Oddsshark recently released over/under regular season win totals for National Football League teams.
Here is a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South.
Over/under
Oddsshark has Jacksonville at 5.5 regular season wins. Last year, the Jaguars were 3-13 in the regular season.
The upside
At some point, Jacksonville is going to get better. Right?
Experts are pointing to this year as possibly being the year. Quarterback Blake Bortles is a year older. Wide receiver Allen Robinson was injured last season, but before his injury, he was one of the most productive players on the roster. New tight end Julius Thomas gives Bortles a red zone option and the offensive line got better in the offseason through free agency.
And T.J. Yeldon should add a boost in the running back spot, that also features Denard Robinson, who had a surprisingly decent year at running back last season.
The schedule also provides some advantages, with the Jaguars facing the NFC South and squaring off against Tennessee twice. The Jaguars also face the New York Jets as a possible game in which they could pick up as a win.
The downside
The offense added weapons, but it wasn’t very good last year. The defense followed suit.
Offensively, the team ranked 32nd in points scored and 31st in total yards. They weren’t much better on defense, finishing 26th in both categories. And while the offense did upgrade at several positions, the same can’t be said about the defense.
The team’s top draft pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL and is out for the season. Also, depth is a concern across the defensive line and linebacking corps. Middle linebacker Paul Posluszny missed the last half of 2014 with an injury, so if he can’t remain healthy, the Jaguars are in trouble on the defensive side of the ball.
And while the AFC South does present possibilities for wins, the Jaguars still must face Indianapolis twice, Carolina, Miami, New England and Baltimore.
The verdict
This should be the year where the Jaguars take a step forward. If it’s not, head coach Gus Bradley will likely be looking for another job.
The pressure is on, so that makes the Jaguars’ value increase a bit. There also are some toss-up games, like against Buffalo, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans. In the past, the Jaguars would lose those games. This year may be a different story.
Look for Jacksonville to be improved, but not quite enough to reach the six-win plateau.
