Entering NFL Wild Card Weekend, there is always one game that confounds analysts, fans, and oddsmakers. This year, that game is the matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers.
Neither team is considered elite. Both are laying unimpressive odds to win the 2023 Super Bowl. The Chargers spent most of their season wildly underachieving on offense despite having an MVP candidate, Justin Herbert, working under center. Meanwhile, the Jaguars didn't get any real momentum until the second half of the schedule, when they capitalized on a relatively favorable schedule to win six of their final seven games.
In so many ways, Jacksonville and Los Angeles seem evenly matched. And this bears out in the betting lines. Below, you can check out the latest NFL online betting odds for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers, courtesy of the folks over at BetOnline:
Please remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you submit your NFL Wild Card prediction. Our odds for Jaguars vs. Chargers are accurate entering Wednesday, January 11. That gives linemakers plenty of time to adjust their odds based on the action before kick-off, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 14, at 8:15 p.m. EST.
On the bright side, you don't have to worry about missing out on the most accurate NFL playoff betting lines if you sign up with the right odds provider. That's why we compiled reviews of all the top online sportsbooks. These deep informational dives are designed to help you spot the industry's best NFL betting sites.
So, what are the best bets for Chargers vs. Jaguars? We believe we have the answers.
Oddsmakers Clearly Are NOT Confident that the Los Angeles Chargers will Beat the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Chargers are not engendering a lot of confidence for a team that opened up as a road favorite. NFL playoff betting lines have shifted significantly out of their favor. They opened closer to a -150 and are now on the verge of becoming a pick 'em.
Anyone who has followed the Chargers this season understands why. Their offense isn't nearly inventive enough. Sure, they rank 13th in points scored per game. But that standing is inflated by some late-season magic. Los Angeles spent a huge chunk of the year under-utilizing star quarterback Justin Herbert.
Jacksonville's passing defense has been spotty all year, so that could negate any concerns about the Charger's offense. But the Jaguars quarterback is making another leap. He has the offense hovering around the top 12 in points per game, has cut down on his turnovers, and does a much better job capitalizing on downfield opportunities.
To be perfectly honest, the Jaguars feel like the easy pick here. There is room for doubt if you don't think they can rediscover their ground game; they churned out just 19 total rushing yards during Week 18. But the final week of the NFL regular season is always incredibly noisy, and the Chargers are dead last in net yards allowed per rushing attempt overall.
OSB Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars (+104)
Keep Your Eye on the Jaguars vs. Chargers Point Spread, Because It's Changing Rapidly
Here is the latest NFL point spread betting odds for the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars matchup this Saturday:
- Los Angeles Chargers, -2.5 (-104)
- Jacksonville Jaguars, +2.5 (-118)
This is another situation in which you're better off investing in the Jaguars' moneyline rather than their point spread. Anything under +3 is an awfully tough investment to make.
In the event you want to give yourself a slight cushion, though, you can work Jacksonville at +2.5. Given that this is their first taste of playoff football during the Trevor Lawrence era, they might look to emphasize the time of possession and the ground game over racking up yardage and quick-fire points through the air.
And should that happen, the point differential for this game will default to astoundingly small—which would theoretically bode well for any Jaguars +2.5 bettors.
OSB Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars, +2.5 (-118)
The Jacksonville-Los Angeles Over/Under Poses an Interesting Dilemma for NFL Playoff Bettors
Below you can see the latest NFL over/under betting odds for the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers:
- Over 47.5 (-110)
- Under 47.5 (-110)
The Chargers and Jaguars are two of the top 14 offenses in the NFL when looking at points per game. By that measure, we should expect them to total more than 47.5 points.
Then again, both squads are new to the postseason fracas with their current quarterbacks. Los Angeles and Jacksonville have also shown a propensity for running the ball more often during close games or contests in which they build early leads. And most importantly, the Jaguars are now built to turn nearly every game into a rock fight. They finished the regular season 12th in points allowed per game while generally forcing opposing offenses to run through their entire playbook.
Finally, FiveThirtyEight's projection model actually has the combined score for Jaguars vs. Chargers coming in at 38.5 points. That's noticeably lower than the 47.5-point line given here. Take the "under" and feel pretty good about doing so.
OSB Prediction: Under 47.5 (-110)
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