The Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) welcome the Cleveland Browns (0-1) to Florida in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season for an all-AFC battle. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 15th at EverBank Stadium.
Neither of these two teams got off to the start they wanted to in 2024, as Cleveland lost their home opener 33-17 to Dallas while the Jags came up just short against Miami in a 20-17 road defeat.
Both Lawrence and Watson performed far below expectations to open the year, so it will be interesting to see if either one of them can rebound immediately after subpar outings to start the season.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Jaguars listed as 3-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t really moved all that much in either direction after early betting, as Jacksonville is still currently available at -3 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 42 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on the CBS Sports Network. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Cleveland Browns Outclassed by the Cowboys Offensively
It was certainly a game to forget for QB Deshaun Watson, as he completed just 24 out of 45 total passing attempts for 169 passing yards and a single touchdown. Watson also committed several costly turnovers, throwing multiple interceptions that resulted in double-digit points for Dallas. He was also making headlines for all the wrong reasons off the field yet again following Cleveland’s home loss against the Cowboys, as more accusations surfaced relating to several incidents that ultimately led to his departure from Houston before the 2023-24 season.
Unsurprisingly, the receiving corps for the Browns also got off to a slow start due to Watson’s poor play under center and a tough matchup against a quality Dallas secondary. TE David Njoku led the way, but he only managed to catch four passes for 44 yards. Veteran playmaker Amari Cooper was almost invisible the entire game, only recording two receptions for 16 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Cleveland couldn’t find a way to slow down the Cowboys offense on a consistent basis. They also gave up a massive play on special teams, as KaVontae Turpin took a punt return all the way back for touchdown on one of his five returns for 96 total yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars Come Up Short Against Miami Despite Strong First Half
It looked like a potential upset was brewing for the Jags in the first half of their Week 1 battle with Miami, as they took a 17-7 lead to the locker room at half time despite being almost four-point underdogs on the road. Unfortunately, Jacksonville couldn’t find a way to shut down a stacked Dolphins offense down the stretch, giving up 13 unanswered points over the final two quarters to lose by a field goal.
There is no doubt that quarterback Trevor Lawrence needs to be much better here in Week 2 if the Jaguars hope to avoid a worrisome 0-2 start to the year. Lawrence really struggled to get any momentum going on the road in Miami, completing just 12/21 passing attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t receive quality performances from most members of his receiving corps either, as Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis combined for only four catches and under 100 total receiving yards.
Jacksonville was pretty solid on defense in a very difficult matchup, holding the Dolphins to just 20 points all game. However, they couldn’t find a way to slow down speedster Tyreek Hill for very long, as he racked up seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown after getting arrested following a dangerous driving infraction on the way to the stadium.
Our Browns vs Jaguars NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
This should be a very tightly contested battle on Sunday afternoon, as both of these teams are desperate to avoid a second consecutive loss to start the year. While the Jags lack of production on offense is obviously a pretty big concern, I definitely have more faith in them to bounce back at home here in Week 2 than I do in Cleveland. Jacksonville easily could have knocked off a strong Dolphins squad to open the year if they had managed to find a way to perform even slightly better down the stretch in the second half after holding a ten point lead to start the third quarter.
The Browns offense is a disaster right now, as veteran RB Nick Chubb is still sidelined from his 2023-24 knee injury and Watson looks lost at times leading the offense. While Ford has been serviceable carrying the load on the ground for decent stretches at a time, Watson’s poor play at quarterback has continued after an injury riddled regular season last year.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Jaguars -3
Amari Cooper really struggled with Watson under center last season, vastly underperforming until veteran Joe Flacco took over the reins on offense. Cooper’s woes when Watson is starting continued in Week 1, which is especially alarming considering that the Browns fell behind and were trying to play catchup for most of the game.
If the Jags can find a way to get Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby a decent amount of room to run on the ground, it should stretch the defense enough where Lawrence can find his usually reliable targets further downfield. I don’t see a ton of value on either side of this matchup against the spread, but I’d much rather take a shot with a Jacksonville team at home in a game that they know they need to win in order to keep pace with Houston and Indianapolis in the very competitive AFC South. Lay the field goal and take the Jaguars to get the job done at home against a demoralized Browns offense.
