NFL Week 1 predictions, picks: Colts vs. Jaguars
The Indianapolis Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars in NFL Week 1 action at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts last won a season opener in 2013, though they rallied to tie the Houston Texans last season. Indianapolis and Jacksonville split last season's games, each team winning at home.
Jacksonville comes into the season as the AFC South favorite behind quarterback Trevor Lawrence, while the Colts are breaking in No. 4 overall NFL Draft pick Anthony Richardson.
Few observers know what to expect from the Colts in this game, except that there are likely to be growing pains. The Jaguars are favored by 5 points, with an over/under of 45.5. The money line is -238 for the Jaguars, +195 for the Colts.
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Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Jaguars 34-17
The Colts will be trotting out rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson against the Jaguars. At least he's at home, which will help. But the running game is limited without Jonathan Taylor. The Jaguars will be dynamic on offense this season, and it will start here. Look for a big day from Trevor Lawrence.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Jaguars 27-20
The Jaguars should run away with the AFC South after rolling through the second half and getting into the divisional playoffs. The buzz about their offense with Trevor Lawrence is off the charts with newcomers Calvin Ridley and Tank Bigsby. The Colts have intrigue, too, with rookie QB Anthony Richardson, but then there's the Jonathan Taylor drama and rebooting the passing game. Jacksonville and Lawrence begin a big season to come in style on the road for Doug Pederson.
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: Jaguars 28-17
The Jaguars should pick up where they left off last season. They will run the ball on the Colts, and Trevor Lawrence will have a good day. Right into the fire for Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Bleacher Report: Jaguars win
Early divisional games can be tough, and the Anthony Richardson surprise factor should be enough to make this a field-goal game. The Colts' rookie QB may eventually hit a wall once teams have more tape on him, but he'll do enough to keep Jacksonville's defense off-balance and keep Indy in the game.
Sheil Kapadia, The Ringer: Jaguars cover the spread
There’s a chance Indy’s rookie quarterback, Anthony Richardson, will become the story in Week 1. We have no idea what this Colts offense will look like, but there’s no denying his talent and athleticism. If Richardson can use his legs and create some plays outside of structure, the Colts have a chance to steal this one. But I tend to think he’ll face a steep learning curve.
Benjamin Hoffman, The New York Times: Jaguars cover the spread
The Colts do not think running back Jonathan Taylor is worth even close to as much as Taylor believes he’s worth. That is the root of an issue that got positively messy over the off-season and has now spilled into the season, with Taylor out for the first four games and the Colts being a sizable underdog at home. Having Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence thrash them might make the Colts reconsider the number of zeros on Taylor’s paycheck.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NFL Week 1 predictions, picks: Colts vs. Jaguars
