Navigate

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders Odds & Game Pick

by |

The Tennessee Titans have rocketed up the standings ever since Ryan Tannehill took over. They’re 5-1 in his six starts (and their last six games) as he’s given their offense a shot in the arm. On Sunday, the Titans will visit the slumping Oakland Raiders, who have dropped two in a row by a combined score of 74-12.

Both teams are vying for the final playoff spot in the AFC playoff picture, but can the Raiders get off the mat and make this a competitive game?

Special Offer: Bet $1, Win $100, if Tom Brady completes a pass Sunday >>

Details

  • Opening Line: PICK
  • Current Line: Titans -3
  • Over/Under: 47.5
  • Location: Allegiant Stadium, Oakland, California
  • Start Time: 4:25 PM ET
  • Last Meeting: Oakland 26 vs. Titans 16

View consensus picks from 100+ experts for Titans at Raiders >>

Overview

The Titans have gone from an AFC afterthought to a playoff contender, and most of that can be attributed to Tannehill. The Titans had averaged just 16.3 points per game with Marcus Mariota under center, and that includes the 43-point effort in Week 1. Under Tannehill, the team is now scoring 29.7 points per game.

The key to their success this week will be getting Derrick Henry going as he’s been on fire of late. With the passing game working, Henry has found more running lanes. He has a whopping 496 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the last three games. The Raiders’ run defense is pretty decent, ranking 11th in the NFL, so he may have a tough go of things on Sunday.

As for the Raiders, they’ve had three shaky weeks in a row. They were blown out in back-to-back weeks by the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs and barely edged the Cincinnati Bengals 17-10 before that. Derek Carr had been having an MVP-caliber season, but he has four interceptions in his last three games after having only four interceptions in the team’s first eight games. The Titans have an opportunistic defense, ranking eighth in the NFL in takeaways, so Carr will have to be careful. However, if he does play a clean game, the Raiders have a shot at winning here.

Very quietly, Oakland has pieced together a 5-1 record at home. They’ve been very competitive in front of their home fans. These are their final two home games coming up (this week and next), so they should really bring their ‘A’ game. Josh Jacobs has been solid at home as he averages 4.8 yards-per-carry at home, and all seven of his rushing touchdowns have come at home, too. He’s the key to a win this week.

Trends

  • The Titans are 3-10 ATS after two or more consecutive wins
  • The Titans are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite
  • The Raiders are just 5-12 SU in their last 17 against teams with a winning record
  • The Raiders are 37-64 ATS in their last 101 December games

Bottom Line

The Raiders are being written off here, but that’s a mistake. The betting line opened at a PICK, but the Titans are now a three-point road favorite. I don’t know that they deserve that. I’m expecting Oakland to come out and fight in this one and keep this close. Tennessee is the better team and has momentum, but the Raiders play much better at home, so this should be far more even than most expect.

I’m looking for the Titans to pull this one out but for Oakland to keep it really tight. I’d bet them to cover in this spot – especially now that they’re getting a field goal at home.

Prediction: Titans 28, Raiders 27

Deposit $50 at PointsBet and get a free $100 bonus! >>

Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 14

Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.