The Jacksonville Jaguars are really in the doldrums right now, which can happen to a team that has been outscored 119-27 in their last ten quarters of football. So they are going to see what happens when they insert their highly-touted rookie quarterback into the lineup, as Blake Bortles gets the start against the San Diego Chargers. Football betting action kicks off at 4:05 PM ET at Qualcomm Stadium.
Bortles relieved Chad Henne last week as the Jags were getting blown away by Indianapolis (final score: 44-17), and had two touchdown passes with two interceptions. But he was considered to be the most NFL-ready QB coming out of college.
The Chargers were very impressive last week in their 22-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills, considering that they were coming down off a big win over Seattle and then had to make the long trip east.
In the football betting lines that are posted on this game by BetAnySports, the Chargers are big favorites:
Football betting lines Courtesy Of BetAnySports USA Online Sportsbook
San Diego Chargers -12.5
Jacksonville Jaguars +12.5
Over 44.5 Points -110
Under 44.5 Points -110
Jacksonville fans are indeed excited to see Bortles in the lineup, although truth be told, they will have to deal with the growing pains that are associated with breaking in a rookie quarterback. This kid has good size, a great arm, makes all the throws, and has a lot of poise in the pocket. But like any new quarterback, he’ll have an education ahead of him when it comes to reading defenses.
The point is, though, that he can make things happen. And that makes this Jacksonville team much more interesting for BetAnySports customers than it was before.
Obviously Bortles is going to have a hard time if he expects to get into a shootout with Rivers, who benefited from the tutelage of coaches like Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt last season, throwing 32 touchdown passes with only a dozen interceptions, and is off to a good start again this season, with six touchdown throws and only one pick. Antonio Gates is a very useful part of this offense, averaging 13 yards per reception, and it is clear that this receiving corps is potentially better with the presence of Malcom Floyd, who has caught six passes for 148 yards, including two 49-yarders in one half against Buffalo.
Football bettors at BetAnySports are aware that without Ryan Matthews, the rushing attack, as it operates from scrimmage, suffers. But this offense is designed to utilize runners catching passes out of the backfield, and we would expect that Danny Woodhead would get a lot more activity along those lines.
The major concern for the Jaguars is going to be protecting the rookie quarterback. He was sacked only once last week, but his predecessor was dumped 16 times. With Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson, Bortles has a couple of young receivers he can develop a rapport with, but it is imperative that more help come from the ground game, where Toby Gerhart is demonstrating that he is not an every-down back. The Jags have an average possession time of a little less than 24.5 minutes per game, while the Chargers have held the ball for 34 minutes per contest. If those numbers hold, it’s going to be a long day for Jacksonville, and their developing signal-caller.
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