The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Seattle Seahawks for a Week 6 NFL matchup. Both of these teams should feel solid about their start to the season after some notable offseason turnover.
The Jaguars hold a 4-1 record in the first season with head coach Liam Coen, including most recently upsetting the Chiefs. The Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold to start at quarterback in Mike Macdonald’s second season as head coach. Seattle is off to a 3-2 start and will be looking to bounce back from a 38-35 loss to the Buccaneers last week.
The Seahawks are narrow 1.5-point favorites and hold -110 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Jaguars also hold -110 odds, and the game total is set at 47.5.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side. This article will look at my three favorite prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Week 6 Jaguars vs. Seahawks matchup.
Jaguars vs. Seahawks Best Prop Bets
Sam Darnold Over 243.5 Passing Yards (-111)
Darnold’s first few games with the Seahawks have been strong. Darnold is completing 73.1% of his passes for 1,246 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. While it was a turbulent start to his career with the Jets, the former No. 3 overall pick found his footing last year with the Vikings. He has carried that level of play over to Seattle and will have his sights set on the Jaguars’ defense next.
Jacksonville ranks eighth in points allowed but 23rd in yards given up. It is most vulnerable in the secondary, ranking 27th in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 16th in passing touchdowns conceded. Seattle has not been shy to abandon the run when it is not working this year and put full faith in Darnold. Don’t be shocked if this is the game plan from the opening kickoff, with Jacksonville grading much better defensively against the run.
Darnold is averaging 249.2 passing yards per game and is coming off a 341-yard passing performance last week against the Buccaneers. He has shown impressive chemistry with the Seahawks’ wide receivers, most notably Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Travis Etienne Jr. Over 2.5 Receptions (+117)
While he is not known for his ability as a pass catcher, Travis Etienne Jr. is capable of coming out of the backfield to help in the aerial attack, and this is a matchup where this will come into play. The Seahawks have allowed the most receptions to opposing running backs this season. Rachaad White had four receptions last week, Trey Benson had five receptions while Emari Demercado added two the week prior, and Christian McCaffrey tallied nine receptions against them in the season opener.
Etienne has rushed the ball 77 times for 443 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season, while adding nine receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown through the air. He has hauled in two or more receptions in three of the five games and had three receptions against the Chiefs on Monday night. With this being such a weak spot in the Seahawks’ defense and Etienne showing some growth in this area, target the +117 swing for Etienne to record over 2.5 receptions for the 33rd game in his career.
Brian Thomas Jr. Anytime Touchdown (+150)
It has been a strange season for Brian Thomas Jr. He has battled some glaring drop issues that have been problematic for the Jaguars’ offense. This is especially odd coming off a stellar rookie season in which Thomas looked to be on the pathway to becoming a clear WR1 in Jacksonville’s system. He tallied 87 receptions on 133 targets for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season. This not only led all rookies, but was tied for the sixth-most touchdowns in the entire NFL.
He’s pulled in just 16 of his 38 targets for 244 receiving yards this year and has yet to score his first touchdown. There have been some positive signs, however. After pulling in just seven of his 25 targets in the first three games, or 28% of passes, Thomas secured in nine of the 13 targets in the two weeks since. The talent is evident, and it seems he may have been battling some form of mental yips.
Seattle’s defense got off to a strong start to the season, but has not looked the part of late. The Buccaneers picked the defense apart last week, scoring 38 points. Seattle slipped to 11th in the NFL in points allowed and 16th in passing touchdowns conceded.
Jaguars tight end Hunter Long leads the team with two receiving touchdowns this season, with no other pass catcher recording more than one. The role of the red zone threat is still for the taking, and Thomas showed he could do this last year.
