Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons Odds & Game Pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons are playing out the string in a Week 16 game where a lot of fans will say - with reason - that it is in the best interests of each team to lose instead of win. Yet, neither team shows any signs of quitting on its season. Both teams are playing hard for their coaching staff and do not appear likely to let down their guard near the end of the season. The Jaguars got off the mat last week in Oakland, climbing out of a 16-0 hole to win while the Atlanta Falcons beat the San Francisco 49ers on the road. The Falcons have played well over the last month and are now laying seven points. Are they a good play in this spot?

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Details

• Opening Line: Atlanta -7
• Current Line: Atlanta -7.5
• Over/Under: 46.5
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
• Start Time: 1:00 PM ET
• Last Meeting: Falcons 23 vs. Jaguars 17

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Overview

The Jaguars still don't have a particularly strong offense right now and that's going to be a concern against an Atlanta Falcons defense that's really turned things around. Jacksonville hasn't scored more than 20 points in any of its last six games and has averaged 13 points per game in those six contests. However, anyone thinking the Jags had packed it in for the season was given something to think about this past weekend. They refuse to go away quietly, which should suggest that this team will go all-out to win in Atlanta. The question mark hovering over the team this week, though, is that executive Tom Coughlin was fired by ownership, with other changes possibly coming in the very near future. Coughlin did not get along well with a number of players, which could boost Jacksonville's level of performance in this game.

The Falcons do not know if coach Dan Quinn will return for the 2020 season, but this past weekend, Atlanta certainly made an argument to keep Quinn. The Falcons beat their former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, by upsetting the San Francisco 49ers on the road with a last-minute touchdown. That win should give the Falcons confidence heading into this game. That was the team's fourth win in their last six and they've genuinely built some momentum; the Jags have mostly been flat outside of that comeback against the Raiders. They had lost five in a row before that.

As mentioned, Atlanta's defense has been very solid of late. The Falcons limited the 49ers to just 22 points this past weekend and held the New Orleans Saints to 26 points two weeks before that. Atlanta has allowed an average of 19 points per game over its last six games and has definitely played a lot better after starting its season 1-7 through eight games.

Trends

• Jaguars are 5-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
• Jaguars are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games in December.
• Jaguars are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight-up win.
• Falcons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December.
• Falcons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

Bottom Line

While Jacksonville isn't quitting on its season, Atlanta isn't either, and Atlanta generally has more talent. The Falcons are also coming off a huge win and are playing at home. The Falcons players really appear to be playing very hard to save Dan Quinn's job while Jacksonville looks more like a team that beat the slumping Raiders rather than a team that's legitimately turned things around. Bet the Falcons in this spot.

Prediction: Falcons 27, Jaguars 16

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Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 16

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Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (-6.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets (+3)
New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans (+2.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins (+1.5)
Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts (-6.5)
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (+10)
New York Giants at Washington (-1)
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos (-7)
Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-7)
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (-9)
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (+2)
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears (+6)
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-5.5)

Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.