jalin-hyatt-usatsi-cbs.jpg
USATSI

Ford Field hosts an intriguing preseason matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Detroit Lions welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to town for the second pgame of the 2023 NFL preseason schedule for both teams. Detroit defeated the New York Giants a week ago to begin the preseason at 1-0. Jacksonville knocked off the Dallas Cowboys to also begin the preseason on a strong note. 

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET in Detroit. Jacksonville is a 3.5-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 38 in the latest Jaguars vs. Lions odds. Before making any Lions vs. Jaguars picks or predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say.

Over the past seven years, White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, has gone 376-290-24 in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. He also is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert, going 535-450-30 on his against-the-spread NFL picks from 2017-22, returning $3,532 to $100 players. Moreover, White is on an incredible 53-34 roll on picks involving the Lions. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, White has locked in on Lions vs. Jags from every angle and just locked in his NFL preseason picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Jags vs. Lions: 

  • Jaguars vs. Lions spread: Jaguars -3.5
  • Jaguars vs. Lions over/under: 38 points
  • Jaguars vs. Lions money line: Jaguars -160, Lions +135
  • JAX: The Jaguars were 10-9 against the spread last season
  • DET: The Lions were 12-5 against the spread last season
  • Jaguars vs. Lions picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Jaguars can cover

Jacksonville has more mystery than Detroit when it comes to which players might see the field on Saturday. The Jaguars have strong depth regardless of the team's overall plan, however, and CJ Beathard provides a high baseline as a backup quarterback. The 29-year-old veteran has 510 career pass attempts and has thrown for more than 3,500 yards and 18 touchdowns at the NFL level. Jacksonville also has two very potent running backs behind incumbent starter Travis Etienne. 

Third round pick Tank Bigsby rushed for 52 yards on nine carries last week in his NFL debut, and he racked up more than 3,300 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns at Auburn. Bigsby was highly efficient, averaging 5.4 yards per carry at the college level, and he is joined by D'Ernest Johnson. Johnson has averaged 5.2 yards per carry in the NFL across four seasons, including a 534-yard campaign with Cleveland in 2021. The 27-year-old also averaged more than six yards per tote in the preseason opener, and Jacksonville is facing a Detroit team that has lost 14 of the last 19 preseason games. See which team to back here.

Why the Lions can cover

Detroit is playing at home in this matchup, and Jacksonville has lost 10 of the last 12 preseason games. The Lions are expected to sit Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, the starting offensive line and others for this matchup. Detroit also may rest select rookies in this contest. However, Detroit won the preseason opener while also deploying reserves, and the Lions played quite well in that matchup. 

The defense allowed only 216 total yards and 3.9 yards per play in the opener, allowing only 13 first downs and generating 11 tackles for loss. Detroit also has a veteran quarterback to lean on with Nate Sudfeld. He threw for 194 yards in the opener, and Sudfeld has appeared in six NFL games, including one for Detroit in 2022. Having that level of experience at the most important position can be key toward winning in exhibition action. See which team to pick here.

How to make Jaguars vs. Lions picks

White has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Over on the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Lions vs. Jaguars, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see White's Jaguars vs. Lions picks, all from the expert who is on a 53-34 run in Detroit games, and find out.