Commanders vs Jaguars Prediction and Odds for Week 1 showdown

The Washington Commanders open the regular season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. While the Jaguars are much improved — free agency spending spree aside, ditching Urban Meyer is a colossal win — the Commanders have a great opportunity to open the year on the winning side of things.

You know what Week 1 of the regular season means? Fans will be flocking to their preferred sportsbooks in droves to place wagers. The NFL is king in terms of viewership in the country and fans similarly love betting the action as well.

Some folks would rather not bet on their favorite team, but perhaps the odds for Washington-Jacksonville are too appealing to pass up.

Let’s check out the lines, shall we?

Commanders vs Jaguars Odds Week 1

As of this writing, the Commanders are 3.5 point favorites on the spread, according to FanDuel’s betting odds. They’re +100 to cover, so bet $100 to win $100. On the moneyline, Washington is favored with -164 odds, so bet $164 to win $100.

If you’d rather bet the over/under, the total is set at 43.5 points. Both sides have -110 odds. That means bet $110 to win $100. Pretty simple, right?

Commanders vs Jaguars Prediction Week 1

Some fans might be insulted the Commanders are only favored by 3.5 points against the lowly Jaguars, but Washington is no word-beater and Jacksonville is much-improved, especially at head coach with Doug Pederson replacing Urban Meyer.

Furthermore, it’s Week 1 so some rust is to be expected. And based on how the Commanders looked in preseason, there will be rust on display. And 3.5 points isn’t that fine of a margin, either. If we were talking a -1.5 or -2.5 spread, then by all means file your complaints, but -3.5 is a fair spread for a season-opener.

While the Jaguars are improved on paper, we like the Commanders to win and cover the spread in the friendly confines of FedEx Field.

The Jaguars struggled against both the run and pass last season and it’s hard to imagine they made major strides after one offseason. Look for a balanced attack from Scott Turner with Washington’s defensive line imposing its will against an inferior Jags OL, which PFF ranked 26th of 32 teams for this season.

We’re expecting a tightly-contested 24-17 Commanders win on Sunday. By our calculations, that means you should bet the under if you’re into that sort of thing. Tread lightly, though. Like always, a defensive touchdown or special teams touchdown could turn the over/under on its head in a split second.

Either way, a 24-17 win would be a great way to start the season, especially from a defensive perspective after the group’s woeful start to last year.

We’ll find out Sunday afternoon.