Jaguars vs. Colts prediction, odds, spread, injuries, trends for NFL Week 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars open their 2023 season on the road against an AFC South division rival – the Indianapolis Colts.

Jacksonville won a division title and a playoff game last season, making the team a trendy pick to make the playoffs and win the AFC South in 2023.

The Jags are favored in this game on the road, as the Colts are facing an uphill battle without star running back Jonathan Taylor (PUP list). Indianapolis scored the second fewest points in the NFL last season, so a lot will be on the shoulders of No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson at quarterback in this game.

BetSided’s NFL Analyst Iain MacMillan gave out his pick for this game – and the other 15 matchups in Week 1 – to help you find the best bet. 

No matter how you plan on wagering on this game, make sure you do it at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

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Here are the odds and how I plan on betting this Week 1 matchup: 

Jaguars vs. Colts odds, spread and total for NFL Week 1

Jaguars vs. Colts betting trends

• The Jaguars were 10-9 against the spread in 2022 (including playoffs).
• The Colts were 6-11 against the spread in 2022.
• The Jaguars were 1-0 ATS as road favorites last season (including playoffs).
• The Colts were 2-1 ATS as home underdogs last season.
• The UNDER was 10-9 in the Jags’ 19 games last season (including playoffs).
• The UNDER was 10-7 in the Colts’ 17 games last season.

Jaguars vs. Colts injury report

Jaguars injury report

• Dawuane Smoot (PUP, Achilles)
• Walker Little (questionable, groin)
• Josh Allen (questionable, undisclosed)
• Tyson Campbell (questionable, concussion)
• Chris Claybrooks (Commissioner’s Exempt List)

Colts injury report

• Shaquille Leonard (questionable, concussion)
• Zack Moss (questionable, arm)
• Jonathan Taylor (PUP, ankle)
• JuJu Brents (questionable, hamstring)
• E.J. Speed (questionable, concussion)

Jaguars vs. Colts how to watch

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 10
• Game Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): FOX, NFL Sunday Ticket
• Jacksonville Jaguars Record: 0-0
• Indianapolis Colts Record: 0-0

Jaguars vs. Colts key players to watch

Jaguars

Calvin Ridley: After nearly two seasons away from football, Calvin Ridley returns to the field in Week 1 with a new team and quarterback. Ridley should slide into the No. 1 role in Jacksonville, and he’s one of the game’s top targets when healthy. This Jacksonville receiving corps is dangerous with Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram. 

Trevor Lawrence: Doug Pederson believes that Trevor Lawrence has improved from last season, which is a scary sign for opposing teams. The former No. 1 overall pick could be a sneaky MVP candidate in 2023. 

Colts

Anthony Richardson: The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will make his debut without Jonathan Taylor (PUP list) flanking him in the backfield. Richardson is a terrific athlete, but he may need some time to adjust to life in the NFL. 

Jaguars vs. Colts prediction and pick

It may feel like this is a lot of points for the Jags to cover in this game, but I’m not going to shy away. 

Jacksonville’s offense was much better than Indianapolis’ in the 2022 season, and now it adds a true WR1 to the mix with Ridley. 

The Colts really missed Taylor in the time he missed last season (he appeared in just 11 games due to injuries), and I can’t see Richardson single-handedly turning around the fortunes of this offense. 

As good as Richardson is at creating off-script, he completed just 44.8% of his passes and averaged 5.0 yards per attempt with no touchdowns and one interception in the preseason. That’s not going to get it done against this Jags team.

I’d lay anything up to a touchdown with Jacksonville on the road here, especially since the team was serviceable on the road in 2022 – going 4-5 straight up.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's betting record here.