Jaguars vs Colts Betting Preview: Lawrence, Richardson in QB Showdown

Jacksonville Aims to Prove Last Year Was No Fluke

The Jacksonville Jaguars at the Indianapolis Colts certainly isn’t the best NFL game on Sunday’s schedule. But it is one of the most compelling. There are plenty of storylines to go along with the game. Are the Jaguars for real or was last year an anomaly? How will Anthony Richardson play in the NFL? Will the Colts be better with a real head coach? There are plenty more. Some of them will be answered Sunday. Others will have to wait for a while down the road. The Jaguars vs Colts betting preview will attempt to look at some of those questions.

Jaguars logo Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts Colts logo

Day/Time:
Line: Jacksonville -5.5
Total: 45
Streaming: FOX

The NFL point spreads opened Jacksonville -3.5, so there’s been a two-point move to the current line of Jaguars -5.5. It’s unfamiliar territory for the Jags, who have been road favorites twice in the last two years. Both those games were against Houston. The total has moved from 44 to 45, so not a big jump there.

Jaguars Looks to Build on Strong Finish

The Jaguars won their division and won a playoff game against the Chargers. But this is still a team that was just 9-8 last season. Jacksonville was sitting at 4-8 before closing out the year on a five-game winning streak. The Jaguars should have confidence entering the season. Whether that’s misplaced or not will be seen. But it’s easier to make a case that Jacksonville has turned a corner instead of just hitting a lucky streak. The Jags were No. 10 in scoring offense and total offense. The defense was No. 12 in points allowed.

Still, the Jaguars aren’t a team without problems. The pass defense was bad, ranking No. 28 in the NFL stats. That’s one reason why Jacksonville drafted three defensive backs, although they were taken in the later rounds.

One thing Jacksonville did target in the draft was some help for Trevor Lawrence. You can’t blame them for that, although defense appears to be a more pressing need.

Colts Begin New Era Under Shane Steichen

There’s some uncertainty surrounding the Indianapolis Colts this season. But one thing you can be sure of is the team will be better coached than last season. The Jeff Saturday experiment was a disaster and the Colts went out and hired Shane Steichen, who was offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. He worked with Jalen Hurts, so he should be right at home with Richardson under center.

Indianapolis named Richardson their starter early during the preseason, giving him time to prepare mentally for the job. Of the big three rookie quarterbacks, Richardson is viewed as the one who needs the most work. He’s the best athlete of the three, but not the best quarterback at the moment.

The Colts were tied for No. 30 in scoring offense last season, so you can’t blame them for taking a quarterback. Whether Richardson deserved to go at No. 4 is debatable, but at this point of the season it’s also irrelevant. He’s the man for Indianapolis.

The Colts spent several high picks on the defense, which is a good thing. Indianapolis was tied for No. 28 in scoring defense. The Colts needed help on both sides of the ball and that’s exactly how they drafted. When your NFL team records are 9-8 and then 4-12-1 the next season, it’s time for some new blood.

Who to Bet On?

It’s easy to forget the Colts are just a season removed from going 9-8. It becomes a little easier when looking at last year’s 4-12-1 record. But it wasn’t too long ago the Colts were a fair team. They’ll get there again. But it may not happen as quickly as some Indianapolis fans want.

It’s difficult to put too much weight into the Colts trends from a year ago. They had a coach who had no business being on the sidelines, along with the other issues that plague a team that finishes with a losing record. They did split the two games with Jaguars, which is something.

The Jaguars vs Colts betting preview notes road favorites have been poor Week 1 bets the last three NFL seasons. These teams are 13-8-1 straight-up, but just 8-13-1 against the spread. Favorites of 4 or more points are just 3-8 against the number. That’s pretty much enough to want to keep you off the Jaguars, even if they are playing a rebuilding Indianapolis team.

Last season was bizarre in how games with road favorites fared in totals. These games were 33-67-3, which is most likely a fluke. In 2021, these same games were 49-58-1, which still favors the under, but not nearly as much.

The Jaguars vs Colts betting preview shows Week 1 games with totals of 45 or higher are 26-32, so another trend pointing to the under. This is a tough game to call, but the under makes the most sense here.

For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.


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