TNF Betting Odds: Titans vs. Jaguars

Written by:
Carrie Stroup
Published on:
Dec/18/2014
TNF Betting Odds: Titans vs. Jaguars

Carrie Stroup here with your TNF betting odds for the big (ahem) Titans vs. Jaguars game.  Place your 1st bet, get your 2nd bet free here.

TENNESSEE TITANS (2-12) at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-12)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Jacksonville -3.5, Total: 40

Opening Line & Total: Jacksonville -3, Total: 40.5

Two division foes that have been extremely disappointing with 2-12 records, will clash on Thursday night when the Titans visit Jaguars.

Both AFC South teams will likely be picking in the top five of the NFL draft after a truly miserable 2014 campaign. Tennessee lost its eighth straight game (2-6 ATS) last week in a 16-11 home defeat to the Jets, while Jacksonville fell to 1-6 SU in in its past seven games with a 20-12 loss in Baltimore. However, Jacksonville was a 14-point road underdog which gave the club two ATS wins in the past three games.

Earlier in the year, the Titans picked up one of their two SU victories in a 16-14 win over the Jaguars as 4-point home favorites. Over the past three seasons, Tennessee leads this series 3-2 SU, but Jacksonville is 3-1-1 ATS in those games. The last two meetings played in Jacksonville in this head-to-head series have both gone Under the total.

In terms of betting trends for Thursday, in the past three seasons, the Jaguars are 0-7 ATS in home games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points. However, the Titans are 0-7 ATS on the road after scoring 14 points or less in their previous game in that timeframe.

DE Andre Branch (groin) is doubtful for the Jaguars in this matchup, but starting QB Blake Bortles (ankle) has been upgraded to probable. Titans QB Jake Locker suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last game, and QB Zach Mettenberger (shoulder) is doubtful, meaning Charlie Whitehurst will start under center. RB/WR Dexter McCluster (knee) has also been ruled out, and top WR Kendall Wright, who has missed two straight games with a hand injury, is considered questionable to return in time for Thursday.

The Titans gave up a 1-yard rushing touchdown to Chris Ivory with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to lose to the Jets 16-11 last week. Shoulder injuries to QBs Zach Mettenberger (1,412 pass yards, 7.9 YPA, 8 TD, 7 INT) and Jake Locker (993 pass yards, 6.8 YPA, 5 TD, 7 INT) have left QB Charlie Whitehurst (967 pass yards, 7.9 YPA, 5 TD, 2 INT) as the team’s lone healthy signal caller. Whitehurst threw for 203 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions in relief duty against the Jets last week. The Jacksonville defense is allowing 243.0 passing yards per game (21st in NFL), so Whitehurst should be able to move the chains on Thursday night.

If Whitehurst is playing Thursday then that could mean a big game for WR Nate Washington (38 rec, 629 yards, 2 TD). Washington had six catches for 102 yards on 10 targets against the Jets last week and is clearly somebody that Whitehurst is comfortable with.

Tennessee will need to get some more production out of its running game, as its backfield rushed for just 72 yards against the Jets last week. Defensively, this team played pretty well against New York, allowing only 277 total yards and holding the Jets to 2-of-13 on third down conversions.

The Jaguars went into Baltimore and played the Ravens tough, but they ultimately left with yet another loss. QB Blake Bortles (2,676 pass yards, 6.4 YPA, 10 TD, 17 INT) went 21-of-37 for 210 yards with zero touchdowns and a pick in the loss. Bortles has now thrown in an interception in 11 of the 12 games he’s played in this season. He will need to limit his mistakes going forward, but he could be in for a big game against a Tennessee defense that is allowing 35.0 PPG over the past four weeks.

With RB Denard Robinson (foot) out for the season, RB Toby Gerhart (265 rush yards, 1 TD) is taking his place, and actually ran the ball pretty effectively for Jacksonville last week. He carried the football 13 times for 54 yards, and also caught two passes for nine yards. Gerhart’s 4.2 yards per carry against Baltimore was his highest in a single game on the entire season. Jacksonville will use him to wear out the Titans’ defense with his bruising style of running.

Defensively, this team is a complete mess in all aspects of the game. The Jaguars are allowing 129.6 rushing yards per game (27th in NFL) to go along with their 21st ranked passing defense (243 YPG allowed). Jacksonville has given up at least 20 points in seven straight weeks, and will need to hold teams to much fewer than 20, with how horribly they’ve played offensively. The Jaguars will try to capitalize on Tennessee's mistakes, as their opponent has nine multi-turnover games this year. However Jacksonville's offense has 2+ giveaways in eight different games in 2014.

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