Titans open as 4.5-point favorites over Dolphins

The Tennessee Titans played out a tale of two halves in Thursday’s thrilling three-point primetime win over the San Francisco 49ers. The offense started in true nightmare fashion, having gained just 55 yards through two quarters while being shut out. They came out a different team in the second half and mounted a miraculous comeback. A strategy that targeted A.J. Brown often wound up working to perfection as Brown had a notable career-day while carrying the offense on his back.

Tennessee is now preparing for a Week 17 game against the surging Miami Dolphins. Miami hasn’t played yet in Week 16, but will do so against a New Orleans Saints team that is starting their fourth string quarterback due to a mixture of injuries and COVID on Monday night. Miami is largely expected to win their seventh straight game and move into the final playoff seed in the AFC. It means Sunday’s game will have massive implications on the playoff picture for both teams.

Sunday’s contest marks the first time Ryan Tannehill will play against the team that drafted him, and ultimately gave up on him by agreeing to pay part of his salary in a trade to Tennessee. We’re hoping for a classic #Revenge game. Tennessee enters the contest at 10-5 and could clinch their second consecutive AFC South title with a win over the Dolphins. The Indianapolis Colts refuse to go away in the divisional race, but Tennessee can stop looking over their shoulder with a Week 17 victory. It would also clinch Tennessee’s second straight 11-win season, with a chance to reach 12 victories in the regular season.

The contest against Miami projects to be a close one, and the oddsmakers agree. According to BetOnline, the Titans are opening the week listed as 4.5-point favorites with an over/under of 40.5 points. It makes sense given that Tennessee are at home and coming off of a major win. They’re also undeniably the better team. The point spread is relatively close, and that’s also fair, given the win streak Miami is currently on. It will be interesting to monitor how the line moves throughout the week based on the trends.

Tennessee is also experiencing a bit of a concerning COVID-19 outbreak, with players such as Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, Kendall Lamm and Nate Davis currently on the list. Hopefully it ends there, and these players have plenty of time to clear protocols before Sunday. It’s a situation worth monitoring that could impact the current line.

Do you agree? Do you view the Titans as slight favorites heading into this one? Leave your opinions in the comments. Stay tuned to MCM for all updates and analysis ahead of the contest.