Jaguars at Chargers Week 3 Preview and Prediction
Get ready with odds, best bets and analysis for this AFC showdown
Matthew Horner - Sep 21, 2022, 6:50pm EDTJacksonville Jaguars
Watch out for the Jags; they are not pushovers anymore. No, they are not a good team by any means quite yet, but they are far more competitive than they were just a year ago. Granted, Doug Pederson has come in and established some stability on the team after the destructive force that was Urban Meyer, and that right there has a lot to do with it. For many teams, it is all about culture, and a bad culture can ruin any football team or player. Trevor Lawrence looked like he was on his way to being a bust, but this season, he has shown some promise so far.
The defense really stepped up against the Indianapolis Colts, shutting them out in a 24-0 victory. Now, that probably is just an anomaly, but they have improved significantly in a short time. Jacksonville is 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS so far this year. They are 1-1 as well on the O/U. Hilariously enough, they are leading the division with just 1 win right now.
I think some of these early lines still seem to indicate that the Jags are a terrible team, which I would argue against. They are an average team if you ask me, and one of the rise.
Los Angeles Chargers
Is Justin Herbert healthy? That is easily the biggest question we have to find out for this game. If Herbert isn't healthy or doesn't play, you have to take the Jaguars at the best numbers. In fact, if Herbert is out, I might sprinkle Jacksonville on the moneyline. He is the catalyst that runs this show, and without him, Los Angeles just isn't the same team. Sure, Chase Daniel is a solid option as a backup QB, but that completely takes away the biggest strength of this team. They need to be dynamic, and to be that, they need Herbert.
The defense is solid and has a lot of star pieces on it. They can really get after the QB and force bad throws, and their secondary has some key pieces in it as well. LA also has a massive advantage in the historic stats against the Jaguars. The Chargers are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games vs. Jaguars, and Jacksonville is 0-5 ATS in their last five road games.
I like the Chargers, and think they are going to be a really great team, but it all depends on Herbert's health.
My Prediction
I don't want to pick a side in this one, but if I did, I'd take Jacksonville. It is hard to bet this game when the superstar QB for one team is questionable to play in the game. If Herbert is healthy, the over could be a good play as well. The Jaguars are averaging 5.5 yards per play and the Chargers are averaging 5.4.