The Atlanta Falcons haven’t put much emphasis on preseason wins lately, as they entered this year with a 1-15 record over the previous four years. Atlanta will try to finish with multiple exhibition victories for the first time since 2016 (three) when it hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday in the 2022 NFL preseason finale for both teams. The Falcons opened with a 27-23 triumph at Detroit on Aug. 12, but suffered a 24-16 loss at the New York Jets on Monday. Jacksonville dropped a 16-15 decision at Pittsburgh last weekend to fall to 0-3 this preseason.
Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is scheduled for 3 pm ET. Atlanta is a 4-point favorite in the latest Falcons vs. Jaguars odds at Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 37. Before making any Jaguars vs. Falcons picks or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert Emory Hunt has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette and knows the game from a player’s perspective. Hunt’s dedication to analysis of all levels of college and professional football helped him start the USFL season 24-18, including a 12-6 record over the last five weeks.
In addition, Hunt has gone 18-4 on his last 22 NFL picks involving the Falcons, returning $1,372. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hunt has zeroed in on Falcons vs. Jags and just locked in his picks and NFL predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see Hunt’s picks. Here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Jags vs. Falcons:
- Falcons vs. Jaguars spread: Atlanta -4
- Falcons vs. Jaguars over/under: 37 points
- Falcons vs. Jaguars money line: Atlanta -200, Jacksonville +170
- ATL: The Falcons are 0-9 against the spread in their last nine home games
- JAX: Jaguars are 0-6 ATS in their last six meetings with Atlanta
- Falcons vs. Jaguars picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Why the Falcons can cover
With the Matt Ryan era over, Atlanta is handing the reins to Marcus Mariota, who gets another shot at being a starting quarterback in the NFL. The 28-year-old Mariota, who was selected by Tennessee with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has spent the last 2 1/2 seasons as a backup with the Titans and Las Vegas. In the Falcons’ two preseason games, the signal-caller has completed 8-of-12 pass attempts for 168 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score.
Mariota is expected to only play a few series on Saturday, so rookie Desmond Ridder should see plenty of action. The 22-year-old from the University of Cincinnati, who was taken in the third round of this year’s draft, has gone 20-of-35 for 246 yards and a pair of TDs this preseason. Running back Cordarrelle Patterson recorded 1,600 all-purpose yards last season, but has only been on the field for one snap in each of Atlanta’s exhibition games, so he could get more playing time against Jacksonville.
Why the Jaguars can cover
Trevor Lawrence did not play in the Hall of Fame Game against Las Vegas but received significant playing time in Jacksonville’s last two preseason contests. The 2021 first overall draft pick was 6-of-12 for 95 yards and a touchdown against Cleveland on Aug. 12 and completed 14 of his 21 attempts versus Pittsburgh last week for 133 yards. Lawrence threw only 12 TD passes during his rookie season, but hopes to see that number increase significantly with the offseason addition of wide receiver Christian Kirk, who made 11 scoring catches over the previous two years with Arizona.
The 25-year-old Kirk, who set career-highs in 2021 with 77 receptions and 982 yards, hauled in five passes for 54 yards in his preseason debut last week. Leading rusher James Robinson has yet to play an exhibition game due to an Achilles injury and could be ready for the 2022 season-opener, so Travis Etienne Jr. should continue to get the bulk of the carries on Saturday. The 23-year-old, who was Lawrence’s teammate at Clemson and also was a first-round pick in 2021, missed his entire rookie campaign with a foot injury but has gained 52 yards on 17 rushes this preseason.
How to make Jaguars vs. Falcons picks
For Saturday’s game, Hunt is leaning Over the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can find out what it is, and see which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Falcons vs. Jaguars? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Jaguars vs. Falcons spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the expert who’s 18-4 on Atlanta picks, and find out.