The negative streaks surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars continued, reaching comically new levels of futility. For a team that had so much promise entering the year, it’s hard to imagine things could’ve gone much worse. The Jags were officially eliminated from playoff contention for a ninth straight season with last week’s loss and in the process guaranteed themselves a sixth straight season with double-digit losses. The Jags will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 14 tilt.
Watch this regular season Week 14 matchup live on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at EverBank Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Minnesota Vikings -3.5
Jacksonville Jaguars +3.5
Over/Under 39.5
Odds Analysis
The Vikings opened as a 3-point road favorite and early action on the visitors caused the spread to spike to -3.5. Minnesota received over 85 percent of the early spread wagers. Something has to give in this one. The Vikings are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four road games while the Jags have yet to win a true home game this season. The total is the lowest on the board for the week and has some value with teams that have struggled to score.
Injury Report
Harrison Smith – The Vikings’ starting safety suffered an ankle injury in the last game and exited the locker room on crutches and in a boot. His loss would be a significant blow to the Minnesota secondary with his ability to cover both receivers and tight ends one-on-one and to rush the passer in blitz packages.
Denard Robinson – Running the football could be a problem for the Jags with Robinson the most recent back to hit the sideline with an injury. Robinson started against Denver but left the game with a high ankle sprain. He was in for the injured Chris Ivory, who continues to work through a hamstring injury, while T.J. Yeldon has seen limited snaps the past few weeks as he deals with a lingering ankle issue. Playing the fourth running back against a solid run defense could pose a problem for Jacksonville.
Matchup to Watch
It’s easy to see why the Jaguars are as bad as they are. There are several reasons why, injuries and inconsistent play are among them. But the biggest concern and a problem that has plagued the club all season is turnovers. Jacksonville lost the turnover battle again to Denver, coughing the ball up three times while failing to register a takeaway. The Jags have committed at least three turnovers in six games this season and are tied for the most giveaways in the league with 25.
Compounding the problem is their inability to create opponent turnovers. The Jags have a NFL low seven takeaways and their minus-18 turnover margin is the worst in the league. During their current seven-game losing streak, the Jaguars have turned it over 16 times while creating only two opponent turnovers for a minus-14 differential. Blake Bortles has 19 turnovers by himself with a league-high 15 interceptions and he’s tossed a pick-six in three of the past four games. Minnesota’s opportunistic defense is salivating over facing the Jags and their turnover-prone quarterback.
Free ATS Pick
This is a good matchup for the Vikings to get a little relief. Minnesota has plummeted since its 5-0 start, winning just once in the past six games and finds itself two games off the lead in the NFC North and on the outside of the playoff picture. It isn’t tough to figure out why the Vikings haven’t sustained that success. The offense is one of the worst in the league averaging fewer than 300 yards per game and the Vikings are dead last with just over 72 yards per game on the ground.
The group has been decimated by injuries, particularly on the offensive line after Sam Bradford got comfortable in his role. A lot of the blame has been directed at Bradford, but he’s actually been a bright spot. It’s tough for him to direct an offense with no run game, a patchwork line and few play-makers. What the Vikings don’t do is hurt themselves with penalties and turnovers, and that’s exactly what the Jags can’t avoid doing. The Vikings will take advantage of a few Jacksonville turnovers, turning a short field into points and they may even get a defensive score to salt away a much-needed win.
NFL Odds: Vikings 19, Jaguars 15
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