The Jacksonville Jaguars just disposed of the Carolina Panthers in the season opener, but things will get considerably more difficult when they play the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.
Like the Jags, the Bengals are also coming off a win against a lesser opponent. However, they're currently in much better shape than their AFC South part.
This begs the question, can Jacksonville start a winning streak? Can the defense slow Joe Burrow? With that in mind, here are the odds and a bold prediction for the Week 2 matchup at Paycor Stadium.
Odds and moneyline for the Jaguars vs. Bengals game in Week 2
This is a home game for the Bengals. They're a 3.5 favorite with a moneyline of -190, according to BetMGM. Bet $190 to win $100 if Cincy wins. Meanwhile, the Jags' moneyline sits at 155. Place a wager of $100 and win $155 for a total payout of $255 if they come out on top.
The over/under for the game is 49.5 total point. Both the under are currently -110.
Keep in mind that that game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Related: Biggest winners and losers from the Tank Bigsby trade
How do the Jaguars stack up agains the Bengals?
The Cincinnati Bengals struggled to put the Cleveland Browns away in Week 1 but ultimately took care of business, winning 17-16. They have a more established quarterback in Joe Burrow and a more experienced head coach in Zac Taylor.
Granted, Cincinnati's offense wasn't particularly efficient in the season opener, with Burrow throwing just 113 yards. That said, Trevor Lawrence didn't light up the scoreboard either, so the Jaguars cannot truly say that they have an advantage at quarterback.
Heck, you could even make the case that the team with the better quarterback in Week 2 will win, and nobody will bat an eye if that's Burrow. The silver lining is that the Jaguars defense has the pieces to potentially slow down Cincy's offense.
Against the Panthers, Jacksonville registered three takeaways and could've had a fourth if Andrew Wingard's pick hadn't been nullified by a penalty. Moreover, they routinely kept Bryce Young under duress.
On defense, Travis Etienne gassed the Carolina defense. With Tank Bigsby out of the equation, Etienne will try to have another banner game to show he deserves a new deal. The issue is that the Bengals gave up just 2.0 yards per carry against the Browns, so Etienne may not be nearly as dominant as he was in the opener. Then again, if he can break off a few long runs, the Jags will have a chance.
Jacksonville's biggest X-Factor will be Trevor Lawrence, though. He threw for less than 200 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Week 1. He'll need to do better than that if the Jaguars want to leave Cincinnati with a win.
Bold prediction: The Jaguars will get 100+ yards and 2 TDs from Travis Etienne
As noted before, the Bengals excelled at stopping the run in the opener. However, Trevor Lawrence will dial up a handful of deep shots to prevent them from stacking the box. That will help Travis Etienne find a better matchup up front and break a couple big runs en route to a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance.