Bortles will aim to hang on to his spot while Chad Henne pushes for the gig. Both signal-callers will be under the microscope when the team takes on the Carolina Panthers in the third week of the preseason. The Panthers are the more talented team but won’t have the same type of motivation in this one.
While Carolina’s starters should see a good deal of action, the Jaguars will be the ones more intent on playing well, which could affect the spread.
This game in Week 3 of the preseason contest will go down Thursday, August 24, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. ET at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
Odds Analysis
The Panthers are the better team, but there are a few things working in the Jaguars’ favor. Bortles and Henne aren’t as good as Cam Newton, but they could very well each take two quarters apiece. Newton, on the other hand, is on his way back from injury and may only play a little while or not at all.
Jacksonville also has the home field advantage, and it seems likely the Jags are the favorite. The scoring total could be pretty low since the defenses are good and the quarterback play may be below average.
Quarterback Rotation
It seems likely Bortles starts the game against the Panthers, and then Henne would see significant time after him. Bortles was 3-of-5 for 16 yards in the preseason opener against the Patriots and then just 8-of-13 for 65 yards last week against the Bucs. His struggles have allowed for Henne to be considered for the starting quarterback job.
Henne was 5-of-6 for 139 yards and a score against New England and 6-of-10 for 44 yards against Tampa Bay. Bortles is the incumbent so Henne will really have to play well in order to grab the starting job, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.
Newton has yet to play in the preseason because of a shoulder injury but the team hopes to get him some action in this one. The Panthers’ star will need to be healthy in order to play because the team isn’t going to risk him in an exhibition contest. Keep an eye on the latest news as Newton’s availability should become known as the game gets closer.
Derek Anderson is the backup for Carolina and he figures to get extensive action to find a rhythm if needed in the regular season.
Coaching History
Ron Rivera has gone 14-12 in his preseason career. The Panthers’ coach has gone 2-2 in three of his six preseasons and has split the first two games of 2017.
Doug Marrone is 4-7 in the preseason. He went 2-2 in his first year back in 2013 and then won only once out of five in 2014, The Jaguars have split their first two preseason games as well in 2017.
Free ATS Pick
The Panthers would likely be favored if this game was in the regular season, or even if it was a standard third preseason game where each team plays its starters for a half. However, the Jaguars have much more to discern from this contest, and that’s why they will be the favorites.
If Newton plays it will be a big boost to Carolina’s chances, but the expectation is that Henne and Bortles give it their all, which should lead to the Jaguars picking up this victory over the Panthers.
NFL Odds: Jaguars 24, Panthers 17
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