Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Predictions, Odds, Picks

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

Sept. 23, 2021

Stuart Durst
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to kickoff on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in sunny Jacksonville, Florida this weekend. The Cardinals are coming into this game 2-0, with impressive wins against the Vikings and Titans. The Jaguars have not had it so easy, they lost by 17 to the Texans and 10 to the Broncos in their first two games.

No team wants to start out the season 0-3, and Jacksonville will surely be putting their best foot forward this week. Arizona has a tough schedule this year, so starting 3-0 is important for them staying in contention later on in the year. This could be a better game than the spread indicates.

Score Prediction: Arizona 30, Jacksonville 24

Best Bet: Over 51.5

Best Bet: Chase Edmonds (ARI/RB) Over 46.5 rushing yards

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Predictions

I'm normally not a point total kind of bettor, but this spot definitely presents some value. Arizona has scored 38 and 34 in its first two games so far. The Vikings and Titans aren't great defenses, but Jacksonville might be the worst defense Arizona will face this season.

Jacksonville has allowed 37 points to the Texans and 23 to the Broncos in a blowout. I think this game script will follow the Texans game a lot more with Arizona coming out to an early lead, with Jacksonville having to play catchup for the rest of the game. The Broncos are a defensive-focused team and despite the fact that they only won by 10, that game was over early allowing to them to run the clock out.

Arizona is 2-0 to the 'Over' this season, and Jacksonville is 1-1. This number should be closer to 54. Kyler Murray is one of the early favorites to win MVP this season and it shows. I'm loving everything I'm seeing from this Arizona offense and I don't think the Jaguars will be the team to change that. They should score plenty of points on Sunday.

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Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Odds

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The spread is set between 7 and 7.5 on most sportsbooks. If you're an Arizona bettor then I would definitely wager the -7 number, but wouldn't feel as comfortable crossing that key number with -7.5.

The game total is set at 51.5 or 52 with most sportsbooks and I think that's a pretty valuable number. As stated earlier, I think it should be closer to 54.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Resources

• Matchup: NFC West vs. AFC South
• Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
• Venue: TIAA Bank Field
• Location: Jacksonville, Florida
• TV-Time: FOX - 1:00 p.m. ET

• Expert Picks
• Line Movements
• Betting Trend Movements
• Weather Report
• Injury Report
• Super Bowl 56 Betting

Arizona Cardinals Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 2-0
• ATS: 1-1
• O/U: 1-1
• ATS - Home: 0-1
• ATS - Away: 1-0

This offense has looked electric so far. Murray is looking like an MVP candidate and as long as he stays healthy, I'm not sure that changes. DeAndre Hopkins is still clearly one of the best, if not the best, receivers in the league and his connection with their franchise quarterback is seemingly getting better every outing. AJ Green doesn't look great but he's proving to be dependable. Meanwhile, Rondale Moore and Christian Kirk have looked absolutely electric in their limited run.

James Connor and Chase Edmonds are currently working in around a 50/50 split this year out of the backfield, but I doubt that lasts long. Maybe keeping Edmonds fresh, and well rested, is key to his success but I really do think he should be on the field more.

The biggest weakness on this team is definitely the defense. The cornerback group isn't great and has been targeted this year, specifically against the Vikings. Chandler Jones and JJ Watt are going to dominate the lines and that should be enough to handle the Jaguars, as a real test will be when facing teams with top 10 offensive lines.

Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 0-2
• ATS: 0-2
• O/U: 1-1
• ATS - Home: 0-1
• ATS - Away: 0-1

Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence isn't off to the hot start people expected him to have. He leads the league in non-catchable passes and his interception to touchdown ratio isn't looking great so far (4:5). Arizona doesn't have the best defense in the world, so this is a solid opportunity to have a turnaround point and build confidence.

This team does have a pretty good wide receiver core to complement the young quarterback. Marvin Jones is a reliable veteran presence, DJ Chark is a good deep ball receiver, and Laviska Shenult (when healthy) can definitely be an x-factor on this team. Something to note is that James Robinson is coming off an 1000 yard rushing season, but hasn't seen more than 13 carries yet this season. They don't seem to care much about the rushing game.

If Jacksonville wants to compete in this game then I think the offense is the key component. Arizona can score quickly and easily on most teams in the NFL, if you can keep the game within reason then you have a fighting chance.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost 17 straight games. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Arizona Cardinals

• Record: 2-0
• Division Standing: 1st - NFC West
• Points Scored: 72
• Points Allowed: 46
• PS/G: 36 (2nd)
• PA/G: 23 (14th)

Inside the Stats - Jacksonville Jaguars

• Record: 0-2
• Division Standing: 3rd - AFC South
• Points Scored: 34
• Points Allowed: 60
• PS/G: 17 (28th)
• PA/G: 30 (26th)

Key Players to Watch

• ARI: Kyler Murray - QB (50/68, 689 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT)
• ARI: DeAndre Hopkins - WR (10 catches, 137 yards, 3 TD)
• JAC: Trevor Lawrence - QB (42/84, 450 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT)
• JAC: Marvin Jones - WR (11 catches, 132 yards, 2 TD)

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Conclusion

When betting the 'Over' on a game total, player props are almost a must. While sportsbooks don't have the most offerings available on this game, Chase Edmonds is someone I'm going to be targeting.

His work in both the rushing and receiving game has clearly out-played Connors and I think he can take advantage of that. His 'Over' rushing yards is currently 46.5 on BetMGM, and he has 46 and 63 so far this year. He should be running the ball plenty, in a positive game script.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Trends

• Jacksonville has lost 17 straight games.
• Arizona has gone UNDER the point total in seven straight road games.
• Jacksonville has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games.
• Arizona has gone UNDER the point total in four of its last six games.
• Arizona has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last 11 games.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

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