Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction, Odds, Best Bets – NFL Week 1
- The Jacksonville Jaguars are -4.5 favorites over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in the Jaguars vs Colts odds
- The Colts look for better fortunes, while the Jaguars try to build on last year’s playoff appearance.
- See the Jaguars vs Colts picks and odds ahead of their opening Week 1 clash, and our pick below
So, the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts matchup on Sunday will not be wet, unlike some places. Thankfully, Indianapolis plays in a dome. Read on for an analysis of the Jaguars vs Colts.
Now, the Jaguars are road favorites to open a season. Yes, they are 4.5-point road favorites vs the Colts.
So, the Jaguars are now the hunted. After winning the AFC South in dramatic fashion last year, Trevor Lawrence and company understand the expectations only increase from here.
Both teams have some minor issues but Jonathan Taylor will be out for at least the next four weeks. That’s a huge loss for a Colts’ squad which needs all the help they can get.
Jaguars vs Colts Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | -4.5 (-110) | -225 | Ov 46.5 (-110) |
| Indianapolis Colts | +4.5 (-110) | +185 | Un 46.5 (-110) |
Jaguars vs Colts odds as of September 8th from DraftKings Sportsbook. Be sure to claim a DraftKings promo code when placing your Jaguars vs Colts bets.
Jacksonville’s odds have moved around from 3 to 5 points. The over moved up to 46.5 from the mid-40s earlier in the week.
So, NFL betting trends curve a bit toward the road team. A staggering 81% of the bets placed are for the Jaguars to hit the moneyline but the ATS has 57% of the bets on the Colts.
The movement does not impact much, but the public is betting 81% on the over.
The NFL season begins anew on Sunday from Lucas Oil Stadium at 1pm ET, in a game that can be seen live on CBS.
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Jaguars Betting Outlook
This game feels different for the Jaguars and Doug Pederson. He knows what happened with Doug Marrone after Jacksonville surprised many experts in 2017 by getting to the AFC Championship. After that, the Jaguars never got anywhere close to that level of success.
Jacksonville went up and down all last year but closed the season strong enough to defeat the Tennessee Titans and win the AFC South. Their 9-8 record could have been even better. It is why the Jaguars believe they can win ten or more games in 2023.
The Jaguars’ rush defense improved as the season went along. Though it ranked in the middle of the pack, Jacksonville ranked 12th in yardage allowed and seventh in yards per carry. They get a boost this week not having to go up against Jonathan Taylor.
The Indianapolis Colts Will Deploy A RBBC Featuring RB Deon Jackson, Rookie Evan Hull, & Former Buffalo Bill Zack Moss While Jonathan Taylor Is On The PUP#ForTheShoe #NFL #TitleTribe pic.twitter.com/jfUGmjw9tA
— Toilets To Titles Podcast Network (@ToiletsToTitles) September 5, 2023
Now, the Jaguars have beaten Indianapolis in four of the last seven meetings. All of those wins were at home, however. Indianapolis is a rebuilding team with a mess of an offense. They went 4-12-1 last year and have a new head coach Shane Steichen. With a new system, Jacksonville should be able to take advantage of their adjustment period.
The Jaguars must remember the Colts put 34 points on them last year in Indianapolis. That cannot happen again on Sunday.
Again, one of the good things for Jacksonville is that Indianapolis is limited with offensive potential. Jacksonville gave up 20.5 points per game last year. DC Mike Caldwell has this team ready for 2023.
Jacksonville just needs the offense to score early and get the Colts playing uphill. It’s that simple for them to be the winner in the Jaguars vs Colts picks.
Colts Betting Outlook
At home, the Colts have a chance to put up a fight. For the first time in years, they are a home underdog to Jacksonville in the Jaguars vs Colts odds.
Shane Steichen takes on an offense that could not hold on to the ball last season. The Colts were dead last in fumbles lost and interceptions. That many mistakes create far more problems and short fields for the defense.
The Colts offense has just eight rushing touchdowns and ran for less than 1,900 yards (24th in the NFL). Their offensive line is a work in progress and no Taylor means even bigger problems. Anthony Richardson is a wildcard here. Indianapolis starting him is not a bad idea, but he may be running for his life more often than not.
I hope the Indianapolis Colts give Anthony Richardson a lot longer leash than I know NFL Twitter will.
Few NFL QBs shine their rookie year. Growing pains are what make the good ones great.
Examples?
Eli Manning
Alex Smith
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Jalen HurtsI believe in AR5.
— Fayzey (@illfayze) September 8, 2023
Again, this week could be rough no matter what. Richardson needs to make a lot of athletic plays to buy time and get Jacksonville’s defense off his back.
The other problem is one almost expects mistakes from a rookie quarterback. Richardson showed potential at Florida, but often made crucial mistakes over and over. The NFL is nowhere near as forgiving as the college ranks.
The Colts hope their young roster grows up fast. With 15 rookies and a bunch of players only having one or two years’ experience, Sunday will not be an easy game.
Indianapolis must score early or at least keep the game close.
If not, their home opener could get away from them pretty quickly.
Jaguars vs Colts Picks
The dilemma with this AFC South battle is that Jacksonville should win easily. Yet, division battles often feature a lot of unknowns. Adding to this is the fact that this is the season opener.
The concern for the Jaguars is they take Indianapolis too lightly.
Indianapolis feels little pressure here since no one expects them to win more than six games anyway.
This game feels like a contest that could be closer than expected until late. Jacksonville should eventually cover in the Jaguars vs Colts odds, but it will be tight.
Jaguars vs Colts Picks: Jacksonville -4.5 (-110) 1 unit
2023 Record: 0-0; Overall: 0-0, +0.0 units
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A journalist veteran for over two decades, Chris has taught the gamut of fantasy hockey sports online from injuries to news to prospects, and more. He has bet on several sports and written sports betting articles about the NBA, MLB, NCAA football, the NFL, and NHL for USA Today.
