Jaguars vs. Ravens NFL Player Prop Bets and Picks for Thursday Night Football

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face off with the Baltimore Ravens to open up the Week 9 NFL slate on Thursday Night Football.

It has been a very different start to the year for these two sides. The Jaguars enter with a 5-2 record and sit atop the AFC South with a clear path toward the playoffs. In contrast, the Baltimore Ravens have slipped to 4-4 and sit in last place in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson is injured again and headed to injured reserve, while backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is expected to miss the remainder of the season with turf toe. This makes the outlook even bleaker for Baltimore as it tries to get back on track this season.

Looking at the odds for the Thursday Night matchup, the Jaguars enter as 10-point road favorites with -535 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Ravens are +400 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 39.5 points.

There are plenty of ways to get involved beyond betting on one side. For now, let’s look at my top three player props for the Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup.

Jaguars at Ravens NFL Player Prop Bets for Thursday Night Football

Parker Washington Over 64.5 Receiving Yards (-111)

Parker Washington headlines the Jaguars’ production at the wide receiver position, with 27 receptions on 48 targets for 432 yards and four touchdowns this season. He is averaging 16.0 yards per reception and serves as a big-play threat who is also called upon in key situations due to his sure hands. Washington is logging roughly 75% of the offensive snaps and has tallied at least 64 receiving yards in four of the seven matchups. This includes as many as 124 yards through the air in a game this season.

This is a great matchup for Washington against a Baltimore defense that has some vulnerabilities in the secondary. The Ravens enter this matchup ranking 22nd in points allowed and 15th in total yards conceded. They have been especially suspect through the air, ranking 19th in total passing yards allowed. Baltimore is allowing the fifth-most yards per game to opposing wide receivers at 177.6 per game and the seventh-most receptions to the position.

Washington was quiet last week with just one reception for 16 yards during the blowout victory over the Indianapolis Colts. But he was targeted 11 times the previous game, and expect Jacksonville to lean on a pass-oriented plan of attack due to the matchup and its injuries at the running back position. Bhayshul Tuten has had an impressive season but is considered a game-time decision due to foot and ankle injuries. Chris Rodriguez Jr. has also dealt with a hand injury, although he has been cleared to play after practicing fully Wednesday. Count on Washington’s role in the offense to grow again this week and for 64.5 receiving yards to be a reasonable bar to clear for the Jaguars’ leading receiver.

Derrick Henry Over 17.5 Rushing Attempts (-117)

There will be plenty of pressure on Derrick Henry to headline the offense this week. At its peak, this Ravens offense is built upon the contrasting “Thunder and Lightning” running styles between him and Lamar Jackson. But Jackson is back on the sideline injured, and Tyler Huntley will now join him after suffering a toe injury that is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season. This leaves undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano to step in as this week’s starting quarterback, with no lightning in this offensive storm. Help is on the way following Baltimore’s agreement to acquire Jacoby Brissett, but the deal is not expected to be completed until the weekend. It will be Fagnano’s responsibility to take the snaps under center on Thursday night.

The former UConn star saw action last week following injuries to the pair of quarterbacks and did not exactly inspire confidence. Baltimore’s decision to pursue a trade at this stage of the season is a bit telling in its own right. Fagnano completed 10 of his 21 pass attempts for 91 passing yards and an interception last week. Having a week of practice to get some reps with the first team can’t hurt, but this is a tough spot in which to be thrust into your first NFL start.

Expect Baltimore to do its best to lean on Derrick Henry at a high rate and only ask Fagnano to do the bare minimum. This is easier said than done considering the way the Jaguars are likely to stack the box against the Ravens, but this hasn’t stopped Henry in the past. The former Offensive Player of the Year leads the NFL with 158 carries, averaging 19.8 attempts per game. He has attempted 23 or more rushing attempts in four of the eight games played this year. It may not be his most effective rushing performance, but it feels like Baltimore has no choice but to continue putting the ball in Henry’s hands for its best chance to score. Expect at least 18 rushing attempts and for the Alabama product to do his part in helping to keep the Ravens’ season alive.

Trevor Lawrence to Record 3+ Passing Touchdowns (+269)

There were some growing pains in the early parts of his NFL career, but Trevor Lawrence has looked every bit the superstar he was branded as coming into the league this year. The former No. 1 overall pick has completed 65.7% of his pass attempts for 1,690 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions across the opening seven games. His 8.6% touchdown percentage leads the entire NFL, and he has recorded three or more passing touchdowns in four of his seven games played.

Jacksonville leans on its passing game as its primary route to scoring regardless. The Jaguars have tallied 17 passing touchdowns through the air, ranking third in the NFL, compared to just six rushing scores, which rank 17th. But this will especially be the case given the injuries to the pair of running backs and vulnerabilities in the Baltimore secondary. Joe Burrow tallied four passing touchdowns against the Ravens two weeks ago, while Josh Allen passed for two and ran for one last week.

The standard passing touchdown prop for Lawrence is set at 1.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the over favored at -141 odds. While I am in favor of this as well, Lawrence is playing at an elite level, and I am pushing the number even further. The 27-year-old has tallied three or more touchdowns in back-to-back games against the Texans and Colts and will face a more vulnerable matchup against a Ravens team that should also be expected to have plenty of difficulty moving the ball. Expect Lawrence to see plenty of opportunities with the ball and punch in three passing scores for the third straight game and the fifth time this season.