Teams trending in opposite directions will clash on Thursday Night Football when the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the New Orleans Saints. The Jaguars (4-2), who may be without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence due to a left knee injury suffered against Indianapolis last Sunday, have won three in a row following a 1-2 start. The Saints (3-3), who also have an injured starting quarterback in Derek Carr (shoulder/chest), began the year 2-0, but have lost three of four since. New Orleans has won four straight in the series, following Jacksonville's 20-19 win in 2003.
Kickoff from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. New Orleans is a two-point favorite in the latest Jaguars vs. Saints odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 40.5. Before you make any Saints vs. Jaguars picks or Thursday Night Football predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine expert Mike Tierney has to say, given his mastery of picks involving Jacksonville.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He is coming off a typically strong 2022 NFL season in which he went 68-54-6, returning $815 to $100 players.
In addition, he is an amazing 35-16 on his last 51 picks in games involving the Jacksonville Jaguars, returning $1,773. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Tierney has locked in on Jaguars vs. Saints from every angle and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Saints vs. Jags:
- Jaguars vs. Saints spread: New Orleans -2
- Jaguars vs. Saints over/under: 40.5 points
- Jaguars vs. Saints money line: Jacksonville +116, New Orleans -138
- JAC: Jaguars are 4-2 against the spread this season
- NO: Saints are 0-2 ATS in home games this season
- Jaguars vs. Saints picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Saints can cover
Quarterback Derek Carr has already passed for nearly 1,300 yards across sox games. Carr, who is listed as questionable with a chest and shoulder injury, has thrown for five touchdowns and been intercepted three times. He is coming off a 353-yard performance in Sunday's loss at Houston. In that game, Carr completed 64% of his passes, throwing one touchdown and one interception. A week earlier, he was 18 of 26 (69.2%) for 183 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-0 win at New England.
Defensively, third-year veteran linebacker Pete Werner leads the Saints with 43 tackles, including 24 solo, with a half-sack for four yards. He also has one pass breakup and one interception. His best effort was an 11-tackle performance at Green Bay on Sept. 24. In 33 games over three seasons, Werner has registered 185 tackles, including 116 solo, with one-half sack, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups and one interception. See which team to back here.
Why the Jaguars can cover
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is off to a solid start to the season and is among Jacksonville's top pass-catchers. In six games played, Ridley has 26 receptions for 363 yards (14.0 average) and two touchdowns. He has a team-high seven explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a season-high of 32 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Foyesade Oloukun leads the Jaguars in tackles with 67, including 44 solo, with four tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He was dominant last Sunday in the win over the Colts, posting 15 tackles, including 10 solo, with two pass breakups. It was his fourth double-digit tackle effort, and second against Indianapolis this year. See which team to back here.
How to make Jaguars vs. Saints picks
Tierney has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Saints vs. Jaguars on Thursday Night Football, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Saints vs. Jaguars spread hits hard, all from the expert who is on an impressive 35-16 run on picks involving Jacksonville, and find out.
