Can Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars elevate his game, or will he throw three picks like he did at Arizona two weeks ago? A crucial AFC South clash hinges on the Jaguars' star quarterback and a key matchup against a shorthanded Colts defense.
Will the real Trevor Lawrence show up at EverBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. (ET), when the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South, early-December first-place showdown?
If the Jaguars, currently (+1.5) home underdogs to their divisional counterparts, as per Action Network, have any hope of walking out of their home stadium in sole possession of the AFC South lead over the Colts, he better.
The Colts are favored (-1.5), despite being 2-3 on the road this season and 1-4 in their last five.
The over/under is 47.5 points with Indianapolis a (-130) ML favorite, while the Jags listed at (+110).
However, for the Jaguars, all bets are off when it comes to Lawrence, who has thrown for 2,636 yards for 16 touchdowns, in addition to 11 interceptions, in what many would consider a pedestrian season. For a starting quarterback on a five-year, $275M extension, which included $200M guaranteed and a $37.5M signing bonus, some people are expecting better,
Lawrence, coming off a 229-yards, two-touchdown performance in a Jags' 28-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans, had three interceptions, not to mention a fumble return for a touchdown the previous week vs. the Cardinals in Arizona.
One way Lawrence could be better is getting more production out of wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. who has been held under 50 receiving yards in five of his nine games played this season, including against the Titans last Sunday, when he caught two passes for 28 yards - in his first game back from a high ankle sprain.
Thomas Jr.'s work against the Colts is key -- even more with Indianapolis without cornerback Sauce Gardner who has been officially ruled out for Sunday.
But Lawrence's overall performance is just one of several key factors, if the Jaguars plan to walkout of their home stadium in sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
Perhaps, now more than ever as teams around the league have realized, Jacksonville looks to run the ball first. That would take a lot of pressure off of Lawrence. He does not have to win the game himself.
It's late in the week and oddsmakers are still going back and forth.
However, if you're a serious NFL bettor looking to make a side bet on this game, you should consider that the Colts, despite their recent losing skid, are short road favs against the Jaguars, not only playing at home. but coming off a win. And that the Jaguars have overcome an average defensive unit - to stack up wins in recent weeks.
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