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The Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers meet in Week 8 of the NFL season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Ariscure Stadium, and the game will air on CBS. The Steelers head back to defend their home field, while the Jaguars have the luxury of added rest after their Thursday Night Football win over the Saints.
2023 NFL odds: Jaguars vs. Steelers Week 8
Sunday, October 22
Point spread: Jaguars -2
Point total: 41.5
Moneyline: Jaguars -125, Steelers +105
Wednesday, October 18
Point spread: Jaguars -1.5
Point total: 41.5
Moneyline: Jaguars -130, Steelers +110
May 12
Point spread: Steelers -1
Moneyline: Steelers -115, Jaguars -105
It has been a fine season for the Steelers, but not exactly what they wanted. Fans have called for the team to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada with every chance they’ve gotten. Najee Harris has struggled and it’s posed the question if Jaylen Warren should have an increased number of carries. Kenny Pickett and the passing game have been bad as well, but George Pickens has been the one bright spot. Defensively, they have a strong pass rush as always, but their secondary is in the bottom half of the NFL and is a glaring issue. It is only going to get worse as the season continues.
The Jaguars have been decent this season. They are 5-2 and atop the AFC South, but they haven't won like people expected them to. They're coming off an ugly win against the New Orleans Saints where the offense did not look good in the second half. Travis Etienne looks solid, but they need the passing game to take a step up. Calvin Ridley is too good to be putting up the small numbers that he has. I think they’re decent defensively, but need a bit more from their pass rush. Josh Allen has been great, but outside of him, nobody is getting to the quarterback like they should be.
The Jaguars are 5-2 against the spread this season, while the Steelers are just 3-2 heading into Week 7. Pittsburgh’s -6.2 average scoring margin (-4.0 at home) should give enough cause for concern in taking them as the underdogs. Trevor Lawrence should play more efficiently with the added rest, and with the quarterback advantage, take Jacksonville to eke out a win over Pittsburgh’s defense and cover.