Bengals vs. Jaguars: Who are the experts picking in Week 4?

The Cincinnati Bengals have their only primetime game of the season on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the first time this season, the stripes are favored to win in Week 4. According to WynnBet, the Bengals are 7.5-point favorites, which is a rather wide margin for the NFL.

There’s no nice way to put it — Jacksonville has not been good, as they are in a full rebuild mode. Meanwhile, the Bengals are surprising people and will look to begin their season 3-1 with a victory over the Jags. Both franchises seem to be headed in opposite directions, as Cincinnati is taking a step forward while Jacksonville is on the decline.

Cincinnati should be rocking on Thursday night, making the Jaguars’ challenge even more difficult.

Bengals vs. Jaguars – Expert Picks

• Jake Rose (Athlon Sports) – Bengals 26, Jaguars 21
• Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) – Bengals 27, Jaguars 20
• Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) – Bengals 28, Jaguars 24
• John Breech (CBS Sports) – Bengals 27, Jaguars 17
• Ben Rolfe (Pro Football Network) – Bengals 27, Jaguars 17

"It is tough to see this game being close. Cincinnati’s defense is playing superbly right now, and Jacksonville’s offense is still getting up to speed under Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence. Joe Burrow and his impressive offense should be able to win comfortably."

Cincinnati is the clear favorite in Thursday night’s battle, as they should be. The home team simply has a lot of advantages that will cause issues for the Jaguars. For instance, Trevor Lawrence has managed to throw seven interceptions through only three weeks of play. Lawrence on the road in a ruckus environment going against Cincinnati’s defense that is on fire could spell trouble.

The Bengals’ defense has been great as it ranks eighth in yardage allowed with 317 yards per game and sixth in points allowed per game giving up only 18 points. This equals a bad matchup for a Jacksonville team that has struggled mightily on the offensive end scoring only 17.7 points per game and gaining 315 yards per contest.

The Jags’ secondary has been torched this season allowing over 300 yards passing per game. Joe Burrow is coming off a great performance in Pittsburgh and he has the chance to carve up the Jacksonville passing defense.

With another good defensive showing, the Bengals should be able to win comfortably and cover the spread. Cincinnati can keep their momentum rolling with a big win in the national spotlight against the Jags.