Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 9/25/2022

Game time: 4:05 p.m. ET

Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Where to watch: CBS

DraftKings: Chargers -7

FanDuel: Chargers -7

BetMGM: Chargers -7

Caesars: Chargers -7

Jaguars: 1-1

Chargers: 1-1

Jaguars: won 24-0 vs. Colts

Chargers: lost 27-24 at Chiefs

Jaguars vs. Chargers

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in first place in the AFC South. May the streets of Jacksonville begin the parades in the streets and may all the citizens chant “DUVALLL” ever so loudly for the remainder of time. Just imagine if a Super Bowl ever happened.

The Jaguars are hitting the road following their home opener win against the Indianapolis Colts to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in SoFi Stadium. And with the Jaguars getting a touchdown, that might be the best underdog bet of the weekend.

Jacksonville was impressive at both ends of the ball in their 24-0 win over the Colts. Had things bounced their way in Week 1, we might be talking about a strong 2-0 start for the Jags. Them going 2-1 in the opening month of the season would be a really good thing for that team.

But going against a very good Chargers team would be a great barometer to see where Jacksonville stands. It helps a great deal that the Jaguars are getting L.A. on a week where the health of quarterback Justin Herbert is nowhere near clear-cut.

Jacksonville dominated Matt Ryan and the Colts on Sunday in a 24-0, and Trevor Lawrence was tremendous. Lawrence completed 25 of 30 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Not to mention, Christian Kirk has quickly become his favorite target. Kirk, the prized free agent acquisition this offseason, caught six passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns to give him a stellar start to the season.

And of course, the Jags won their eighth straight game at home against the Colts. And it came with Doug Pederson getting his first win as coach of Jacksonville.

"It's special," Pederson said. "It's my first win, obviously, as the head coach here. But it's a team win. We celebrate as a team. I appreciate that. It will definitely go on the mantle at the house. But my hat's off to the guys in the locker room. They're the ones that did it. I didn't get hit. I didn't have to throw any passes or run the ball."

The Jacksonville defense is full of young talent that can get to the quarterback. There’s of course No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, but don’t forget Josh Allen (not that one), as well. He had two sacks and a forced fumble last week, the third such game of his career.

But it will be a tough challenge with the Chargers waiting in the wings. But, of course, that is all hindering on the health of Herbert and his fractured ribs. He’s currently listed as day-to-day and will likely play should everything pan out as expected. But you know with this athletic Jacksonville defense that if, in any event, he gets hit hard, it’ll hurt him no matter how much protection he has on him.

The Chargers are coming off a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that saw Herbert stay in the game and still deliver with 336 yards and three touchdowns. That included one late to Joshua Palmer with said cracked ribs.

"You're not going to see a quarterback in any level of football play tougher and do more for his team and will his team and give them a chance than him," Chargers coach Brandon Staley said of Herbert. "There's nobody who can do what he can do. Nobody. He showed a lot of guts. He showed what he shows us every day, that we're never out of the fight. He brought us back and gave us a chance."

There’s only one downside to the Jaguars’ current predicament: They’ve lost 18 straight on the road. The good news, however, is that SoFi is more of a home game for the road teams. That might be the lone saving grace here. Good enough to at least take the Jags to cover.

One of the best parts about taking bad teams from last year with the points is if the trajectory of improvement continues, you look smart at the books. Jacksonville might not be ready to take the world by storm, but they’re going to be a tough challenge to at least cover. An outright win would be a bonus. Chargers by 3

Jaguars are 4-14 ATS off an under in their last 18 instances.

Over is 10-3 following the Jaguars getting a win of 14 points or more as an underdog.

Chargers are 5-1 ATS in their last six following two straight unders.

Chargers are 8-6 ATS as a home favorite in their last 14.

Passing: Trevor Lawrence -- 510 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: James Robinson -- 130 yards, 2 TD

Receiving: Christian Kirk -- 195 yards, 2 TD

Defense: Josh Allen -- 2 sacks

Passing: Justin Herbert -- 613 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Austin Ekeler -- 75 yards

Receiving: Gerald Everett -- 125 yards, 1 TD

Defense: Khalil Mack -- 3.5 sacks