NFL Odds – Jaguars Play With AFC South Title Hopes Still Very Much Alive

The Jacksonville Jaguars face an important moment this Sunday afternoon. They can bolster their chances for a division championship while not having to watch the scoreboard. Here’s a look at the football betting odds in this matchup:

Washington Redskins @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, December 26th – 1:00 PM ET 

EverBank Field, Jacksonville

Broadcast: FOX 

NFL Odds: Redskins +7, Jaguars -7

Total: 46

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The Jacksonville Jaguars did not expect to be alive in the AFC South race this late in the NFL season. After 14 games, Jacksonville and coach Jack Del Rio are tied in the standings with the defending AFC champions and the longtime king of the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts. Yes, the Colts own the tiebreaker, but the Jaguars will win the South if they win their remaining games and the Colts drop one contest. Naturally, next weekend’s season finale at Houston will be hugely important for the Jaguars, but it’s likely that if they are to win the South, it’s this weekend that will likely tell the tale. Indianapolis faces a legitimately tough road game at Oakland; if the Jaguars can get through Christmas weekend with a one-game lead, they can play Houston knowing they won’t need any help. They can just go out and take care of business. What’s more is that Indianapolis hosts lowly Tennessee in the final game of the year; the Colts are not likely to stumble in that game. Indianapolis will open the door for Jacksonville this weekend, not the next, so it’s extremely essential for Jacksonville to wrap up this win against the Washington Redskins. Losing to a tanking NFC East team would really take the shine off an overachieving year in North Florida. 

NFL Odds Handicapping: What The Redskins Have To Do To Win 

The Redskins have to give a darn. This is a team that has understandably given up the ghost and quit on its season in light of all the soap operatic happenings that have emerged in D.C. over the past few months. Coach Mike Shanahan alienated quarterback Donovan McNabb; he repeatedly clashed with high-profile defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth; and he recently benched McNabb in favor of backup quarterback Rex Grossman. The Redskins would have been the most embarrassing and poorly-run NFL franchise this season if the Minnesota Vikings hadn’t existed. Shanahan is making $7 million per year, but he’s rubbed his players the wrong way and has inspired absolutely no confidence in the locker room. If Washington wants to beat Jacksonville, it will need to summon up a mighty effort for 60 minutes, not the spotty performance it served up last weekend against a much more motivated Dallas team that, ironically enough, quit on its own season in October before the firing of coach Wade Phillips. Washington’s coach won’t get fired this year; the Redskins must play through their disappointment and show Jacksonville that they mean business. 

NFL Odds Handicapping: What The Jaguars Have To Do To Win 

Whenever a team plays an opponent that is just going through the motions, the biggest key is to avoid giving that unmotivated adversary any reason to care. Jacksonville needs to land the first punch in this game and make the Redskins fade away. A strong start will likely cause Washington to think about the plane flight home; this is the Redskins’ final road game of the season, after all. Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard wasn’t as consistent as he needed to be in his team’s disappointing 34-24 loss at Indianapolis on Dec. 19; if he can deliver a few daggers in the first 20 minutes of play, the Jaguars – facing Washington’s backup quarterback – should be in very good shape on Sunday afternoon.

NFL Odds Handicapping: Outlook & Pick 

Jacksonville has a key advantage in this respect: The Indianapolis-Oakland game is a late game on Sunday, so the Jaguars – playing an early game – don’t have to engage in any scoreboard watching. They can polish off the Redskins and give their full attention to the team on the opposite sideline. Then they can shower, have a postgame meal, and flip on the television. Jacksonville has no reason to be distracted when it plays this game, and that small but meaningful detail will matter. Take the focused Jaguars over the listless Redskins. 

NFL Odds Pick: Jaguars -7

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