TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center-AFC South playoff scenarios: Will Jaguars clinch, or can Texans and Colts win division?

It’s a three-team race for the AFC South division title heading into the final week of the 2023-24 NFL season. 

The TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank CenterJacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans all head into the season finale with identical 9-7 records. One team will win the division, two teams will make the playoffs and the third team will be hoping for some help. 

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars went from last place to first in the AFC South a year ago, but are clinging on to their second straight division title via tiebreaker with the Texans and Colts bearing down this weekend. 

The Jaguars visit the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, needing a win to clinch the AFC South and a home game in the wild card round of the playoffs. If they lose, they would still be the No. 6 seed of seven AFC playoff teams.  

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The Texans visit the Colts in primetime Saturday for an 8:30 p.m. ET kickoff where the stakes are simple: Winner finishes second in the AFC South and gets into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, or wins the division with a Jaguars loss. And the loser needs the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose to the Ravens in Baltimore in the early game Saturday.

The AFC South could provide one of the most compelling finishes before the playoffs begin next week. 

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.

The time is now for both teams, but only one rookie quarterback will play in the season finale. 

Stroud returned from a two-game absence to lead the Texans to a 26-3 win over the Titans last week, while Colts backup Gardner Minshew II has led Indianapolis to a 6-5 record as starter after Richardson needed season-ending shoulder surgery in October. 

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.