The Jaguars are hosting the Panthers for an NFL preseason matchup Friday night. Carolina is favored by 1.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 37.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Jaguars vs. Panthers Preview
The Jaguars opened the preseason with a 24-20 win over the Saints last week. Meanwhile, the Panthers have already played two preseason contests, as they kicked things off in the Hall of Fame game. Carolina won that contest over Arizona, 33-30, before losing to the Bills last week, 29-14.
The Jaguars sat their starters in the win over the Saints, but HC Liam Coen said Monday he is “trending towards” playing his starters in Friday’s matchup against the Panthers.
Trevor Lawrence, Bhayshul Tuten, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Brenton Strange should play a series or two together. Still, Parker Washington likely won’t be out there, as he is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Washington has been a hot name in the fantasy football streets this summer, as he has reportedly established himself as Lawrence’s top weapon.
Even with Washington unlikely to play, Lawrence leading a drive or two is great news for Jacksonville’s chances of winning this exhibition. Lawrence threw for a career-high 29 touchdowns last season and topped 4,000 yards for the third time in five years.
The former No.1 overall pick was 13-4 in his starts and led the Jaguars to the AFC South title, but they came up short in the Wild Card round against the Bills. Jacksonville certainly has hopes of winning the division again and a deeper playoff run, and we should get a preview of this Lawrence-led offense Friday. After Lawrence exits, Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley should see most of the work at quarterback.
The Panthers sat most of their starters for the Hall of Fame game, but Bryce Young and many of the starters played against the Bills. However, it wasn’t pretty for Young, as all three of his drives resulted in punts. In fact, none of his three drives produced more than eight yards. The quarterback finished 3-for-5 for just 18 yards.
Once Young came out of the game, Kenny Pickett came in and drove Carolina down the field for a touchdown in his first drive. His other series didn’t produce points, but Pickett was certainly more productive than Young. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 16 yards on three carries.
Young’s starting job is safe, but it would be nice to see him provide some offense against the Jaguars. Also, Carolina should look to get Jonathan Brooks going, as he rushed for just five yards on three carries vs. the Bills. The former second-round pick out of Texas hasn’t played in nearly two years as he recovered from his second ACL tear. Still, the Panthers have high hopes for Brooks this season, particularly in the early stages of the season, as Chuba Hubbard is currently week-to-week with a hamstring injury.
Following Young’s drives, Pickett should see some series again, and he will likely be followed by former Florida Gator Kyle Trask. He threw a touchdown against the Bills but also got picked off.
Jaguars vs. Panthers best bet
Young looked rough on his drives last week, and while Pickett could produce behind him, Lawrence should do damage while he is out there, and the Jaguars should be able to win on their home turf.
