A general view of Wembley Stadium is shown during the NFL game between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers on October 21, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

Eagles, Jaguars Limp Into Week 8 Clash in Jolly Old England

The final matchup of the NFL’s excursion to London in 2018 is set for this weekend when the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars do battle at Wembley Stadium. Sportsbooks opened the Jaguars as 3-point underdogs with a total of 41.5.

SHARK BITES
  • The total has gone OVER in five of the Jaguars’ last six games before a bye.
  • The Eagles are 6-1 SU in their last seven games after a loss.
  • The Jaguars are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as underdog.

Eagles vs Jaguars Game Center

‘Home’ teams struggling across the pond

Last week the Los Angeles Chargers were tabbed as the “home” team vs the Tennessee Titans and escaped with a narrow 20-19 triumph that came down to the game’s final seconds. The Chargers, who were listed as the home side in that game, won straight up but failed to cover the spread. In total, there have been 23 games played in London up to this point, with “home” clubs going 10-13 SU and 10-13 ATS.

Both London games in 2018 have gone UNDER the closing total, which has led to the UNDER hitting in 11 of the 23 contests. The Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks combined for 30 points in Week 6 to easily stay UNDER the 48 total, while the Titans and Chargers’ 39 points was good enough to cash the UNDER with the total set at 46. For more NFL London betting info, click here.

Both teams heading to London with disappointing losses

The Eagles and Jaguars are not playing their best football right now, so this week’s matchup might make for some sloppy football. The Eagles, who were up 17-0 on the Carolina Panthers with 10:40 left to go in the fourth quarter, allowed Cam Newton and company to march down the field for a touchdown in three straight series. Philly has now lost three of its last four games, coming up short each time by four points or less.

The Jaguars are in even worse shape than the Eagles, having dropped three straight decisions heading into this one. Jacksonville was only able to score a single touchdown in two of the three setbacks and only two field goals in the other. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone punished Blake Bortles, who fumbled twice in last Sunday’s loss to Houston, replacing him with backup Cody Kessler. Despite the switch, Marrone has stated Bortles will remain the starting quarterback going forward.

What are the trends pointing to?

The Eagles have been far from a reliable spread bet this season, going 1-5 ATS in their past six games ahead of Week 8. The good news for Eagles bettors is their penchant for bouncing back, as Philly is 6-1 SU in its past seven after losing the previous game.

When the Jaguars are about to head on their bye week, high-scoring affairs tend to follow. The OVER is 5-1 in Jacksonville’s last six games before the bye. Both the Jaguars and Eagles have gone OVER the total in three of their seven games so far this season.

My pick: take the Eagles on the spread

Considering Wembley Stadium is the definition of a neutral site, you can safely throw out any home/away trends in these games. While the Eagles’ straight-up record is less than ideal, at least they’ve been competitive lately, which is not something you can say for the Jaguars. Jacksonville clearly has some issues it has to work out and with the bye week looming, I’m not expecting the Jags to get things back on track just yet.

For more betting information on the 2018 NFL London finale and all of the upcoming Week 8 games, follow Jolly Old Joe Osborne on Twitter.

The total has gone OVER in five of the Jaguars’ last six games before a bye. The Eagles are 6-1 SU in their last seven games after a loss. The Jaguars are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as underdog.
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