Lions vs. Titans NFL Picks & Player Prop Bets (Week 8)

Introducing the Week 8 edition of the BettingPros primer, brought to you by Bettingpros.com! I'm Andrew Erickson, and I'm here to guide you through each game on the NFL slate, offering insights and recommendations on sides, totals, and player props that you can quickly turn into a big single-game parlay.

Whether you're a seasoned bettor or just dipping your toes into the world of NFL wagering, this primer is designed to provide you with valuable perspectives and picks for the upcoming NFL week of action.

Get ready to tackle the NFL season with a betting lens as we break down the Week 8 matchups and identify our favorite bets and picks. Here are my top picks for the game between the Lions vs. Titans.

Check out the rest of Andrew Erickson’s Week 8 Betting Primer>>

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions

Sides

• The Lions are 18-8 ATS as favorites. They have been 70%-plus ATS favorites since the start of 2023 and are 14-6 ATS over their last 20 games.
• The Lions have covered the spread in eight of their last nine road games.
• The Lions have covered the spread as favorites in nine of their last 11 games.
• The Lions have won their last 12 games against opponents on a winning streak.
• The Lions have won 10 of their last 12 home games.
• The Titans have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last 10 games.
• The Titans are 5-7 at home since the start of 2023.
• The Titans have covered the spread in six of their last 11 games at Nissan Stadium.
• The Titans have won the first half in seven of their last nine games as underdogs.
• The Titans have scored first in each of their last four games as underdogs.
• The Titans have lost 12 of their last 14 road games.
• The Titans have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games.
• The Titans, as road underdogs, are 7-8-1 ATS (47%).

Totals

• Twelve of the Lions' last 17 games have gone OVER the total points line.
• Ten of the Lions' last 16 games have gone OVER the total points line.
• The average total in the Lions' last 22 home games has been 54 points; 72 percent (16/22) of the games have scored at least 51 points.
• Six of the Lions' last nine home games have gone OVER the total points line.
• The Titans are 13-9-1 toward the under in their last 23 games.
• Four of the Titans’ last five games against NFC opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Overall:

I'm not sure we have more of a lop-sided matchup this week. And the betting market agrees, given the massive 11-point spread for the Lions at home. But it's deservedly so, given the state of these respective franchises.

The Titans made the switch to Mason Rudolph last week at quarterback, and they looked solid to start against Buffalo. They jumped out 10-0, but the Bills scored 34 unanswered points, and the game crumbled.

The Titans have an underrated defense and a pretty good run game behind Tony Pollard. But they are at such a massive quarterback disadvantage.

If I had to pick a side, I'd lay the points with the ATS champion Lions. But I'd rather bet the under on the game total at 45.5.

Tennessee and Detroit are a matchup between two teams tied for the seventh-best in EPA/play allowed on defense this season.

The Titans pass defense that ranks 17th in EPA/pass attempt and eighth in fewest yards per pass attempt faced this season.

The Titans' defense is also capable against the run-league-high run stuff rate of 29.2%.

Per Next Gen Stats, Jared Goff has used play action on a league-high 35.2% of his dropbacks this season, completing 48 of his 63 such attempts for 708 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Goff has also recorded +27.4 EPA (1st in NFL) and a +6.3% completion percentage over expected (5th) on play-action dropbacks this season. Opposing quarterbacks have recorded league lows in EPA (-22.2) and CPOE (-19.1%) on play-action dropbacks against the Titans this season.

I know that Ford Field is the home to the over in NFL betting, but this isn't the spot. We've already seen two games in Detroit finish with 46 points or fewer this season. And those were against much better offenses than the Titans.

Props:

Just wait for the Tyler Boyd receiving props to drop. Boyd caught all five of his targets for 43 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per reception, with a long of 12 yards. Boyd caught both of his two red zone targets. His most productive game as a Titan came with Rudolph as the quarterback in Week 7. No team has allowed more fantasy points to slot WRs than the Lions this season.

Per Next Gen Stats, despite being contacted behind the line of scrimmage on 56.4% of his carries this season (2nd-highest among RB, min. 50 carries), Tony Pollard has averaged 4.2 yards after contact per carry, 3rd-most. The Lions’ defense has allowed the second-fewest yards after contact per carry to running backs (2.5) this season, allowing opposing running backs to register just 22 missed tackles forced (tied for the fewest in the NFL).

My Picks:

• Lions -11.5
• Under 45.5