Los Angeles Rams (4-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
Sunday, October 19, 9:30 AM ET
The Rams and Jaguars aren't playing in "primetime" in the USA, but the game is starting in a primetime window over in London, so it gets an honorary mention in this post.
And this is one of the marquee matchups of the week anyway, so it works out.
The Rams are fresh off a gritty road win against the Baltimore Ravens, but they might have lost Puka Nacua in the process. Even if it's just for a couple of weeks, that's going to be a tough one for them to overcome, because he means that much to their offense.
They have guys who can pick up the slack in the meantime, but the Jaguars also have a strong secondary and their defense has played well this season. At 4-2 to start the year, the Jaguars aren't exactly the biggest "surprise" team in the NFL, but they are playing above what many expected.
To the point that, on a neutral field, the Rams are just 2.5-point favorites. The Jaguars have a chance to create a little distance between them and the Texans, which might be needed, and gain some ground on the Colts. This is going to be one of a number of tough matchups for them after they beat Kansas City on Monday night, then laid flat against Seattle at home.
I don't mind the Jaguars as underdogs in this one. With Puka Nacua out, we'll see if Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams can find a way to compensate, but we can't sleep on the Jags' defense. They're 7th in points allowed this season and 2nd with 14 takeaways.
Prediction: Jaguars win 26-24