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The Titans are clearly the better team, when healthy, but quarterback Marcus Mariota was injured against Houston. If he can’t play, that completely changes the tenor of this contest. It might not matter if the Dolphins can’t get their offense on track as it has looked awful in the past two games.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 5 game is set for Sunday, October 8, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
Odds Analysis
If Mariota plays, the Titans should be road favorites in this one despite the clunker last time out. If he doesn't play, Miami will probably be favored. Mariota’s presence will also affect the scoring total.
His absence could result in a severely low “over/under” as it would pit a backup quarterback against a Dolphins team that has managed a combined six points in its past two games. The Titans were diced up by the Texans last time out but their defense should have a much better showing in this one.
Injury Report
Marcus Mariota —The Titans’ dual-threat quarterback suffered a hamstring injury in Tennessee’s loss to the Titans on Sunday. He left the game in the second quarter after sustaining the injury on a two-yard touchdown run and did not return. Mariota is set to undergo an MRI this week which should reveal the severity of the injury, but any time away is a big blow for the Titans. Matt Cassel is the Titans backup. He was 4-for-10 for 21 yards and two interceptions Sunday after taking over for Mariota.
Corey Davis —The Titans’ rookie receiver missed Sunday’s game against the Texans, sidelined for a second straight contest with a hamstring injury. Davis, who was the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, suffered the injury in training camp which caused him to miss all of the preseason and re-injured his leg in Week 2 against the Jaguars.
Player To Watch
Jay Cutler -- The Dolphins’ quarterback needs to improve, and fast, or the season is going down the drain in a hurry. Miami signed Cutler out of retirement after Ryan Tannehill went down for the year in the preseason, and he did win the opener over the Chargers.
However, Cutler has been horrific the past two weeks against a pair of suspect defenses. He was 26-of-44 for 220 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 20-6 loss to the Jets, and the scoring strike came on the final play of regulation in garbage time.
He was even worse against the Saints, completing 20-of-28 passes for 164 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Cutler still has some arm talent and some good receivers with which to work, but it’s a long way from clicking.
Free ATS Pick
It’s hard to pick this game until Mariota’s status is more clear. If he plays, the Titans have enough talent to get back on track and claim this road win. If not, the Dolphins will likely win an ugly one, since they can pace themselves offensively knowing it will likely be a low-scoring battle.
The gut feeling here is that Mariota misses this contest with the hamstring strain. The Dolphins will be weary after a long trip overseas last week but they do get to play this one at home. Miami will eventually fade away this year because its passing game isn’t good enough, but the Dolphins catch a break in this one and should be able to pick up the win.
NFL Odds: Dolphins 20, Titans 17
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