Oddsmakers have Jaguars favored at home against N.Y. Giants despite recent struggles

In the days following Jacksonville's Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars were installed as a 3.5-point favorite against the New York Giants, according to the USA Today partner Tipco Sportsbook. The Jaguars are playing at home, so the spread is essentially a wash as a home team almost always receives three points.

What isn't a wash, though, is the disparity between the two team's records. The Jaguars are currently 2-4 while the Giants are 5-1, losing only to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, 23-16.

Both teams have been in multiple one-score contests. For New York, all six of their contests have been of that variety. Jacksonville has been involved in four one-score affairs — all four of their losses by eight points or fewer. Their wins, against the Colts at home and the Los Angeles Chargers, have been blowouts.

More Jaguars coverage: 

• By the numbers: What did we learn about the Jaguars' Week 6 loss to the Colts?

• Struggles: Jaguars defense had no answer for Matt Ryan and Colts’ plan of getting ball out quickly

• Jaguars Up-Down drill: The good, the bad and the ugly from 34-27 loss to Colts

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday he sees plenty of similarities between the teams, including both clubs' points per game metric. The Jaguars have scored 23 points per game while the Giants have scored 21.2 thus far this season.

The major difference now is that Jacksonville hasn't been able to finish games. Against the Colts, for example, the team led by one point, 27-26, with a few minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest. They weren't able to close out the game, though, losing 34-27.

"I think the No. 1 thing that we have to focus on is us and making sure that we make plays in the fourth quarter, and we haven't done that well enough this year or consistent enough, where they are," Pederson said when asked about the key differences between his club and the team's Week 7 opponent.

"They're making those plays, they're in the right spot at the right time. That's kind of where this league goes, sometimes the ball bounces in your favor, and, give them credit, they're in the right position to make those plays."

Against the Ravens last week, the Giants scored a touchdown to go up 24-20 with just 1:43 remaining. On the Ravens' second play of the ensuing drive, Giants rookie pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux sacked Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, forcing a fumble. The Giants fell on the football and were able to run out the clock.

The Jaguars had an opportunity to close out multiple contests defensively, including against the Washington Commanders and the Colts in Indy when they had leads late into those games, and they couldn't. They had an opportunity to make comebacks in their other losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans, and they couldn't.

Simply put, that's the difference between the two clubs, Jacksonville and the New York Giants. Pederson does feel the team is close to doing what it needs to do, however.

"It's a want to, it's a desire, and you see it from the guys, you see it from the team," Pederson explained. "That's why they're dejected and kind of ticked off at the end of the game for many reasons, but that's the main reason, just not being able to finish a game."

Teams have similar metrics, Jaguars ahead in a variety of categories

The Giants don't boast incredible metrics in all categories. The team ranks 25th in offensive yards per game with 317.3 YPG. They are 18th in third-down conversion percentage (38.46 percent).

Their pass defense and yards per game allowed are respectable at 339.3 yards per game allowed, ranked 15th. They excel at running the football, at five yards per carry, ranked eighth, but they allow the most yards per run at 5.6 yards per carry.

The Jaguars rank 11th in yards per game with 357.8 YPG, while they've allowed just 333.8 yards per game defensively, ranking 11th in that category, too. Offensively, they rank 13th in third-down conversion percentage at 41.10 percent. Their pass defense is pedestrian, allowing 244.5 passing yards per game, ranked 21st in the league.

The Jaguars rank 10th in yards per rush with 4.9 yards per carry. They rank third in stopping the run, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry.

So, while the two teams have a major disparity between records, their makeup and what they've done each week are similar, with Jacksonville getting the edge on some categories, and New York on others, but they're wholly a similar club, which would explain the favorable spread.

Jamal Agnew held out Wednesday, Foley Fatukasi working his way back

The Jaguars are entering their Week 7 matchup a bit banged up.

Wide receiver Jamal Agnew left Sunday's game against the Colts with a knee strain and was ruled out of the contest after being labeled as questionable immediately following his exit in the team's loss to the Colts during the second quarter of the contest.

On Wednesday, Pederson said Agnew would not be participating in the day's practice.

Fatukasi has missed the past two matchups with a quadriceps injury, but Pederson said he would be participating in practice Wednesday, but still listed him as "day-to-day." Fatukasi will be needed against the Giants and running back Saquon Barkley.

"We need all hands on deck with Saquon," Pederson said. "I've watched this guy for many years run all over us. He's one of those backs where it's like, you get two [yards] you get three [yards], maybe loss yardage but and then, bang, [he] hits you for 50 [yards]."

Deionte Thompson added to Jaguars practice squad

On Wednesday, the Jaguars added veteran safety Deionte Thompson to the team's practice squad. Thompson was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He's played in 44 games with six starts from 2019-22.

Thompson played collegiately with the University of Alabama from 2015-18, winning two College Football Playoff National Championships (2015 and 2017).

The Jaguars have a spot on its practice squad after the Tennessee Titans signed rookie safety Josh Thompson to their active roster earlier this week.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Sub-.500 Jaguars favored for Week 7 matchup against 5-1 New York Giants