a stout and playmaking defense. And with good play on offense from QB Blake Bortles, who finally got the passing-game rolling, the Jaguars were able to cruise to 8-4 on Sunday.
BET THE SEAHAWKS VS. JAGUARS AND STOP WASTING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY BY LAYING -110 ODDS! START LAYING ONLY -105 TODAY AT THE WEB'S BEST SPORTSBOOK: 5DIMES
The Jaguars offense saw some much-needed life from the aerial side of things. Bortles had perhaps his best game of the season with 309 yards and two touchdowns on 26-for-35 passing against the Colts. Leonard Fournette wasn't great, but ran for another touchdown and caught three balls. WR Marqise Lee was big with 86 yards and a touchdown. Keelan Cole also hauled in a TD grab, while rookie receiver Dede Westbrook continues to show good signs after catching 6 balls for 78 yards on Sunday.
Week after week, the loaded Jaguars' defense continues to provide standout play. On Sunday, they were stout and typically heavy with the big plays. Their immense pass-rush again delivered, with Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, Paul Posluszny all getting to the quarterback. The secondary again shined with Jalen Ramsey and Tashaun Gipson both getting interceptions on the day. They now have a plus-12 in turnover ration on the season. They have 45 sacks on the season and have scored six times, They can really make a difference in a game and look to do so again this week.
Seattle is facing a tough road-task, but Jacksonville is facing a step up in class. It's a challenging game for both teams and not an easy one to be broken down for betting purposes. Neither team is facing a must-win and it is out-of-conference, but it's important nonetheless. Seattle wants to take another step toward rejoining the elite and needs to stay in the NFC West race. Jacksonville wants to show the hometown faithful and themselves that they are for real. I think once the smoke and mirrors are cleared out, this looks like a good spot for the Jaguars to make their mark.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars minus 3 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today and bet the Seattle vs. Jacksonville game by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 50% sign-up bonus!
