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Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars jogs off the field after defeating the New York Jets, and we offer new U.S. bettors our exclusive BetRivers promo code for NFL Week 4.
Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars jogs off the field after defeating the New York Jets. Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images via AFP.

With a chance to take control of the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the Houston Texans in Week 17. Read on for our best Jaguars-Texans NFL pick and prediction.

The Jaguars (7-8) currently pace the AFC South and are on the verge of making the postseason after back-to-back years of having the No. 1 overall pick. It will all come down to a Week 18 battle with the Tennessee Titans to determine the winner of the division.

Will Jacksonville overlook Houston this week? The Texans (2-12-1) are on track to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and a shot at a franchise quarterback prospect like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. Bettors need to be careful when handicapping this game.

Here is our best Jaguars vs. Texans NFL pick for Week 17 (odds via Barstool Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

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Jaguars vs. Texans Game Info

Date: Sunday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Weather: Indoors

Jaguars vs. Texans Odds

Jaguars vs. Texans Odds Analysis

The Jaguars opened as 5.5-point favorites, but the line has moved down to a consensus 3.5-point spread. According to the sportsbook consensus at Pregame.com, the Jaguars have attracted 62% of the spread handle while drawing 75% of the ATS bets.

The total has also had some movement, now sitting at 43 or 43.5 after opening at 44. Despite this, the Over has received 73% of bets and 62% of the handle. Jacksonville is 8-7 to the Over this season, but Houston has a 6-9 clip at clearing the point total.

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Jaguars vs. Texans Pick

Jaguars -4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Titans rested many key players in Thursday’s meaningless game against the Dallas Cowboys. It resulted in a 27-13 home loss as double-digit underdogs but allowed the Titans to be healthy for Week 18.

As of Friday, that doesn’t appear to be the plan for Jacksonville. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not practice on Wednesday, but was back on Thursday. Head coach Doug Pederson doesn’t plan to rest any starters, and the team is on board with that strategy to try and maintain momentum heading into the regular-season finale.

If that is the case, there is slight value in taking the road favorite in this matchup. I make this number closer to a 6-point line in a normal game, and believe this number is a bit deflated due to Houston’s recent play. The Texans are coming off a 19-14 win over the Titans, which followed one-score losses to the Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive weeks.

But the Jags are playing even better right now, riding a three-game win streak, and they won four of their last five contests entering this matchup. They covered the spread in each of their seven victories this season, and I see no reason why that trend should end this weekend. With more to play for, Jacksonville should be able to put Houston away on Sunday.

Jaguars vs. Texans Best Odds

BetMGM (-115)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
-3.5-3.5-3-3.5-3.5
-110-108-115-110-105

The line continues to fall, as low as -3 at BetMGM, though it costs a little extra to land on that key number. Otherwise, most of the top sportsbooks are settled at the Jaguars -3.5.

Jaguars-Texans pick made 12/30/2022 at 10 a.m. ET.

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