The Jacksonville Jaguars will be on the road versus the Buffalo Bills in NFL Week 3 action, looking to avenge their poor 0-2 start to the season against their 2-0 foes.
NFL betting sites naturally have the Bills as 5.5-point favorites after their hot start to the season, and the Jaguars will be looking to avoid a defeat that’ll leave them 0-3 and in hot water in an AFC South that’s always up for grabs. We also cover a NY sportsbook promo from bet365 Sportsbook.
Buffalo Bills favored over Jacksonville Jaguars in crucial early matchup
How the Buffalo Bills could win and cover the spread
Sometimes, having the best player on the field is all it takes. Through two games, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been operating on another level, completing 73.8% of his passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns while adding another two touchdowns on the ground.
As is so often the case, the Bills’ odds appear to expect them to go as far as Allen’s body takes them. The improvement of the ground game has helped the Buffalo offense stay balanced, but Allen has still been the catalyst for everything that works.
The Jaguars’ defense has done well to slow down opposing quarterbacks in 2024, so this could be a test for Allen, but the Buffalo quarterback is second in total expected points added per play, per RBSDM.com, through two weeks.
How the Jacksonville Jaguars could cover the spread, or even win
The Jaguars have struggled on offense through the season’s first two weeks. They’re averaging 295.0 yards per game while scoring just 15 points per game, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence has fared moderately, completing 51% of his pass attempts for 382 yards and a touchdown while averaging 7.5 yards per attempt.
However, the Jacksonville offense has been abysmal in converting on third-down opportunities. Through two games, the Jaguars have converted just 26.32% of their third downs, 28th in the NFL. Those lack of conversions kill drives, and as a result, Jacksonville is struggling to score points, and the Jaguars’ odds reflect that.
Luckily, the Bills’ defense is allowing opposing offenses to convert on 50% of their third-down opportunities. The Jaguars have the chance to keep drives alive and put points on the board, but they will likely have to be better to stand a chance of winning.
