The Jacksonville Jaguars may be underdogs in their first game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, according to the latest point spread odds, but that doesn't mean a loss is imminent.
Both the Jaguars and the Vikings enter Sunday's game, which will kickoff at 1 p.m. ET, with a plethora of questions surrounding their key returning veterans and still-young quarterbacks.
Jaguars' running back Maurice Jones-Drew just recently ended his preseason holdout and will be fighting for carries against Rashad Jennings, while Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson is still in the midst of recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last December. The amount of carries each star back receives has yet to be determined. Both teams also boast youth at quarterback, with second-year pros Christian Ponder and Blaine Gabbert set to start. Ponder, at No. 10, and Gabbert, at No. 12, were taken two picks apart from each other in the 2011 NFL Draft.
With so many questions facing both teams, this one could get ugly. Expect a close game that likely comes down to a one-possession final margin of victory.
Final score prediction: Jacksonville -- 20, Minnesota -- 14.
For more coverage of the Jaguars, stay tuned to Big Cat Country and SB Nation Tampa Bay. The Daily Norsemen and SB Nation Minnesota have you covered for everything you need to know about the Vikings.