Big problems rest on the offenses of both the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams, which could create a low-scoring situation in Week 2 of the preseason.
ODDS ANALYSIS
That total is understandably a tick lower than most at just 38.5, though it should be noted that the over has garnered a bit of action to push that number up from 38.
The Titans, thanks to home field advantage, are favored by 1.5.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Marcus Mariota is once again going to get the start for Tennessee, but he hasn't exactly been stellar. Yes, he went 7-of-8 passing, but he also turned the ball over twice and put it on the ground another time as well.
Beyond Mariota, we expect Ken Whisenhunt to deploy Zach Mettenberger and Charlie Whitehurst. Only if there are a slew of plays should we expect to see fourth-stringer Alex Tanney.
The Rams will probably use the same rotation they did last week, one which put a lot more of the reps on Case Keenum and Sean Mannion than on starter Nick Foles or fourth stringer Austin Davis.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
The only motivation in this game for either side is for Whisenhunt to put Marcus Mariota in a situation where he can succeed to get the fans excited after a dismal 2014 campaign. That said, this is a man who has won just 10 of his 30 coached preseason games in his career.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm disappointed more about, not so much the opening drive, as how we played it. Our eye discipline wasn't very good. We were short on some of our feels with our defensive linemen. We didn't get across the offensive linemen to fill the right gaps. That bothered me a little bit, and I think we lost a couple of guys in man coverage, some of their boots, or their nakeds as you'd call it. That disappoints me more than anything because we worked so hard on that." – Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt on the disappointment of a 31-24 loss in Atlanta to kick off the preseason
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
St. Louis' offensive line rotation includes six rookies right now, and no matter whether you're talking about the starters, second stringers or third stringers, you've got rookies up and down the rotation.
The end result has been a poor running game. The Rams are trying to become more physical, but just 20 carries for 70 yards out of the running back position won't cut it.
INJURIES
The Rams not only have youth along their offensive line, but they have problems in their secondary as well. E.J. Gaines is going to miss extensive time with a Lisfranc problem, while Brandon McGee has yet to get on the field.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is a tough one to predict. The Titans aren't going to have their quarterbacks go 23-for-27 once again as they did last week, but they aren't going to be able to run the ball well either.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis offensive line is a mess in opening up no holes for the running game, which is going to really bog down an offense which is generally conservative by nature.
It's all pointing to an under game from where we're sitting.
St. Louis 16, Tennessee 10
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -1.5 in favor of the Tennessee Titans. The NFL odds total surfaced at 38. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! The Week 2 game between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans will go down Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN. The matchup will be televised on FOX.
