With the trade deadline taking the spotlight, it's easy to forget that the Jacksonville Jaguars will face off against the rival Tennessee Titans in Week 10. They should feel good about their odds of coming out on top.
Leaving aside that general manager James Gladstone traded for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, and safety Jessie Bates III, Jacksonville enjoyed a long break after trouncing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night.
This doesn't mean that the Jags can start uncorking the champagne just yet, but they'll most definitely have several things going in their favor, even though the game will take place in Nashville. With this in mind, here are the early odds and a bold prediction about the newly acquired Bates for this upcoming AFC South showdown.
The Jaguars vs. the Titans odds for Week 10
The Jaguars are a 10.5-point road favorite in Week 10 with a moneyline of -600. Place a wager of $600 and win $100 for a total payout of $700 if they beat Tennessee. The Titans' moneyline sits at +440. Bet $100 on them and win $100 for a total payout of $540 if they defeat Jacksonville.
The over/under is set at 46.5 points.
** Odds are refreshed periodically, so they're subjected to change at any moment.
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Jessie Bates III bold prediction for the Jaguars vs. the Titans in Week 10
The Jacksonville Jaguars began the eve of the trade deadline with a bang, sending a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in return for Jessie Bates III. The only reason the trade didn't garner more attention is that Jacksonville eventually acquired defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
Anyway, not only will Bates help fill the void left by Eric Murray's season-ending injury but will give the secondary a massive boost as well. A second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018, the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon is a ballhawk who's made the Pro Bowl and earned three Second-Team All-Pro designations. Simply put, he'll bring a big-play element at safety. General manager James Gladstone said as much after the trade deadline.
"Yeah, I think a big piece to it, and I know it's one you've heard before, is tying our rush and coverage together, and how important that is, and capping rushes with sacks," Gladstone told the local media (14:43 mark). "I think what Jesse's able to do in coverage is certainly notable. As I mentioned, that stop the run is really the number one element to our defensive identity. Well, limiting explosives is number two, and creating takeaways is number three."
Gladstone continued, "Jesse is extremely good and secure when it comes to being the last line of defense, and really not allowing stuff to slip out and minimizing the opportunities for run after catch and even stuff getting over your head, while at the same time being able to take the ball away at a high clip, whether it's forcing fumbles or creating interceptions. And so I think that element of being a deterrent on the back end will certainly tie in to what our rush can do."
Bates will probably go through an onboarding period as he gets acclimated to the Jacksonville defense but will likely get substantial playing time against Tennessee. That, in turn, will allow him to showcase his playmaking skills and result in an interception and a forced fumble.
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