Saturday night (7:30 PM EST) the Miami Dolphins will travel to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars in a Preseason Week 2 showdown.
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Jacksonville (-2) is currently slightly favored with a total of 36, with NFL betting odds coming from Pinnacle but as the lines change make sure you check SBR Odds so you don's miss out.
Previous Results
In the first week Jacksonville Jaguars were involved in a shootout with the Eagles, which ended with a loss after a 9 point 4th quarter (28-27).
The Jags demonstrated a brand new defense, which resulted in a free-for-all for the Eagles, with Kolb and Vick at the helm. They threw for a combined 17/28 with 214 yards. More striking was the Eagles' ability to run the ball, with 211 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns.
The good news for the Jags, and perhaps the reason for the slight edge in the odds, is backup QB McCown. He threw for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns, going for an impressive 11/15.
For the Miami Dolphins, the initial preseason game was much different. The Dolphins managed to edge out a 10-7 victory over Tampa Bay, which seemed to resemble a defensive matchup.
The low-scoring affair was more of an indicator of Tampa Bay's problems, with 7 fumbles (3 lost) and 1 interception. The Dolphins played solid defense, with 10 tackles for loss.
Offensively the Dolphins were unable to get much going. The ground game combined with a mere 50 yards over 21 carries. From the standpoint of Miami's quarterbacks, Henne was 5/11 with only 19 yards. Thigpen had an impressive 145 yards at 10/19.
Get The Current Matchup
The slight favorite seems to be a composite of what Jacksonville did well and what Miami did not, of an otherwise seemingly close matchup that is hard to call.
However, taking into account the previous week, Jacksonville looks like they should be able to take care of Miami.
Miami's ineffectiveness offensively against the Bucs, even though Tampa is revamping a miserable defense from last year, is visible. Receiving 4 turnovers, Miami only managed 206 total yards, with a completely ineffective running game, and going 3-13 on 3rd downs.
McCown's total yards outdid Miami's total production from the previous week. With more production from Jacksonville's running game against the Dolphins, Jacksonville could potentially light up the scoreboard.
It is also important to remember that Miami's offensive line is plagued by injuries. Perhaps relevant to last week's game with the Bucs, it seems that Miami may have trouble producing offensively yet again, due to lack of pass and rush protection.
Disappointment from Miami in the opening week of preseason could easily translate to their upcoming matchup against the Jags. A disappointing offensive and defensive display against the Bucs could mean an easy victory for Jacksonville.
For the Jags, what would have been their weakness is arguably McCown, who has demonstrated otherwise. If he and the running game gets going, it could mean a short and easy evening for them.
Look for Jacksonville (-2) to take control of Miami's ineffectiveness on both sides of the ball. The total (36) is much tougher to predict, where the pendulum could repeat from either's previous performance.
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