2005 Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Handicapping Review Part 1

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Little was expected of the 2004 Jacksonville Jaguars, who had fallen into a losing funk in several previous seasons and had little to tout heading into the new campaign. The Jags received little attention at online sports betting blogs as sports betting players looked elsewhere for their potential football picks.

Incredibly, Jacksonville won and covered the sports betting odds in their first three games, all as underdogs, shocking many in the sports handicapping community as they never exceeded 15 points scored in any of those wins. When Indianapolis called on the Jags at Jacksonville, however, many sports betting players were now interested. In yet another case of being a week late and several dollars short, those with football picks on the Jags blew their bankrolls as Indianapolis won 24-17 as chalks of 3.5-points. This was yet another classic sports handicapping lesson on the risk of making football picks on hot but unproven teams when they are up against a battle tested bona fide contender in pro football.

After losing 21-34 at San Diego the Jaguars came home to face resurgent Kansas City, who had a Monday Night win at Baltimore and a bye under their belts. This game was yet another strong sports handicapping lesson. Now, of course, you can imagine what the online sports betting blogs were saying; the Chiefs were ready to roll and the Jags, after three lucky wins to start the year, were good as dead. It is almost laughable to observe the shortsighted attitudes of the majority of sports betting players in regards to their football picks. Jacksonville beat KC 22-16 as 2.5-point dogs, blindsiding a considerable amount of sports betting players.

The REAL shocker, however, came the following week at Indianapolis. The Colts had won four consecutive games both straight up and against the sports betting odds and were justifiably installed as 9-point favorites by the sports betting odds makers. In yet another case of keeping the general sports betting public “off the scent” Jacksonville scored a shocking and stunning 27-24 win over the highly touted Colts. Online sports betting blogs were funeral like as a lot of bankrolls were blown out on this “sure thing.” The Jags next went to Houston to meet up with the surprising Texans, who were installed as 1.5-point chalks by the sports betting odds makers. Houston won 20-6 in one of those sports handicapping situations that SCREAMS “avoid at all costs” to observant sports betting players.