It wasn’t pretty, but the first career start for Tom Savage resulted in a champagne shower. Starting in place of mega-bucks free agent Brock Osweiler, who failed miserably in his time as the Houston Texans starter, Savage saved the game against the Jags two weeks ago and led the team to the AFC South title with a win over the Bengals on Christmas Eve. There are concerns regarding the quarterback spot with the Tennessee Titans after Marcus Mariota went down with a broken leg. Two backups-turned-starters will face each other in Week 17.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 17 game is set for Sunday, January 1, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Houston Texans +3
Tennessee Titans -3
Over/Under 40
Odds Analysis
The total was wagered down a full point from its opening of 41 and that number could go lower as early over/under bets are 60 percent in favor of the under. The quarterback change in Houston hasn’t done much for their offense and the Titans will be a different club without Mariota. Grab the under now before the total falls lower. Clearly oddsmakers view this game as a tossup and have pegged the Titans with the standard field goal for home field advantage.
Injury Report
Lamar Miller – With the playoffs looming expect the Texans’ leading rusher to sit this one out as he continues to mend from a bum ankle. Alfred Blue played well in his stead Saturday night, but Miller is the guy out of the backfield. Houston managed only 95 yards rushing and 250 total in the division clinching win over the Bengals.
Marcus Mariota – The Titans will turn to journeyman backup Matt Cassel after Mariota left the Jacksonville game in the third quarter with a fractured fibula. Tennessee was trailing 25-10 at the time of the injury and struggled to get anything going. Cassel did throw two touchdown passes, unfortunately one of those went to a Jaguars defender that sealed the outcome.
Player to Watch
Cassel has made a living doing this, and it’s been a pretty good one at that for a guy that doesn’t have a lot of history in the league as a starter. Cassel was drafted by the Patriots in 2005 after never starting a game in college. He played sparingly his first three seasons then got his break early in 2008 when Tom Brady was shelved with a season-ending knee injury in the opener. Cassel led the Pats to an 11-5 record that season, but they were denied a playoff berth. Cassel parlayed that success into a fulltime starting gig when he was dealt to Kansas City prior to the 2009 season. He was consistent but not spectacular in his four years with the Chiefs. He was eventually released and signed with the Vikings.
Last season he was plucked off the scrap heap by the Dallas Cowboys as they searched for answers with Tony Romo going down. Dak Prescott was playing his final year at Mississippi State at the time. He floundered in his opportunity, going 1-6 as a starter. Now, Cassel gets another chance to start as he takes over for Mariota in the finale. It’s a good thing the division crown isn’t on the line because Cassel hasn’t fared well in meaningful contests.
Free ATS Pick
The Titans just aren’t there yet, despite the improved record this season. On the cusp of a division title after impressive wins over AFC West foes Denver and Kansas City, Tennessee held its playoff destiny. They stumbled mightily against a Jaguars team that had won just two games entering the contest. Much can be said about the game. The Jags certainly got a jolt after firing their head coach, and of course the loss of Mariota was a stinger. But the bottom line is that if the Titans are to rise to the next level they need to beat teams they’re supposed to beat.
And in the AFC South, that shouldn’t be too hard. But Tennessee enters the finale with just a 1-4 division record, a mark that somehow stands out most in a season that included victories over Miami, K.C., Green Bay and Detroit. It looks like they just weren’t ready to handle the success and it will be tough to handle the Texans without Mariota.
NFL Odds: Texans 23, Titans 20
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