Jaguars vs. Patriots: AFC Championship 2018 Odds and Over-Under Predictions

The New England Patriots are trying to win their second consecutive Super Bowl and their third in the last four seasons.

Head coach Bill Belichick's team is going to have to beat the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars if they are going to make that happen.

The Jaguars are coming off a huge upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Few expected them to get close to the Steelers, let alone win the game. However, they jumped out to a 28-7 lead, and they made enough plays down the stretch to emerge with a shock 45-42 victory.

Jacksonville is a huge underdog as it prepares to go to Gillette Stadium at 3:05 p.m. ET Sunday to knock out the champions. The Patriots are listed as 9.5-point favorites, with the total listed at 46.5 points, according to OddsShark.

The primary matchup in this game would appear to be New England's explosive offense versus Jacksonville's aggressive defense.

Tom Brady has had another memorable season with 32 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. It's not just the Brady show, though, as Dion Lewis led the Patriots with 896 rushing yards and an average of 5.0 yards per carry and seven touchdowns. The running back also contributed 32 receptions.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski is often a game-changing weapon, because he is so difficult for defenders to cover. He is too strong for defensive backs and too quick and athletic for linebackers. He caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards with eight touchdowns.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is New England's best deep threat, while Danny Amendola can catch difficult passes over the middle. Chris Hogan is the do-it-all type who has battled injuries for much of the season, but he is healthy once again.

While the Patriots have the No. 2 offensive team in the league, the Jaguars have the second-ranked defense in the league.

The key to that defense is their ability to rush the passer, as Calais Campbell registered 14.5 sacks and Yannick Ngakoue registered 12.0 sacks.

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Additionally, the duo of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye are two of the best cover cornerbacks in the league. They have combined for 10 interceptions and 35 passes defensed.

Blake Bortles is a much-improved quarterback this year, but is he up to a high-level performance against New England? He threw for 3,687 yards with 21 TDs and 13 interceptions, and that's impressive, but he will have to play at an even higher level against the Patriots.

The Patriots' defense is underrated and improved, as that unit has given up 17 points or less in 11 of their last 13 games.

If Bortles is going to be successful here, he is going to need plenty of support from rookie running back Leonard Fournette, who ran for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. He is coming off a three-TD performance against the Steelers.

Fournette suffered a sprained ankle against Pittsburgh, and he was involved in a minor auto accident Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (h/t the Boston Globe).

Predictions

The Jaguars handled the underdog role against the Steelers, and they get another opportunity to do the same thing against the Patriots.

However, they have to control Brady and exploit New England's defense. This is likely to be a high-scoring game, with both sides scoring at least three touchdowns.

Look for the Patriots to easily exceed that and score five times. New England covers the spread, and both teams combine to go over the total.