A critical AFC South matchup is in store for Sunday as the Jacksonville Jaguars go head-to-head with the Indianapolis Colts. Join us for our NFL odds series, where our Jaguars-Colts prediction and pick will be unveiled.
After putting the NFL on watch with a dominating performance in a 38-10 win against a talented Los Angeles Chargers squad, it appeared that the Jaguars were a possible dark horse pick to possibly win the AFC South. However, since that impressive triumph, Jacksonville has taken two steps backward with discouraging losses to the undefeated Eagles and an even more demoralizing defeat to their division rivals in the Texans. Now sitting with a 2-3 record, it is vital for the Jags to stop the bleeding in a very winnable game versus the Colts.
It has been a full seven days since the Indianapolis Colts escaped the Mile High City with a victory in one of the ugliest football games known to mankind. Despite a national audience that poked fun at the contest every chance they got, the Colts still have lots to work on if they want even a sniff at reaching the postseason this season. While their current play is certainly not cutting it, there is still time for the Colts to reverse the trend of playing poorly out on the gridiron.
Here are the Jaguars-Colts NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Jaguars-Colts Odds
Jacksonville Jaguars: +2.5 (-115)
Indianapolis Colts: -2.5 (-105)
Over: 41.5 (-114)
Under: 41.5 (-106)
Why The Jaguars Could Cover The Spread
Although seemingly improved from a season ago, it is obvious that this Jaguars team may still be far too youthful and inexperienced to win on a week-to-week basis. While first-year head coach and former Super Bowl Champion with the Eagles in Doug Pederson seems like the right guy for the job, Jacksonville has not looked the part of a division-contending squad the past couple of weeks.
In order to cover the spread against the Colts, the Jags need to take advantage of the opportunities that they are given on offense. After putting up a whopping 38 points against the Chargers, Jacksonville only combined for 27 points in their previous two weeks of action and was also hit with a slew of backbreaking turnovers that proved to be costly. At first glance, QB Trevor Lawrence has looked like a field general that is only in his second year in the league.
Even though he often gets away with this in large part due to his strong arm, he is hurt his team a week ago with a pair of picks that Jacksonville evidently could not overcome. Simply put, the Jaguars cannot afford to be reckless with the football if they want to cover the spread on Sunday.
Without a doubt, the Colts' offense has been one of the worst units in all of football to start the year, and while the Jags aren't expected to pitch a shutout like they did in Week 2's 24-0 victory, they should be able to take advantage if Indy remains lackluster with the ball in their possession.
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Over the years, the Colts have grown accustomed to signing veteran quarterbacks for cheap and using them as “plug-holes” to keep the boat afloat. Since Andrew Luck made the shocking decision to hang up the cleats back in 2019, the Colts have had names like Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and now Matt Ryan leading the troops under center. While this formula hasn't necessarily been a direct correlation to success out on the football field, Indianapolis is still holding onto the hope that the latter of signal callers has what it takes to lead this franchise to glory.
Against the Broncos, Ryan accounted for two turnovers through the air and failed to do much of anything in generating points on offense. Clearly, it has been a struggle for Ryan in his new home after coming over from Atlanta during the offseason, as he currently sits in the bottom half of the league in passing touchdowns and interceptions thrown. The good news is that the Colts' best player in running back Jonathan Taylor returned to practice on Thursday and there's a decent shot that he suits up this weekend.
However, the best chance Indianapolis might have at covering the spread will come from their ferocious defense that made life a living hell for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. On the season, the Colts are giving up only 18.8 points per game and should have a favorable matchup against an up-and-down Jags offense.
Final Jaguars-Colts Prediction & Pick
With division games always seeming to be close, this game will come down to who makes less mistakes and takes advantage of their opportunities to score the football. With that being said, it is hard to put your faith in a Colts squad that participated in one of the worst primetime NFL games in recent memory a week ago. Side with the Jags and the ability of Trevor Lawrence to make some magic in the passing game despite being at risk to turn the football over.
Final Jaguars-Colts Prediction & Pick: Jaguars +2.5 (-115)
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