Wembley Stadium hosts the final NFL London game of the 2026 season on Sunday 18 October, and the fixture carries a familiar shape: a Jacksonville Jaguars side riding high at 4-1 against a Houston Texans team still searching for traction at 1-4. Kick-off is set for 2.30pm BST, with the game live on Sky Sports+, Channel 5 and NFL Game Pass via DAZN.
It is an AFC South divisional matchup, which gives the occasion more bite than your average neutral-site exhibition. Divisional games count double in the standings race, and both teams know what a win here means for the months ahead.
A Series That Ends Where It Started
This is the third and final London game of the 2026 campaign, and it closes out the NFL’s annual autumn residency in the capital. Sky Sports notes that Sunday’s coverage on Sky Sports NFL runs from 2pm, with two further games following: the Carolina Panthers against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Buffalo Bills against the Las Vegas Raiders.
For the Jaguars, the trip is nothing new. They are the NFL’s most committed London team, and this weekend they are playing their second consecutive game in the capital. That familiarity showed last week, when Jacksonville beat the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17 at the death — a narrow escape, but a win that lifted them to 4-1 and kept them among the league’s form sides.
Two Teams, Two Very Different Autumns
The contrast in the build-up could hardly be sharper. Jacksonville arrive at 4-1, though it is worth noting their last two wins have come by five points or fewer — closer calls than a 4-1 record suggests. Houston, meanwhile, sit at 1-4 after five weeks, a record that undersells how competitive they have been.
Three of the Texans’ four defeats came by five points or fewer, and only the Cincinnati Bengals outclassed them across the opening four weeks. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has kept the team competitive despite injuries to key players throughout the first five weeks, and last week’s 26-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans handed Houston some genuine momentum heading into this divisional clash.
History leans Houston’s way, too. The Texans have won three of their last four games against Jacksonville, a head-to-head record the betting market has not fully swallowed — the Jaguars are 8-11 favourites with the Texans at 11-10.
The Injury Picture: Houston Gets Stronger, Jacksonville Takes a Hit
The roster news going into the weekend cuts in opposite directions, and it may shape the game more than anything else.
Houston added wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to their ranks last weekend, reuniting him with quarterback CJ Stroud, his former college team-mate. That is a significant upgrade to an offence that has been patching holes all season, and it gives Stroud another reliable target he trusts.
Jacksonville, by contrast, have lost starting left tackle Anton Harrison to injury, while guard Emmanuel Pregnon and right tackle Cole Van Lanen are listed as questionable. That is a thinning offensive line facing a Houston pass rush featuring edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — a duo capable, as the pre-game analysis put it, of doing some serious damage. The Texans, the argument goes, are catching their divisional rivals at the right time.
CJ Stroud’s Quietly Excellent Season
Stroud was criticised for his performances last season, but 2026 has been a different story. Through five weeks the 25-year-old has thrown six touchdowns without an interception and piled up 1,402 passing yards. He has finished with over 250 passing yards in four of his first five games, and the Harrison Jr. addition should only help him push that number higher.
His primary target remains Nico Collins, who has three touchdowns in three appearances and 249 receiving yards despite missing two games through injury. Collins has yet to finish a game with fewer than five catches, and he has history against this opponent: last season he finished with 250 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Jaguars. With Harrison Jr. drawing attention, Collins should find more space — which is why he is the pick of many to find the end zone at Wembley.
What the Betting Market Says
The bookmakers make Jacksonville narrow favourites. At the time of publishing, the Jaguars were 8-11 with the Texans at 11-10, and the handicap line sat at Jacksonville -2.5. The total points line was set at 42.5, with the over and under both at 10-11 — a modest projection that reflects two defences capable of controlling games.
One popular Bet Builder for the game combined Houston to win, Stroud over 250 passing yards, and Nico Collins anytime touchdown scorer at combined odds of 5.07-1. It is a bet that leans heavily on the Texans’ passing game clicking at Wembley — a reasonable wager given Stroud’s form, but one that assumes Jacksonville’s patched-up offensive line does not become the story instead.
How to Watch
The game kicks off at 2.30pm BST on Sunday 18 October at Wembley Stadium. UK and Irish viewers can watch live on Sky Sports+ and Channel 5, with streaming available on NFL Game Pass via DAZN (subscription required). Sky Sports NFL’s London coverage begins at 2pm, with the Panthers-Eagles and Bills-Raiders games following the Wembley fixture.
Why This One Matters Beyond October
A 5-1 start would put Jacksonville firmly in the divisional driver’s seat. A Houston win, meanwhile, would drag the Texans back into the conversation at 2-4 — hardly a crisis in a season where they have already lost three games by five points or fewer. Divisional games have a long memory, and the Texans’ recent head-to-head edge over Jacksonville is exactly the kind of stat both locker rooms will have heard about this week.
The Jaguars’ London form has been one of the stories of their season, and their one-handed clutch grab from Parker Washington in the capital has already raised questions about a pricey extension call looming for the receiver. For now, though, the focus is simpler: close out the 2026 London series with a win, and head home with a divisional statement in hand.
FAQ
When and where is the Jaguars vs Texans game?
The game kicks off at 2.30pm BST on Sunday 18 October 2026 at Wembley Stadium in London. It is the third and final NFL London game of the 2026 season.
How can I watch Jaguars vs Texans in the UK?
The game is shown live on Sky Sports+ and Channel 5, and can be streamed on NFL Game Pass via DAZN (subscription required). Sky Sports NFL’s London coverage starts at 2pm.
What are the records of the two teams?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 4-1, having beaten the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17 in London last week. The Houston Texans are 1-4 but beat the Tennessee Titans 26-3 in week five.
Who are the favourites?
The Jaguars are 8-11 favourites with the Texans at 11-10, and the handicap line is Jacksonville -2.5, according to odds published before the game.