Entering the last week of the 2023–24 NFL season, there is a three-team competition for the AFC South division title.
Entering the season finale, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans all have identical 9-7 records. Three teams: one will win the division, two will advance to the postseason, and the third will be looking for some assistance.
With the Texans and Colts squabbling this weekend, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, who finished last in the AFC South a year ago, are fighting for their second consecutive division title via tiebreaker.
On Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, the Jaguars take on the Tennessee Titans, needing a victory to secure the AFC South and a home game in the playoff wild card round. They would remain the sixth seed out of seven AFC playoff clubs even if they lost.
The simple stakes are as follows: winner finishes second in the AFC South and receives a No. 6 seed into the playoffs, or winner wins the division with a defeat by the Jaguars. The Texans host the Colts in primetime on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, the early Saturday game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore must end in a loss for the loser.
The Jaguars are hopeful Trevor Lawrence will return for the season finale.
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) at Tennessee Titans (5-11)
Leaders of the division for most of the season, breaking a four-game skid with a 26-0 win over the lowly Panthers last week, this season finale won’t be a cake walk for Lawrence, coach Doug Petersen and the Jaguars.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel won the division in 2020 and 2021. But Tennessee is 5-11 with pride on the line.
“It [expletive] sucks losing … That’s why I want to win,” Vrabel said passionately in a viral clip during his press conference this week.
Lawrence should return form a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined last week for the first time in his football career — high school, college and three years in the pros.
Here are the odds: The Jaguars are a 5.5-point favorite with a -225 moneyline odds, while the Titans are 5.5-point underdogs with a +185 moneyline odds. The over/under is set at 40 points with -110 odds for each bet, according to BetMGM.
Houston Texans (9-7) vs. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
C.J. Stroud was the second pick in the draft by the Texans, while Anthony Richardson was the fourth pick by the Colts.
For both teams, this is the right moment, but in the season finale, only one rookie quarterback will see action.
Following Richardson’s season-ending shoulder surgery in October, Stroud made his comeback from a two-game absence to lead the Texans to a 26-3 victory over the Titans last week. Meanwhile, Colts backup Gardner Minshew II has led Indianapolis to a 6-5 record in his first season as a starter.
The Texans last reached the playoffs in 2018-19, while the Colts last reached the playoffs in 2020-21.
Here are the odds: The Texans are a one-point favorite with a -120 Moneyline bet, while the Colts are a one-point underdog with a +100 Moneyline bet. The over/under is set at 47.5 with odds at -110 for each bet, according to BetMGM.
