Lex: 2022 Giants-Jaguars: Game Picks, Best Bets
Giants Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season will continue on Sunday, October 23. The G-Men will hit the road and fly south to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FOX.
All Time Series: Sunday’s game will be the eighth all-time meeting between the Giants and Jaguars, with Jacksonville holding a slight 4-3 lead in the series. The teams last met in Week 1 of the 2018 season, which was Saquon Barkley’s NFL debut. While the Jaguars ended up winning the game, 20-15, Barkley rushed for 106 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run. This will be Doug Pederson’s first time facing the Giants since he coached the Eagles back in 2020.
Giants vs. Jaguars odds
Spread: Jaguars -3 Point total: 43 Moneyline: Giants +135, Jaguars -155
Our Picks, Best Bets
Pick against the spread: Giants +3
New York finds itself with a 5-1 record with huge issues at wide receiver. The Giants are still finding ways to win on the back of running back Saquon Barkley and their defense. Jacksonville looked primed to make a run at the AFC South crown to start the year and has fallen off. I think New York stays hot on the road and covers.
Over/under: Under 43
Just because I think the Giants cover doesn’t mean I think there will be a plethora of points. They are averaging a little over 21 points per game on offense, while the Jags average 23. I think the New York defense limits their scoring, and there is a lot of running in this game to keep the scoring low. Take the under even on a low line.
Player prop: Saquon Barkley over 76.5 rushing yards (-115)
Barkley has been the majority of the offense for the Giants. This is a lower line for him, and you should take advantage. He had at least 77 rushing yards in three of his last four games and in four of his six games on the season. Barkley should finish with at least 77 rushing yards.
Lex Of It – Score Prediction
Giants 21 – 24 Jaguars
Scouting The Jaguars
The Jaguars have improved significantly from last season, starting with Trevor Lawrence. The second-year quarterback has completed 65.5 percent of his passes this season for 1,397 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He also added two rushing scores in last week’s game against the Colts. Lawrence, along with the talented running back duo of James Robinson and Travis Etienne, have helped lead Jacksonville to No. 15 in points and No. 11 in yards this season.
“I know Trevor; I recruited him, too,” Daboll said Wednesday. “It was the same year (Chicago Bears quarterback) Justin (Fields) came out. From Cartersville, Georgia – tremendous high school football player. You go down there and watch a practice. He can play on Sundays when he’s down there in high school. He was really, really talented. He’s really talented now. I think he’s doing a great job in Coach Pederson’s offense. He’s big. He can throw it accurately. He can move. They run him on some quarterback, not just keepers, but also quarterback designed runs, too. So, athletic, smart. He’s a really good person, too. He’s going to be a good player in this league for a long time.”
The defense will be going up against a familiar face on Sunday. Tight end Evan Engram, who was with the Giants from 2017-21, has 24 receptions for 208 yards in his first season with the Jaguars.
“I got a chance to meet Evan. I think he’s a talented player,” Daboll said. “He’s got good speed. He’s got good quickness. He was a good young man. It was just for a short time that I got a chance to talk to him, but I thought he was a good player.”
Moving over to the defense, Jacksonville has spent some top draft assets on the edge rusher position in recent years. Josh Allen was the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and the fourth-year OLB has gotten his season off to a strong start. Allen has a team-high three sacks, 10 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles in six games. While Travon Walker, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, has recorded just one sack, he also has an interception and two pass breakups.
“They’re really good,” Daboll said about the two pass rushers. “Walker is the first pick of the (2022) draft, and Josh Allen is a dynamic edge rusher. He has a knack for getting to the quarterback, being a ball disrupter. He can drop. He’s a really good player. He’s done a good job there for a while. And Travon, having seen him at Georgia, he’s very stout on the edge. Long. He’s a good player. We’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd has also made an impact on the defense. Lloyd currently ranks second on the team with 56 total tackles (31 solo), while adding six passes defensed and two interceptions.
Rookies on the rise 📈 📰: https://t.co/mdggrVsSi7 pic.twitter.com/4UPjLpiQSf — New York Giants (@Giants) October 21, 2022