NFL bettors like underdog Detroit Lions over Jacksonville Jaguars

Because the NFL season marches towards its conclusion, bettors perceive which groups are good, which groups are dangerous, and which groups don’t have any shot of reaching the postseason. All of that can play a job in how betting strains are made, change over the course of the week, and the way they’re guess on. Oftentimes, the favorites will obtain a majority of bets as a result of bettors perceive which crew is healthier. Nevertheless, often, an underdog squeaks by means of the cracks and will get the chance to tug off an upset, however this time, bettors are seeing by means of it.

In keeping with OddsChecker US, the Lions, regardless of opening up as 0.5-point underdogs at residence to the Jacksonville Jaguars, are getting 70 p.c of the bets of their favor. And truthfully, I nonetheless suppose that quantity is low.

This looks like an apparent case of “What have you ever completed for me currently?” With Jacksonville coming off an exhilarating one-point victory over Baltimore, oddsmakers appeared inclined to make the Jaguars the favourite of their following sport, regardless of having an terrible historical past of being the favourite on the street. Have you learnt the final time Jacksonville was favored on the street? Week 1 of 2021 in opposition to fellow punching bag Houston. The Jags misplaced by 16. Jacksonville hasn’t gained a sport on the street it was favored in since 2019, when the crew beat the Bengals, 27-17. Cincy completed that season 2-14. Protected to say, this 12 months’s Lions are perhaps a bit higher than these Bengals had been.

Detroit is contemporary off a 28-25 loss to the Buffalo Payments. The Lions misplaced by three factors to a Tremendous Bowl contender, however are the underdogs at residence now? That’s recency bias. Sure, Trevor Lawrence led an amazing game-winning drive to beat Baltimore, however you possibly can’t deny that the Lions have had a lot better outings as a complete. A 3-point loss to the Eagles. A four-point loss to the Vikings. A 3-point loss to the Seahawks. A four-point loss to the Dolphins. Wins over a sizzling Chicago Bears squad, and the New York Giants. They held Aaron Rodgers to 9 factors! Jacksonville, alternatively, misplaced to the Giants. The Jags misplaced by eight to the Eagles, and Philly has been much less spectacular because the season has progressed. Their solely spectacular wins had been Baltimore and a 38-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers…again in Week 3.

Sure, the Lions’ protection is atrocious, however the Jaguars’ isn’t a lot better. Detroit ranks useless final in yards allowed (414.5); the Jaguars rank twenty fourth (362.9). Each groups depend on turnovers to maintain their offense in video games, and whereas Jacksonville has secured extra takeaways than Detroit on the season (16 to 14), greater than half of the Jags’ takeaways got here within the first three weeks of the season once they began 2-1. Detroit, alternatively, has compelled a minimum of one turnover in each sport since Week 1. Sure, Jacksonville has picked their takeaway sport up in current weeks, having compelled six of their final three contests, however the Lions’ offense has dedicated solely three turnovers of their final 5 video games.

Moreover, Amon-Ra St. Brown goes to be an issue for Jacksonville’s protection. The Jaguars D surrendered 146 yards to Davante Adams three weeks in the past, and 134 yards to Michael Pittman just some weeks prior. Receivers with heavy goal shares of their offense are inclined to do phenomenally properly in opposition to Jacksonville’s secondary, and St. Brown is ninth in goal share (28.5 p.c) and first in targets per route run. When wholesome, he’s probably the most concerned broad receivers within the NFL and the Jaguars haven’t proven they know find out how to defend in opposition to somebody that dynamic. Contemplating that St. Brown’s largest power is his YAC-ability, and the Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most YAC and accrued the second-most missed tackles within the NFL. That’s simply extra dangerous information for the Duval County Cats.

After American bettors misplaced boatloads of cash betting on the U.S. Males’s Nationwide Soccer Staff to beat the Netherlands within the Spherical of 16, it’s good to see extra bettors coming to their senses and betting on the Lions, even when they’re an underdog. Whereas something can occur on any given Sunday, the Lions have been too good lately to permit the Jaguars to stroll away with a simple win. I’m taking that +0.5 line day by day of the week.