Jaguars vs Chiefs Injury Reports and Inactive for Divisional Round Playoffs
- The final Jaguars vs Chiefs injury report has been released ahead of their Divisional Round matchup
- Trevor Lawrence (toe) will start for Jacksonville, while Mecole Hardman (pelvis) is out for KC
- The full injury report can be found below, plus analysis of how injuries have impacted betting lines
It took a small miracle for the Jaguars to knock off the Chargers in the Wild Card Round. It will take another one on Saturday for Jacksonville to get through Patrick Mahomes and the mighty Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Read on for the Jaguars vs Chiefs injury report.
Kansas City is seeking its fifth straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game, while Mahomes is looking to win for the ninth time in 12 career playoff starts.
Both teams enter play in relatively good health, with Mecole Hardman being the only key player on either side to be ruled out. The Jaguars did list last year’s number one pick Trevor Lawrence on the injury report with a toe injury, but it’s an issue he’s been playing through for quite some time.
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Jacksonville Jaguars Injury Report
Lawrence certainly didn’t seem bothered by the injury last weekend, as he helped orchestrate one of the biggest comebacks in NFL playoff history. Per the Jaguars vs Chiefs odds, just two teams have erased bigger deficits than Jacksonville did last week. They spotted the Chargers a 27-0 lead, before roaring back to win 31-30.
The victory was the Jags sixth straight and the crazy thing is, Lawrence hasn’t had a single full practice during that entire span. He’s been a limited participant in only 12 of Jacksonville’s last 18 practice sessions, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (toe), WR/KR Jamal Agnew (shoulder), RG Brandon Scherff (abdomen), C Luke Fortner (back), LS Ross Matiscik (back) are listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Chiefs. All are expected to play.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) January 19, 2023
The rest of the Jags’ injury report consists of five other players who all sport questionable tags. Guard Brandon Scherff (abdomen) is the biggest name of the bunch, but he hasn’t missed a game all season. Scherff was back at practice on Thursday on a limited basis and will be instrumental in Jacksonville’s attempt to slow down KC’s top-five pass rush.
Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report
The Chiefs had last week off after securing the AFC’s number-one seed. That wasn’t enough time to heal Mecole Hardman’s pelvis, as he’ll miss a 10th straight game. Mahomes and Co. have fared just fine without Hardman in the lineup, posting an 8-1 record.
Mahomes has thrown for at least three touchdowns in four of those outings and is a strong bet to do so again according to the Jaguars vs Chiefs player props.
Hardman’s speed is impossible to replace and its worth pointing out that the offense was more explosive with him on the field. In the nine games he played KC scored 40+ points three times. In the nine games he missed, they didn’t clear 34 points once.
Chiefs ruled out WR Mecole Hardman for Saturday's Divisional game vs. the Jaguars.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2023
The rest of the Chiefs’ injury report features players who were all full participants in practice this week and who are scheduled to play in the Divisional Round. Frank Clark missed KC’s Week 18 game with a groin injury, but he’ll be back creating havoc against the Jacksonville o-line on Saturday.
How Injuries Have Affected the Betting Lines
A surplus of Chiefs money late in the week has moved the spread from KC -8.5 to -9 per the Jaguars vs Chiefs public betting splits. Obviously, Lawrence’s injury is the only one on either side that would move the spread or total one way or another, but there’s no chance he sits out the biggest game of his pro career.
The line moving towards KC is fascinating because it suggests bettors aren’t buying the incredible ATS run Jacksonville’s been on. Lawrence and Co. have covered in five of their past six, with an average cover margin of over 11 points. The Jags are 8-5 both outright and against the spread as underdogs this season, which is tied for the most underdog victories in a single campaign in the Super Bowl era.
Bettors are instead relying on Mahomes’ strong ATS playoff track record. The MVP favorite is 7-4 against the spread in 11 playoff starts, covering in six of nine home postseason tilts.
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
