The late game on Saturday’s NFL Wild Card betting slate is the AFC Playoffs matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the host Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville plays host to the Chargers after winning the AFC South title on the final weekend, beating the Tennessee Titans at home in a winner take all scenario to earn their place in the postseason.
This matchup features two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks looking to make their mark on the postseason. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has the slight edge in experience but Jags passer Trevor Lawrence may have the edge in recent form after guiding his team to six wins over their last seven games to make the playoffs.
Which quarterback will have the bigger game on Saturday night? Or will it be the running backs in Austin Ekeler and Travis Etienne stealing the show? Those questions and more will be answered as we take a look at three of the best bets in a Chargers vs Jaguars Same Game Parlay.
| Pick 1 | Chargers Moneyline (-140) |
| Pick 2 | Travis Etienne Over 76.5 Rushing Yards (-110) |
| Pick 3 | Zay Jones Under 49.5 Receiving Yards (-110) |
| Chargers vs Jaguars Parlay Odds | +500 (Bet $20 to win $100) |
NFL
Los Angeles Chargers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Team Stats
Passing
Offense/Defense
| LAC | Passing | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 129 | CMP | 197 |
| 198 | ATT | 280 |
| 65.2 | CMP% | 70.4 |
| 194 | YDS/GM | 271.1 |
| 7.4 | Y/A | 8.1 |
| 6.3 | NY/A | 7.3 |
| 1 | INT | 2 |
| 18 | SK | 17 |
Defense/Offense
| LAC | Passing | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 142 | CMP | 158 |
| 221 | ATT | 252 |
| 64.3 | CMP% | 62.7 |
| 193.4 | YDS/GM | 213.8 |
| 6.7 | Y/A | 7.4 |
| 5.7 | NY/A | 6.3 |
| 6 | INT | 4 |
| 18 | SK | 18 |
Rushing
Offense/Defense
| LAC | Rushing | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | G | 8 |
| 204 | ATT | 212 |
| 820 | YDS | 888 |
| 117.1 | Y/G | 111.0 |
| 4.0 | Y/A | 4.2 |
| 4 | TD | 9 |
| 0.6 | TD/G | 1.1 |
Defense/Offense
| LAC | Rushing | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | G | 8 |
| 165 | ATT | 193 |
| 784 | YDS | 961 |
| 112.0 | Y/G | 120.1 |
| 4.8 | Y/A | 5.0 |
| 3 | TD | 7 |
| 0.4 | TD/G | 0.9 |
Special Teams
Offense/Defense
| LAC | Special Teams | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Punts/Ret | 14 |
| 83 | Punt/Yds | 130 |
| 10.4 | Punt/Y/R | 9.3 |
| 6 | Kick Off/Ret | 4 |
| 142 | Kick Off/Yds | 115 |
| 23.7 | Kick Off/Y/rt | 28.8 |
Defense/Offense
| LAC | Special Teams | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Punts/Ret | 12 |
| 116 | Punt/Yds | 221 |
| 8.9 | Punt/Y/R | 18.4 |
| 9 | Kick Off/Ret | 14 |
| 257 | Kick Off/Yds | 347 |
| 28.6 | Kick Off/Y/rt | 24.8 |
Scoring
Offense/Defense
| LAC | Scoring | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | G | 8 |
| 4 | RshTD | 9 |
| 8 | RecTD | 17 |
| 17 | FGM | 14 |
| 18 | FGA | 16 |
| 18.9 | Pts/G | 28.0 |
Defense/Offense
| LAC | Scoring | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | G | 8 |
| 3 | RshTD | 7 |
| 6 | RecTD | 11 |
| 9 | FGM | 13 |
| 13 | FGA | 14 |
| 13.0 | Pts/G | 21.5 |
Team Advanced Defense
| LAC | Defense | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5% | Bltz% | 14.9% |
| 3.1% | Hrry% | 6.0% |
| 5.4% | QB Hit% | 6.8% |
| 14.8% | QB Prss% | 17.5% |
Injuries
| Name | Position | Injury | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Trainer | OT | Undisclosed | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Austin Johnson | DL | Knee (mcl) | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Christian Covington | DL | Pectoral | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Damon Lloyd | LB | Undisclosed | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Dustin Hopkins | K | Hamstring | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Easton Stick | QB | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Forrest Merrill | DL | Undisclosed | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Isaac Weaver | C | Undisclosed | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Isaiah Spiller | RB | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Jalen Guyton | WR | Knee (acl) | Out | 01/14/23 |
| J.C. Jackson | CB | Knee | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Joe Gaziano | DL | Groin | Out | 01/14/23 |
| JT Woods | S | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Kemon Hall | CB | Hamstring | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Mike Williams | WR | Back | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Otito Ogbonnia | DL | Knee | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Richard Rodgers | TE | Knee | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Stone Smartt | TE | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Storm Norton | OT | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Taylor Bertolet | K | Undisclosed | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Tyeler Davison | DT | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Rashawn Slater | OT | Biceps | Questionable | 01/14/23 |
| Raheem Layne | S | Thumb | Probable | 01/12/23 |
| Name | Position | Injury | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Shaan Dixon | OLB | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Gregory Junior | CB | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Jeremiah Ledbetter | DL | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Montaric Brown | CB | Gameday Inactive | Out | 01/14/23 |
| Ben Bartch | G | Knee | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Brandon Scherff | G | Abdomen | Probable | 01/14/23 |
| Calvin Ridley | WR | Suspended | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Cam Robinson | OL | Knee | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Dawuane Smoot | DL | Achilles | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Jamal Agnew | WR | Shoulder | Probable | 01/14/23 |
| Jordan Smith | DE | Knee | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Kendric Pryor | WR | Shoulder | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Riley Patterson | K | Knee | Probable | 01/12/23 |
| Ross Matiscik | LS | Back | Probable | 01/14/23 |
| Shaquill Griffin | CB | Back | Scrambled | 01/14/23 |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | Toe | Probable | 01/14/23 |
Betting Trends
| LAC | Betting Trends | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 2-1-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 3-0-0 |
| 3-0-0 | ATS W/L/P | 2-1-0 |
| 26.33 | Avg Score | 23.33 |
| 14.67 | Avg Opp Score | 7.33 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 1-2-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 3-0-0 |
| 2-1-0 | ATS W/L/P | 2-1-0 |
| 22.67 | Avg Score | 29.33 |
| 20.33 | Avg Opp Score | 25.67 |
| LAC | Betting Trends | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 4-1-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 5-0-0 |
| 4-0-1 | ATS W/L/P | 4-1-0 |
| 23.8 | Avg Score | 29.2 |
| 15 | Avg Opp Score | 15.6 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 2-3-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 4-1-0 |
| 3-2-0 | ATS W/L/P | 3-2-0 |
| 21.8 | Avg Score | 26.4 |
| 21.4 | Avg Opp Score | 23.6 |
| LAC | Betting Trends | JAX |
|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | OVERALL | |
| 6-4-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 7-3-0 |
| 7-2-1 | ATS W/L/P | 6-4-0 |
| 22.7 | Avg Score | 24.9 |
| 19.5 | Avg Opp Score | 21.3 |
| AWAY | HOME | |
| 5-5-0 | Win/Loss/Tie | 6-4-0 |
| 7-3-0 | ATS W/L/P | 5-5-0 |
| 24.9 | Avg Score | 22.1 |
| 23.8 | Avg Opp Score | 19.5 |
Head to Head
Teams Last 10
Pick 1: Chargers ML (-140)
There is a lot of love out there for the Jaguars in this matchup based off their strong end to the season along with their 38-10 win in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, those loving the Jags might be overlooking the fact they beat some downright awful teams to get into the playoffs.
Jacksonville’s late season push consisted of wins over the New York Jets, Houston Texans and a Tennessee Titans team that had Josh Dobbs at quarterback. It is safe to say the Jaguars are facing a much better opponent in the Chargers now that it is playoff time and after barely beating the Titans, it needs to be asked if they can stop one of the best passers in the game in Justin Herbert.
The Chargers had a strong end to their season in their own right by winning four straight before losing a meaningless Week 18 dead rubber against the Denver Broncos. Even helping the Jaguars out with a win over the Titans that opened the door for them in the AFC South race.
In a fairly even matchup I prefer the skill players of the Chargers to the Jaguars. Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa should bring a dangerous pass rush and on offense the receiving corps of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and the supporting cast is just a bit better than the Jaguars. Expect the Chargers to edge out the Jags in an exciting and close contest.
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Pick 2: Travis Etienne Over 76.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
Trevor Lawrence gets all the attention for guiding the Jacksonville Jaguars offense to the playoffs but the work of Travis Etienne at running back has been a driving factor as well. Etienne took the job over from James Robinson in Week 6 and has been the bell cow back ever since, playing in over 70% of the team’s offensive snaps.
The run game was crucial in the Jaguars 33-10 domination of the Chargers in Week 3 as they put up 151 yards. James Robinson had 100 of those on 17 carries but is no longer on the team and those touches and yards are now all for Etienne’s taking.
The matchup also favors Etienne. The Chargers allowed the fifth most rushing yards per game this season at 145.8 and the most yards per rush attempt with 5.4 yards conceded per carry. Etienne has run above this number in three of the past four games and should have yet another big day on the ground against a Chargers defense that struggles to contain running backs.
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Pick 3: Zay Jones Under 49.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
The Chargers might struggle to stop the run but they are fairly strong at stopping the passing game. Especially when it comes to stopping No. 2 wideouts where they rank second best in DVOA per Football Outsiders.
The Chargers strong record of containing secondary wideouts doesn’t bode well for Jaguars second option Zay Jones. Jones has been struggling of late, putting up receiving yardage of 14, 24 and 21 yards to end the regular season. With a total of 49.5, the under looks good for prop bettors who want to take a stab at Jones receiving yardage line.
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Chargers vs Jaguars Preview
Expect plenty of passing attempts from the Chargers as they look to overpower the Jaguars. Los Angeles averaged the second most passing attempts per game this season with 41.8.
Stopping the run has been the Chargers biggest issue this season and could be the key for a Jaguars victory. As mentioned above, the Chargers gave up 145.8 rushing yards per game as the fifth worst run defense in the NFL and will need to improve in that area to contain a dangerous Travis Etienne.
Jacksonville’s defense fell just outside the Top 10 on the season in points allowed with 20.6 per game but their recent form has been elite. The Jags allowed just 22 points combined in their final three games with a defensive touchdown from pass rusher Josh Allen clinching their playoff spot in Week 18. Allen’s defensive playmaking will be crucial in the matchup against the Chargers as his team will need him to frustrate Herbert if they want to stop one of the best passing attacks in the NFL.
The Jags defense may have clinched their playoff trip but the offense was one of the better units in the league during the regular season. Led by Trevor Lawrence, the Jags finished as a top 10 offense by scoring 28.8 points per game.
On the injury front, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley came under fire for playing his key players in a meaningless game against Denver last week. Both Joey Bosa and Mike Williams picked up minor injuries as a result and despite both being expected to play there is a concern they will be limited versions of themselves in the biggest game of the year for the Chargers.
