Have the Tennessee Titans returned to being relevant in the AFC? It’s probably too early to tell, but for the first time since 2013 they’ve won consecutive games and they are nipping at the heels of first place in the South Division. They had the benefit of Cleveland on the schedule last week, and took advantage to match last season’s win total by finally winning at home. And that’s huge with their next two games on their own turf against division opponents. The run starts against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.
This matchup in Week 7 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Indianapolis Colts +2.5
Tennessee Titans -2.5
Over/Under 49
Odds Analysis
The Colts have beaten the Titans nine consecutive times and have won 14 of the past 15 meetings. So, of course, Tennessee opens as a 2.5-point favorite. Indy is in trouble after blowing a late lead last week and Chuck Pagano called his team “soft.” Is it a coaching ploy to motivate his team or an accurate assessment? Either way, the home team is getting nearly 60 percent of the early action and the line could increase before kickoff.
Injury Report
Darius Butler – Had surgery on his fractured finger and is likely out for a few more games. Add the loss of Patrick Robinson and the Colts secondary is again struggling to get back to full health. The group allowed Houston to score two late touchdowns and a big-gain in overtime in a frustrating loss to the Texans.
Key Stat
When you think of the best sack teams in the NFL, the Titans don’t immediately come to mind. But they should. Tennessee ravaged Cody Kessler on Sunday, sacking him six times and totaling hits on five other occasions. It was the kind of effort the Titans got a week prior that also resulted in a win while shutting down Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins. Kessler was able to do some damage through the air, but the numbers were skewed since the Browns had absolutely no run game and were forced to throw on nearly every play while trying to overcame a late deficit.
For the second straight week the Titans recorded six quarterback sacks and on Sunday they got them from six different players. That presents a big problem for the Colts, who have surrendered the most sacks in the league. Brian Orakpo leads the Titans and is third in the NFL with seven sacks. Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan each have three sacks and five other players have recorded one. The Titans will dial up the heat on Andrew Luck in an attempt to force some mistakes.
Free ATS Pick
The Titans almost gave one away to the Browns on Sunday, but the bottom line is they got a victory and evened their record six weeks into the season. It’s a big accomplishment for a team that had won just five games total over the previous two seasons. But it’s still early to say the Titans have turned the corner. After all, their last two victories were against the Browns and Dolphins, teams that don’t exactly strike fear into opponents. But they did win, and in the past those were games they probably would have lost.
Tennessee has found some balance on offense with a solid ground game helping Marcus Mariota in the passing attack. Mariota had one of his best outings in a win over the Browns and has seemingly recovered from his early season uneasiness. The Titans have had remarkably good luck on the injury front, unlike the Colts, and that will play a big role in this one. The Colts have had a tough time stopping anyone and the combination of Mariota and DeMarco Murray will prove to be too much for the Colts defense. Luck will do his best to keep the Colts in this one, but Tennessee has been able to get after the quarterback and the pressure will rattle Luck, who will succumb to the heat.
NFL Odds: Titans 27, Colts 23
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