Arizona Cardinals vs. Tennessee Titans Odds & Game Pick (2021)
If you like fireworks, then you’ll want to watch Sunday’s Week 1 showdown between the Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans.
Both the Cardinals and Titans enter the year with potentially explosive offenses and high expectations. The Cardinals hope to take the next step in Year 3 of the Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury era. Meanwhile, the Titans are the betting favorites to win the AFC South after adding Julio Jones to an offense led by Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and A.J. Brown.
Here’s your betting guide for this cross-conference matchup:
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Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: CBS
Spread: Titans -3
Total: 52
|
+3.0
-115
|
o 52.5
-110
|
+140
|
||
| VIEW PICKS |
-3.0
-105
|
o 52.5
-110
|
-157
|
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Will the Cardinals finish what they started?
You may have forgotten that the Cardinals started the season 6-3. Then a Thursday night tilt with division rival Seattle happened, and Murray suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. The Cardinals lost 28-21, and their season changed drastically.
Arizona went 2-5 down the stretch to finish 8-8 and missed the playoffs. After scoring at least 30 points in six of their first nine games, the offense cratered, topping 30 points just once in their final seven games. Murray, limited by his injury, wasn’t himself. He ran just 46 times in Arizona’s final seven games after having run 87 times in Arizona’s first nine contests.
Arizona’s offense ultimately finished 19th in Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), but I put more stock into what Arizona did before Murray got hurt. Their passing game should be prolific again, as rookie Rondale Moore and veteran A.J. Green will join DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. The addition of James Conner may also indicate Kingsbury’s willingness to better establish a more traditional running game.
Defensively, the Cardinals were one of the most underrated teams in the league, finishing 10th in defensive DVOA. They allowed just 5.3 yards per play and ranked 10th against the pass. After giving up more than 2,000 rushing yards a season ago, the Cardinals spent much of the offseason bolstering their front seven. Most notably, Arizona brought in J.J. Watt and drafted Tulsa inside linebacker Zaven Collins to join a defense that already featured Chandler Jones and Isaiah Simmons. This unit has talent and versatility, and they could finish better than where they did in 2021.
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Can Tennessee’s defense take a step forward?
When the Titans hired Mike Vrabel, analysts expected the team’s defense to be its strength. That simply hasn’t been the case the last few seasons, during which the Titans have finished 29th, 18th, and 18th in defensive DVOA.
The Titans fared particularly poorly against the pass in 2020, allowing 6.8 net yards per pass attempt. Tennessee struggled to rush the passer and accrued only 19 sacks. To bolster their pass rush, the team added Bud Dupree and Denico Autry in free agency. Dupree had eight sacks in 11 games last season before tearing his ACL, and Autry posted 7.5 sacks in Indianapolis last season. The Dupree signing looks good on paper, but it’s asking a lot to count on Dupree after a serious injury.
While the pass rush may improve, the secondary still looks like a work in progress. The Titans let Adoree’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler leave in free agency and replaced them with 32-year-old corner Janoris Jenkins, who is likely past his prime. The back four is still a major issue for Tennessee outside of safety Kevin Byard.
Meanwhile, the Titans have unexpectedly become an offensive juggernaut. And they appear to be doubling down on the idea of winning games with a great offense. Tennessee made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by trading for Julio Jones. While this felt like a luxury addition, the Titans could have the best receiving duo in the NFL.
Questions remain surrounding this unit, however. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is now Atlanta’s head coach. His departure will certainly impact the play calling and could impact Tannehill. Derrick Henry has a ton of mileage on his body for a running back. The offensive line has taken a step back over the last couple of years, and the Titans don’t have much depth behind their star playmakers.
Game Analysis and Picks
This line is a little fishy to me. Given all the hype surrounding Tennessee, you’d think the oddsmakers would consider them a much better team than Arizona. However, with a spread of -3, the oddsmakers believe Tennessee and Arizona are dead even on a neutral field.
I tend to agree that the gap between these teams isn’t actually that steep. However, I’m more confident in a play on the total.
Arizona’s passing game should give Tennessee’s secondary fits, while Henry could post a big day on the ground against Arizona’s front seven. This game could turn into a high-scoring thriller. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Arizona won this shootout outright.
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Matt Barbato is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @RealMattBarbato.