When the San Diego Chargers make the trip south to play the Jacksonville Jaguars this Monday, they will be looking to find the spark needed to stop the bleeding and possibly save what is left of their season. The Chargers’ season looked promising with four wins through their first five games out of the gate, but since then the team has dropped six straight, and are now tied for the worst record in the AFC West. A loss to Jacksonville would guarantee that San Diego does not finish better than .500 this season, a sports betting outlook that would undoubtedly have head coach Norv Turner on the hot seat.
San Diego Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Monday December 5, 2011 – 8:35 PM ET
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
NFL Betting Lines: San Diego Chargers – 2.5
Turner can learn from what he will see on the opposition sidelines, as interim coach Mel Tucker makes his debut following the firing of Jack Del Rio. Tucker and his staff have already addressed a couple of issues they feel really hurt Jacksonville early on this season by dismissing former wide receivers coach Johnny Cox and directing offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to take over control of the quarterbacks.
Chargers Jaguars Betting Preview: San Diego Chargers
For as bad as the Jaguars’ record is with five games remaining in the season, their defense hasn’t been awful and should provide another tough test for a San Diego offense that has been inconsistent to say the least. Quarterback Phillip Rivers has completed over 60-percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns, but that number isn’t as alluring when you consider that he has also thrown 17 interceptions and fumbled six times. Minimizing turnovers will be the first goal for a Chargers’ team that has absolutely come unraveled over the past six weeks, and that could lead to running back Ryan Mathew getting even more touches.
Chargers Jaguars Betting Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars
The fact that rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert was not ready to be an NFL starter in his first season is somewhat obvious at this point, even though the former Missouri signal-caller has done a solid job of adjusting on the fly. The Jaguars own the league’s worst passing attack, and those numbers could be scaled back even more as Tucker and the coaching staff figure to shift even more of the offensive burden on to the shoulders of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Jacksonville should understand that with a strong rushing attack and some solid defense, they should have a chance against the reeling Chargers.
Chargers Jaguars Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The fact that the sportsbooks have the spread for this game as small as it is, is testament to how poorly San Diego has performed in recent weeks, but based on talent alone the spread for this one could be in the double-digits. The Chargers need this one to stop their freefall, and if they can execute their game plan they should be fine, but that is something that has certainly been easier said and done for Turner’s squad this season.
Chargers Jaguars Betting Pick: San Diego Chargers