The Jaguars were one of the most surprising teams in the NFL during the 2022 season as they made the playoffs after having the league’s worst record in back-to-back seasons. They started the year off slow with a record of 2-6, but ultimately turned things around and made the playoffs with a record of 9-8. Not only did they make the playoffs, but they completed one of the biggest playoff comebacks ever, defeating the Chargers on Wild Card weekend.
Going into the 2023 season, the expectation is that the Jaguars win the AFC South again and potentially go even deeper into the playoffs. The Jaguars Super Bowl odds sit at +2800, which is the lowest their odds have been since 2018. Unfortunately, the Jaguars have never been a franchise that has handled success or expectations very well.
Have The Jaguars Lived Up To Hype?
Utilizing data from SportsOddsHistory.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com, we found every season the Jaguars entered with Super Bowl odds below +30000, and where they finished. Here are those seven seasons and the results for each year for the Jacksonville Jaguars:
Trending in The Right Direction
The Jaguars missed the playoffs in four different seasons when they had Super Bowl odds of +2500 or better in franchise history. And when they were +1400 to win the Super Bowl in 2018, the team completely collapsed and finished the year with a record of just 5-11. Their most successful season came in 1999 as they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a record of 14-2. They advanced to the AFC Championship Game, but ultimately lost to the Steve McNair-led Texans.
The good news for the Jaguars is that it feels like they have a much higher floor than some of the other teams on this list, mostly due to Trevor Lawrence. Going into Year 3, Lawrence looks to firmly establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league and the addition of Calvin Ridley should make them even more dangerous on offense. Once Florida sports betting becomes legal, Floridians will certainly feel more confident in betting in favor of the current Jaguars team.
However, the AFC appears to be better and deeper than ever. There are at least eight teams in the conference that have a legitimate chance to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Jaguars are one of those teams as they have a loaded roster entering the 2023 season. Expectations are high for Jacksonville, and they certainly are warranted. It’s time for the Jaguars playoff chances to trend up and for the team to take the next step as a franchise and push for a Super Bowl berth.
