Jacksonville has had a week in London to settle in, shake hands and get over the jet lag. Houston gets no such luxury: the Texans fly across the Atlantic for a second straight road game, the longer trip of the two, coming off their win at Tennessee. The teams meet at Wembley Stadium, London, England on Sunday, October 18 at 9:30 AM ET, on grass rather than the artificial surface at Tottenham, as the guys pointed out. The Jaguars were 2.5-point favorites with a total of 42.5 when the guys taped on October 14, and the full argument is on the NFL Picks Week 6 episode.
Texans vs Jaguars Odds
The Jaguars were 2.5-point favorites over the Texans, with a total of 42.5, when the guys taped on October 14. Jacksonville was -140 on the money line and Houston +120.
Our Picks
- Ryan Kramer (@KramerCentric): Jaguars -2.5
- Sean Green (@SeanTGreen): Jaguars -2.5
Both of them are laying it with the Jags, and the travel is most of the reason. By the show’s count, Jacksonville is 2-0 against the spread in the second game of its London back-to-backs and 1-2 in the other legs. The guys also noted the Jaguars take their bye right after the trip, a habit they think more teams should ask about. The number bothered them: even calling the teams equal on a neutral field, 2.5 seemed short for a club that never had to leave town. One of them would have made it closer to 4 and doesn’t see Houston running the ball on this defense.
The other side of the table explained why it sits under 3. The market is eager to buy Houston, and some of Jacksonville’s numbers on late-down conversions look like a team due to regress. Even so, the read on air was that the Jaguars are the better team, that they pulled out an ugly win over an undermanned opponent in their previous game, and that a sloppy win is a good moment for a coaching staff to demand more.
The case for the Texans is their pass rush. The guys pointed to the Jaguars’ game against the Eagles, when Jalen Carter forced two fumbles on Trevor Lawrence, and said the Jags offensive line is not grading out well, and a turnover or two from the Houston defense could swing it. Add a big day from Nico Collins against the Jacksonville secondary and that is the upset path. The worry voiced on the show was simply that the old Trevor Lawrence finds a way to give it away.
The segment wraps with the Texans sending a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison, a receiver the quarterback vouched for and one the guys have seen no evidence is any good. It ends on a joke about whether a two-and-a-half-point line in London needs converting to pounds.
Hear the full breakdown on the NFL Picks Week 6 episode, or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Watch every game on YouTube, and download the SGPN app at sg.pn/links. See all our NFL Picks.
