Indiana Sports Betting: How to Bet the Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Updated November 5, 2026
Updated November 5, 2026
The Indianapolis Colts enter their 2020 NFL season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars as substantial favorites. With Philip Rivers making his Colts debut and Jacksonville expected to struggle this season, Indianapolis looks like the stronger team on paper.
However, picking the better team and making a successful sports bet are two different things.
The Colts are favored by approximately eight points, which means they may need to win by more than a touchdown for a wager on their point spread to cash.
For anyone getting started with Indiana sports betting, this matchup offers a useful introduction to three of the most popular NFL betting markets: the point spread, moneyline, and over/under.
Let's look at how each works, using the Colts–Jaguars matchup as an example.
The Colts enter Week 1 as clear favorites, although the exact betting lines vary slightly between sportsbooks.
Here are the prices available at two Indiana sportsbooks ahead of the game.
Betting market | BetMGM | BetRivers |
|---|---|---|
Colts point spread | -7.5 | -8 |
Colts moneyline | -385 | -400 |
Game total | 44.5 | 45 |
Historical betting lines from September 11, 2020. These odds are preserved for educational purposes and are no longer available.
The differences may appear small, but they can have a meaningful impact on the outcome of a wager.
For example, a Colts victory by exactly eight points would cover a -7.5 spread but result in a push at -8.
Understanding those details is an important part of NFL betting.
The point spread is one of the most popular ways to bet on NFL games.
Instead of simply predicting which team will win, you're predicting the margin of victory.
Sportsbooks assign a negative spread to the favorite and a positive spread to the underdog.
For the Colts–Jaguars matchup, Indianapolis is favored by 7.5 points at BetMGM.
That means:
Let's say Indianapolis wins 27-20.
The Colts win the actual game by seven points, but they don't cover the -7.5 spread.
A bet on Jacksonville +7.5 would win.
Now imagine Indianapolis wins 28-17.
The Colts win by 11 points, which is enough to cover the spread.
In that case, the Colts -7.5 bet wins.
The spread creates a betting market where both the favorite and underdog can be attractive selections.
Without a spread, heavily favored teams would often have very short moneyline prices.
By introducing a handicap, sportsbooks offer bettors an alternative to predicting the outright winner.
The important question becomes how much better one team is expected to perform.
A team can win the game and still fail to cover the spread.
When a game's final margin matches a whole-number point spread, the wager is generally graded as a push.
For example, consider Colts -8.
If Indianapolis wins by exactly eight points, neither side covers.
The sportsbook returns the original stake.
This is why half-point differences can be particularly important.
At -7.5, an eight-point Colts victory wins. At -8, the same result produces a push.
Most NFL point spread wagers are priced around -110, although the exact odds can vary.
At -110, you must risk $110 to win $100 in profit.
You could also risk $11 to win $10.
The additional amount built into the price is commonly called the vig, short for vigorish.
It represents the sportsbook's margin.
For example:
Stake | Odds | Profit if successful |
|---|---|---|
$11 | -110 | $10 |
$55 | -110 | $50 |
$110 | -110 | $100 |
The original stake is returned in addition to the profit when the bet wins.
Sportsbooks may adjust either the point spread or the price as new information becomes available.
Injuries, team news, weather, and betting activity can all influence the market.
Moneyline betting is simpler than point spread betting.
You select the team you believe will win the game outright.
There is no point spread to consider.
For the Colts–Jaguars matchup, Indianapolis is a substantial moneyline favorite.
BetMGM lists the Colts at -385, while BetRivers offers -400.
The negative numbers indicate that Indianapolis is favored.
At -385, you would need to risk $385 to win $100 in profit.
At -400, you would need to risk $400 to win the same $100.
The difference shows why comparing sportsbook prices can be valuable.
Both bets require Indianapolis to win the game, but one offers a slightly better return.
Jacksonville enters the matchup as the underdog.
The original market included a Jaguars moneyline price around +300.
At +300, a successful $100 wager would generate $300 in profit, plus the return of the original $100 stake.
The potential payout is much larger because Jacksonville is considered less likely to win.
That doesn't automatically make the Jaguars a better bet.
The important consideration is how the available price compares with their actual chances of winning.
The main difference is straightforward.
A moneyline bet only requires your team to win.
A point spread bet requires your team to cover the assigned handicap.
For example, if the Colts win by three points:
Moneyline betting can be easier for beginners to understand, but backing a heavy favorite often requires risking considerably more money for a relatively small potential profit.
The over/under, also called the game total, focuses on the combined number of points scored by both teams.
You don't need to predict the winner.
Instead, you decide if the teams will combine to score more or fewer points than the sportsbook's posted total.
For Colts vs. Jaguars, the total is 44.5 at BetMGM and 45 at BetRivers.
An over 44.5 wager wins if the teams combine to score at least 45 points.
For example, if Indianapolis wins 28-21, the combined total is 49.
An over 44.5 bet wins.
An under 44.5 wager wins if the teams combine to score 44 points or fewer.
If Indianapolis wins 24-17, the total is 41.
An under 44.5 bet wins.
Consider the difference between over 44.5 and over 45.
If the teams combine for exactly 45 points:
That half-point difference can determine the outcome of your wager.
The same principle applies to point spreads.
When two sportsbooks offer different totals, comparing those numbers can help you secure a more favorable line.
You may notice that different sportsbooks don't always offer identical lines.
For this matchup, BetMGM lists Indianapolis -7.5, while BetRivers has the Colts -8.
Several factors can explain those differences.
Sportsbooks use their own pricing models and risk-management strategies. They also respond to market movements, betting activity, and new information.
A higher spread doesn't necessarily mean one sportsbook has received more money on the favorite.
The difference may reflect pricing decisions, market timing, or other factors.
For bettors, the important point is that the same selection can have different terms depending on where the wager is placed.
Line shopping means comparing odds and betting lines across multiple sportsbooks before placing a wager.
For example, imagine you want to back the Colts against the spread.
One sportsbook offers Indianapolis -7.5, while another offers -8.
Assuming the prices are otherwise equal, -7.5 is the more favorable line.
If Indianapolis wins by exactly eight points, the -7.5 wager wins while the -8 wager pushes.
The same principle applies to moneylines and totals.
Finding a better number doesn't guarantee success, but it can improve the value of your wagers over time.
Indiana legalized sports betting in 2019, opening the door for residents and eligible visitors to place wagers through licensed operators.
Bettors must be at least 21 years old and physically located within Indiana when placing a wager.
A typical online betting process involves the following steps:
Sportsbook availability, payment methods, and promotional offers can change over time.
For more information about available operators, see our Indiana sportsbooks guide.
There isn't one market that works best for every bettor.
Each offers a different way to approach the game.
Market | Best understood as |
|---|---|
Point spread | Predicting the margin of victory |
Moneyline | Predicting the outright winner |
Over/under | Predicting combined points scored |
Moneyline betting is generally the simplest to understand.
Point spreads introduce the additional challenge of predicting how convincingly a team will win or lose.
Totals betting requires assessing both teams' offensive and defensive strengths, game pace, and scoring potential.
The most suitable market depends on the matchup and the available odds.
For additional NFL coverage, visit our NFL picks and analysis section or see our best NFL bets this week.
The Indianapolis Colts may look like the stronger team entering their 2020 season opener, but that doesn't automatically make them the better betting selection.
At -7.5 or -8, Indianapolis needs a convincing victory to reward point spread bettors.
The moneyline offers a simpler path to winning, although the potential payout is considerably smaller.
Meanwhile, the over/under provides an opportunity to evaluate the game's scoring potential without choosing a winner.
→ Our Take: The most important lesson for new bettors is to understand exactly what needs to happen for each wager to win. Comparing sportsbook prices, recognizing the difference between -7.5 and -8, and calculating potential payouts are useful habits before placing any NFL bet.
Historical article: Originally published September 11, 2020. The Colts–Jaguars betting lines are preserved as examples of how NFL wagering works. They are not current odds or available betting offers.
Updated November 5, 2026
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