Jaguars bettors should strike gold against Titans

As if being subjected to a "Thursday Night Football" matchup between the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans isn't bad enough, the teams with a combined 5-13 record will be decked out in Nike's garish "Color Rush" uniforms.

The Titans will sport powder blue jerseys and cleats while the Jaguars will wear all-gold "Bold Gold" uniforms. We also expect Jacksonville, 3-point home favorites, to make the night a gold rush for its backers.

The Jags (3-6), who have won two of three, are coming off a 22-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens that snapped a 13-game road losing streak. They're only one game behind the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) and Houston Texans (4-5) in the woeful AFC South and should do enough to beat the banged-up Titans (2-7).

Jacksonville's second-year quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown at least two touchdowns in five straight games and guided the Jags to a 21-13 victory over Tennessee in a Thursday night matchup last season on Dec. 18.

"Now that the AFC South race is wide open, Jacksonville might hang in it a little bit longer," Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall said. "They have a winnable stretch coming up with Tennessee twice in the next three games.

"With (running back T.J.) Yeldon giving them a little bit of balance running the ball and Bortles making slow but steady progress on the learning curve, they can do a little bit offensively."

Tennessee knocked off the New Orleans Saints 34-28 on Nov. 8 to snap a six-game losing streak in its first game under interim coach Mike Mularkey, who was fired as Jacksonville's coach after going 2-14 in 2012. The Titans lost 27-10 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday as rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota didn't throw a TD pass.

"Often times, teams win their first game with an interim coach, then reality sets in," said Marshall (goldsheet.com). "Mariota is a year behind Bortles on the learning curve. He's had some good games but he's also had some games where he didn't do much at all.

"I think (the Titans) pulled the trigger way too early on (firing former coach Ken) Whisenhunt."

While the line has remained steady at Jacksonville minus-3 points, the total has dipped from 45 to 42 at Las Vegas sports books.

"The only movement we've seen is on the under," Stratosphere sports book director Ed Malinowski said. "It's an ugly game. I'd rather watch me and you play one on one.

"I guess I like Jacksonville in this one. If you're the Jags, it's one of those games you circle on the schedule that you can finally win one in prime time."