In this NFL game preview, the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-9) head to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to square off with the New Orleans Saints (5-9) this week. The NFL’s fourth-leading passer, Drew Brees (4,135 yards, 28 TDs), will play an integral role in the outcome of this game. It will air Sunday, Dec 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
In last week’s game, New Orleans suffered a loss at the hands of the Lions, 35-27. Brandin Cooks had a huge game in the loss, pulling in 10 receptions for 124 yards and one TD. Drew Brees had a great game as well, adding 341 yards and three TDs through the air. Jacksonville also came up short, losing to the Falcons 23-17. Paul Posluszny led the defensive effort for Jacksonville, recording nine tackles and one interception. Blake Bortles also had a great game with 297 yards and a TD through the air.
New Orleans is a three-point favorite against the Jaguars. The Over/Under (O/U) line is currently at 51 points for this matchup.
Sitting at 5-9 Straight Up (SU) and 6-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Saints will look to improve heading into Week 16. In their five most recent matchups, the Saints went 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS. They are averaging 31.6 points per game at home, third-best in the league. A focal point of New Orleans’s offense is its passing game, which ranks first in the league with 303.8 passing yards per game. Turning to the Saints defense, there are several areas to keep an eye on. The Saints should attack Jacksonville’s quarterback. The Jaguars are ranked 27th in sacks allowed on the road with 3.3 per away game. In the first quarter, New Orleans strikes early, putting up 7.1 points in the first 15 minutes. New Orleans runs a fast-paced offense, ranking third in the NFL with an average of 68.4 offensive snaps per game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Jaguars head into Week 16 with records of 7-6-1 ATS and 5-9 SU. Over their last five games, the Jaguars have a SU record of 2-3 and a 2-2-1 record ATS. Offensively, they may find success scoring against the Saints, who are the worst home scoring defense in the league at 32.3 points per game. Jacksonville could rely on its passing attack against a defense that allows 276.4 passing yards per game, ranking 30th in the league. Moving on to the Jacksonville defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Saints. New Orleans’s unreliable run game could cost them a shot at victory over the Jaguars. The Saints average 91.9 rushing yards per game, ranking 27th in the league. New Orleans will want to keep its intensity through the fourth quarter against the Jaguars, who average 8.1 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Penalties are a common occurrence for New Orleans. The Saints are one of the most penalized teams in the league with 8.6 infractions per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Jax, ATS Winner – Jax, O/U – Over
Notes
New Orleans is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 7 games.
New Orleans is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games.
New Orleans is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home.
New Orleans is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home.
Jacksonville is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. New Orleans is 4-2 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
This season, Jacksonville is only 1-6 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and an even 2-2 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The New Orleans passing attack is ranked first in the league, while the Jacksonville pass defense is only ranked 25th. The Jaguars’ passing game is ranked 12th, compared to the 30th-ranked pass defense of the Saints.
