There may not be a more optimistic outlook for a 1-15 team in NFL history than for this year’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Before the season officially ended, they were reported to have reached a deal with Urban Meyer (three college titles with Ohio State and Florida) to become their head coach. Doug Marrone was relieved of his position hours after the news about Meyer broke. What would normally be an unattractive job was filled immediately thanks to their standing atop draft boards. The expectation is that the team will pull the trigger on phenom Trevor Lawrence, who will be the new face of the franchise.
Defensively, the Jags need work; most of the pieces from their ferocious 2016 defense are long departed. Offensively, though, there’s plenty to be excited about– namely undrafted free agent James Robinson (1,070 rushing yards, seven touchdowns). Cornerback D.J. Hayden is set for free agency and will likely be one of the more coveted defensive backs. Receiver Keelan Cole, defensive end Duwaye Smoot, and corner Tre Herndon are also pieces that were major contributors to the team that are eyeing free agency.
Will the promise of legendary coach Meyer keep the roster together? Or will he be looking for a clean slate?
Jacksonville Jaguars odds
Jaguars futures odds
Jaguars Super Bowl odds
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been eliminated from playoff contention.
AFC South odds
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been mathematically eliminated from AFC South contention.
2020 Jacksonville Jaguars schedule and betting odds
| Week | Date | Time | Opponent | Opening spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 13 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Indianapolis | Colts -6.5 |
| Week 2 | Sunday, Sept. 20 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Tennessee | Titans -11 |
| Week 3 | Thursday, Sept. 24 | 8:20 p.m. ET | vs. Miami | Jaguars -1.5 |
| Week 4 | Sunday, Oct. 4 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Cincinnati | Bengals -3.5 |
| Week 5 | Sunday, Oct. 11 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Houston | Texans -9.5 |
| Week 6 | Sunday, Oct. 18 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Detroit | Lions -2.5 |
| Week 7 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | BYE | ||
| Week 8 | Sunday, Nov. 1 | 4:05 p.m. ET | at LA Chargers | Chargers -8.5 |
| Week 9 | Sunday, Nov. 8 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Houston | Texans -6 |
| Week 10 | Sunday, Nov. 15 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Green Bay | Packers -12.5 |
| Week 11 | Sunday, Nov. 22 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Pittsburgh | Steelers -8.5 |
| Week 12 | Sunday, Nov. 29 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Cleveland | Browns -6.5 |
| Week 13 | Sunday, Dec. 6 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Minnesota | Vikings -11.5 |
| Week 14 | Sunday, Dec. 13 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Tennessee | Titans -6.5 |
| Week 15 | Sunday, Dec. 20 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Baltimore | Ravens -18 |
| Week 16 | Sunday, Dec. 27 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Chicago | Bears -6.5 |
| Week 17 | Sunday, Jan. 3 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Indianapolis | N/A |
How to bet on the Jaguars
Moneyline
A moneyline bet is simply a bet on what team will win a game outright, with margin of victory irrelevant to whether the bet is a winner. An example of a moneyline bet would be as follows: Say the Jaguars and Titans are facing off in Jacksonville, and the home squad’s moneyline odds are set at +120, while the favored visitors’ moneyline odds sit at -130. A bettor placing a wager on a Jaguars upset will take home $120 for every $100 wagered if Jacksonville wins, while one placing a bet on Tennessee would take in $100 for every $130 risked if they won as the favorite.
Spread
A point spread for an NFL game is defined as the predicted minimum margin of victory for the favored team. Therefore, a point-spread wager on a favored team is successful when that team wins by more than the point spread at the time the bet was placed. Conversely, a point-spread wager on an underdog team is successful when that team either loses by less than the point spread at the time the bet was placed, or when it wins the game outright. As with moneyline bets, a point spread bet has specific payout odds for either outcome.
An example of point-spread bet would be as follows: The Jaguars are underdogs to the Texans by 9.5 points. As underdogs, Jacksonville has +130 odds of beating that spread, while Houston has -110 odds of covering. Ultimately, the Jags drop a 24-17 decision, a margin of seven points. Consequently, bettors who placed a wager on the Jaguars to cover the spread will cash a winning ticket, taking in $130 for every $100 wagered.
Total
A totals bet is one of the more straightforward wagers available at regulated sportsbooks. In this type of bet, oddsmakers set a number for the total number of points that will be scored by both teams by the end of a game. Bettors then can wager on whether the two teams will either exceed or fall short of that total. As with moneyline and point-spread bets, a totals bet has specific payout odds for either outcome, although they’re very often set at -110.
An example of a totals bet would be as follows: The Jaguars and Colts face off and oddsmakers set a projected total of 46.5 points for the divisional clash. Jacksonville ultimately pulls out a 27-20 upset. Bettors who placed a wager on the Over therefore notch a narrow win and will take in $100 for every $110 risked.
Props
A prop bet is one that’s based on a statistical benchmark that’s been set by oddsmakers, on either a team or individual-player level. As with totals wagers, bettors can put their money on either the Over or Under hitting. As with other types of wagers already discussed, a prop bet has specific payout odds for either outcome, although they’re very often set at -110.
Futures
Futures bets are those placed on events or contingencies that do not yet have a final outcome/result. For the NFL, futures bets are available throughout the offseason, and those that can only be settled at or past the conclusion of the regular season are typically available on an in-season basis as well.
There are a wide variety of futures wagers available at any given time. During the offseason, wagers centered on team outcomes – such as Super Bowl winner, conference winner and division winner – are particularly prevalent. Futures on projected regular-season team win totals are also popular. Player-level prop bets can fall under the umbrella of futures wagers as well when placed in the offseason or preseason.
Teasers
Teaser wagers are a slightly more sophisticated type of bet, as they allow the bettor to manipulate the point spread a certain amount in either direction. Teaser bets involve two or more sporting events, and each sporting event in the teaser must have a successful outcome for the teaser bet to pay off. Teaser bets can be based on both point spread and totals. In an NFL teaser, a bettor can manipulate a spread in either direction by between four and 10 points, and a projected total by 6, 6.5 or 7 points. Odds vary depending on the amount of the movement.
2019 Jaguars Season In Review
Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-10
2019 Regular-Season ATS: 7-9 (43.8 percent)
2019 Over/Under: 8-8 (50.0 percent)
The Jaguars pinned much of their offensive hopes on a trade for veteran quarterback Nick Foles, hoping his Philly magic had much more portability at this stage of his career than when it failed to make the trip with him to St. Louis back in 2015. After seeing limited preseason action due to injury, the optimism surrounding Foles lasted just under one half in Week 1 versus the Chiefs before he suffered a broken collarbone on his first touchdown throw in his new locale.
That development ushered in the era of “Minshew Magic.” Its namesake delivered some of the customary ups and downs associated with a first-year quarterback and also ceded the job back to Foles for two games when the latter returned from injury. Minshew would be back in the driver’s seat well before season’s end, however, and finished with 3,271 yards, an impressive 21:6 TD:INT, and 344 rushing yards as well. He showed enough to lead to the trade of Foles this offseason and appeared to often provide the team with a spark Foles simply did not. Meanwhile, Leonard Fournette unequivocally corroborated his ability to serve as a three-down back, complementing a career-best 1,152 rushing yards with a whopping 76 receptions and 522 yards through the air.
For a 6-10 team, Jacksonville saw a fair share of impressive individual offensive performances from its skill players, as Minshew and Fournette weren’t the only standouts. The Jags may have also found a true No. 1 receiver for the foreseeable future in DJ Chark, A 2018 second-round pick that showed little as a rookie, Chark exploded onto the scene in 2019 with a 73-1,008-8 line across 15 games. His contributions, along with those of fellow wideouts Dede Westbrook (66-660-3) and Chris Conley (47-775-5), played integral roles in Minshew’s relatively brisk learning curve. However, the defense allowed 6,007 total yards (375.4 per game) and was a frequent liability. The team then opted to move two of the shaky unit’s best players – Bouye and Campbell – via trades this offseason and are reportedly willing to deal Ngakoue after placing the franchise tag on him.
Jaguars 2020 off-season moves
Key trades (departures): A.J. Bouye, CB (to DEN); Calais Campbell, DE (to BAL); Nick Foles, QB (to CHI)
Key re-signings: Yannick Ngakoue, DE (franchise tag);
Key free agent losses: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT (to SEA); Seth Devalve, TE (to CAR); Nick O’Leary, TE (to LVR); Marquise Lee, WR (released, subsequently signed by NE)
Key free agent signings: Joe Schobert, LB (from CLE); Tyler Eifert, TE (from CIN); Al Woods, DT (from SEA); Rashaan Melvin, CB (from DET); Chris Thompson, RB (from WAS)
Key draft picks: CJ Henderson, CB (1st round); K’Lavon Chaisson, LB (1st round); Laviska Shenault, Jr., WR (2nd round)
2020 Offseason Moves Analysis
The Jaguars are clearly in a transitional phase that perhaps can’t be labeled an outright rebuild. Nevertheless, their jettisoning of three talented veterans via trades this offseason does indicate a willingness to cut ties to players it doesn’t envision with the team long term due to contractual issues or age. On the other hand, some of Jacksonville’s free-agent signings – Schobert, Eifert and Melvin in particular – have mileage and injury issues in their own right, but they do fill areas of need for the team and are evidence the franchise isn’t diving into a full-fledged youth movement. The first two days of the draft does generate plenty of reason for optimism. Henderson and Chaisson are certainly talented enough to make immediate impacts, and there is already talk coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden have plans to potentially deploy the ultra-versatile Shenault at tight end, running back and potentially even Wildcat quarterback in his rookie season.