Latest opening odds have the Jacksonville Jaguars as a strong contender to make playoffs

As stated all offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars are poised for a return trip to the postseason.

We are now a week into July, meaning the dreaded dead period is nearly over, and we are that much closer to exiting the last month without football until February.

With training camps on the horizon league wide, opening odds for the 2018 season are rolling in, and in what should not be a surprise to anyone, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the top ten.

OddSharks has posted opening playoff odds for all 32 teams, and after the first playoff appearance in a decade last season for the Jaguars, the team currently stands at a safe -140. Those odds are good for the eighth highest mark currently.

Let’s dive deeper into the numbers:

Within the AFC South, Jacksonville is the leader of the group, slightly edging out the Houston Texans at -135. Houston has been a popular “breakout” team choice in the media this offseason, with high praise for Deshaun Watson, but I don’t feel that they are that close to passing the Jaguars right now in the division.

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As for the AFC itself, the Jaguars are behind three conference counterparts. Two of them you can most likely guess, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, who come in at one and two overall, with both having control of their respective divisions.

But the third team is a surprise, the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have been picked to put the pieces together and make a run for multiple years now, but haven’t punched a ticket to the postseason since 2013. Los Angeles has talent, and is playing in an AFC West that is up for grabs. But head-to-head, Jacksonville’s roster is stronger than what the Chargers are bringing to the table.

Things are looking good for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with solid odds to make a return trip to the playoffs in 2018. A league’s best defense, and a stacked roster overall. But now is not the time to get complacent, and the team will have to win now with the pressure turned up on high.