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The Jacksonville Jaguars are staying on the road on Sunday to face off against the New England Patriots at 1 p.m. ET Jan. 2 at Gillette Stadium. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last week, Jacksonville was within a late touchdown of stealing the victory, but they took the "L" against the New York Jets 26-21. The Jaguars' only offensive touchdown came from RB Dare Ogunbowale.
Meanwhile, New England came up short against the Buffalo Bills last week, falling 33-21. QB Mac Jones had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: besides failing to produce a single touchdown, he threw two interceptions with only 4.53 yards per passing attempt.
Jacksonville is now 2-13 while New England sits at 9-6. Jacksonville has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Patriots are still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs, so these next two games are critical for them.
The Jaguars are the clear underdogs, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one. Those betting on them against the spread shouldn't have high expectations for them since the team is 3-7 ATS when expected to lose.
Two stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Jacksonville is second worst in the league in overall offensive touchdowns, with only 22 on the season. The Patriots' defense has more to brag about, as they they enter the game with only 27 touchdowns allowed, good for second best in the NFL. So the cards are definitely stacked in their favor.
