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The Jacksonville Jaguars will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Indianapolis Colts in a Week 1 opener. We are in Indianapolis, sharing our NFL odds series, making a Jaguars-Colts prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars are ready to go. Ultimately, it is the start of their AFC South title defense. Lawrence will have a new weapon as Calvin Ridley joins the team after serving a full-year suspension for gambling. Furthermore, Travis Etienne Jr. is back along with Zay Jones and Christian Kirk to produce a lethal offense. Josh Allen returns after notching seven sacks for the defense. Now, he hopes to lead a rejuvenated defense against a short-handed Colts.
Jonathan Taylor is out for the first four weeks thanks to an injury. Therefore, Dion Jackson and Zach Miss will take over the reps at running back. Anthony Richardson hopes to make an impact in his NFL debut. Also, the offensive line must bounce back from a terrible showing last season. The defense looks to also create some good plays. Moreover, they must contain all the weapons on this Jacksonville team.
The teams have split the last 10 games. Amazingly, the Colts are 17-5 over the past 22 games at home against the Jaguars. The Colts have also gone 9-1 over the last 10 home games against the Jags and five in a row in this series at Lucas Oil Stadium. Significantly, the teams split the season series last year. The Jaguars shut out the Colts 24-0 at home. Later, they lost 34-27 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Lawrence hopes to win his first game in Indianapolis.
Here are the Jaguars-Colts NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Jaguars-Colts Odds
Jacksonville Jaguars: -4.5 (-105)
Indianapolis Colts: +4.5 (-115)
Over: 46.5 (-106)
Under: 46.5 (-114)
How to Watch Jaguars vs. Colts Week 1
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 1:01 PM ET/10:01 AM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Jaguars Could Cover The Spread
Lawrence played inconsistently against the Colts in 2022. First, he went 25 for 35 with 235 yards and two touchdowns at home against the Colts. Lawrence then went 20 for 22 with 165 yards and one touchdown in the loss in Indianapolis. Therefore, he hopes to produce steady results against the Colts to start the season. Etienne was a tale of two games last season. Ultimately, he had 16 rushes for 86 yards in the game at Indianapolis. Etienne rushed nine times for 20 yards on a measly 2.2 yards per carry rate in the game at home.
Jones had five receptions for 42 yards in the loss at Indianapolis. Regardless, he is still a top weapon the Jags could utilize. Evan Engram caught seven passes for 46 yards in the win at home. Then, he caught five passes for 40 yards in the loss. Kirk had the most success against the Colts last season. Significantly, he had four receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kirk also caught six passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the home rout.
But the defense struggled in the loss to the Colts, as they could not gather one sack. Conversely, they combined for five sacks in the shutout win over the Colts. The defense hopes to pressure the Colts and prevent Richardson from taking off.
The Jaguars will cover the spread if they can establish the ground game and win time of possession. Next, they must pressure the quarterback.
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Richardson will make his debut. Curiously, the Colts defeated the Jaguars last season when Matt Ryan performed well and lost when he played poorly. Good quarterback play will be an indicator of how the Colts do.
But Jackson is the player to watch. Amazingly, he rushed 12 times for 42 yards while catching 13 passes for 134 yards in the win last season. Getting the ball to Jackson will be significant for the Colts to have a chance to beat the best team in their division. Additionally, Michael Pittman Jr. must gain separation to establish the offense for the Colts. Can the offense move the chains?
The defense has its work cut out for them. Moreover, they must find a way to make Lawrence uncomfortable. It is their best chance of covering the spread and winning this game.
The Colts will cover the spread if Jackson and Pittman can excel. Then, they must avoid making mistakes against a talented Jacksonville offense.
Final Jaguars-Colts Prediction & Pick
The Colts have dominated this series at home. However, the Jaguars have great coaching and too much talent for the misery to continue. Expect the Jaguars to win this game and barely cover the spread.
Final Jaguars-Colts Prediction & Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars: -4.5 (-105)
