Jaguars Falling Out of Super Bowl 53 Picture With Another Loss
- The Jacksonville Jaguars are slumping and their Super Bowl odds continue to fall
- What’s gone wrong in Jacksonville this season?
- Do the Jags still have a chance to turn their season around?
The Jacksonville Jaguars have entered into a full-on free fall and sportsbooks are racing to adjust their Super Bowl odds.
After a fourth-straight defeat last week in London, the Jags’ average Super Bowl 53 odds have slumped to +6800, down from +4500 a week ago.
Average Odds to Win Super Bowl 53
We cannot even show you how the Jags compare to the rest of the AFC contenders, because they are no longer one of them. Their terrible play has removed them from the top seven in the conference, a spot they are quite unfamiliar with.
Just earlier this month when the Jags were 3-1, their average odds had been as short as +1100.
Super Bowl 53 Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | +275 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +550 |
| New England Patriots | +550 |
| New Orleans Saints | +650 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1600 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +5000 |
*For a full list please follow the link in the table
What’s Gone Wrong In Jacksonville?
The easier question might be What’s Gone Right?
Because the answer would be, not a whole lot.
After coming up just short of defeating the Patriots in last season’s Conference Finals, much was expected from the Jaguars in the 2018 season.
The Jags were once favored to win the AFC South. Now, not only have their Super Bowl odds fallen, but they no longer have the best odds in their division.
Starting QB Blake Bortles has taken the brunt of the criticism this season. His poor play led to a benching in Week 7 in favor of backup Cody Kessler, which created a QB controversy.
Bortles looked to be turning a corner in last year’s playoffs, but he’s been an unmitigated disaster this season.
Bortles has 10 touchdowns compared to 8 INTs, but four of those TDs came in one game. In his last four games, all Jags’ losses, he’s thrown 3 TDs, 5 INTs and lost 3 fumbles. His average completion percentage over that span is 55.1%.
In his last four games Bortles has thrown 3 TDs, 5 INTs and lost 3 fumbles
But Bortles is who he is, and was never going to be the reason Jacksonville won games. The Jags have built their reputation around a solid defense which ranked second overall in YPG in 2017 at 286.1.
That unit has been shredded though so far and is now second-worst in the league at 31st with 313.2 YPG. Against the run, Jacksonville ranks 24th and they’ve now decided to move on from former first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. at defensive end.
The Los Angeles Rams have struck a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., per multiple reports. The Rams are sending Jacksonville a third-rounder in 2019 and a fifth-round selection in 2020. pic.twitter.com/rAvxShLsJY
— SportsDay (@jaxsportsday) October 31, 2018
The hits have kept coming for Jacksonville as they’ve also been without starting RB Leonard Fournette.
Fournette has only played in two games all season due to hamstring injuries. In 2017 he had 9 rushing TDs and ran for over 1,000 yards. There could be a light at the end of the tunnel as Fournette is expected to return in Week 10.
Jacksonville RB Leonard Fournette expected to return Week 10 vs. Colts after Jaguars' bye, per source.https://t.co/3LXFearwI9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2018
Is There Value In Betting the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Not only are the Jags a mess statistically, but also as a team internally.
Whether it’s in-house-fighting after games, teammates making veiled comments about their support of Bortles, or players being out on the town and getting arrested in London, things are not right in Duval.
If you’re betting the AFC, it truly looks to be going in the direction of a New England/KC Conference Championship. But if you’re value hunting, you have two more first-place teams that could warrant an investment.
Antonio Brown recorded the 16th multi-touchdown catch game of his career, breaking a tie with Hines Ward (15) for the most such games in #SteelersHistory. pic.twitter.com/Yeu0ydL9HF
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 30, 2018
The Steelers are first in the AFC North and have won three straight. They will likely welcome back Le’Veon Bell at some point this season and are trading at +1600.
The Texans have won five straight, lead the AFC South, and are being offered at +2200. They also made a trade deadline move to improve their passing game. The trade saw them acquire WR Demaryius Thomas from the Broncos to replace the injured Will Fuller.
Ryan is SBD's resident soccer pro, though his repertoire is by no means limited to a single sport. His articles have been published by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Kitchener Rangers, and outlets like SportsXpress and Shredthespread.com
