For the Titans, a win gets them in. Combined with a Baltimore Ravens loss, they could climb as high as the No. 5 seed. For the Jaguars, they can’t move up or down, but they are the No. 3 seed, so it’s very possible that these two teams meet in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Jags have been a good bet to rebound as they have followed up each of their losses with a win (4-0). The Jags are a dog this week but this will be the first time in 10 weeks that has happened. They are 2-1 against the spread and straight up as a dog this season. The Titans have played well as a favorite, going 8-2 in their last eight as a chalk, but they have only covered the spread in five of those games.

Interestingly enough, both teams are good against the division, both going 4-1 ATS and SU. The Titans took the first meeting of the season, winning 37-16 in Jacksonville in Week 2.

Jacksonville Jaguars

With the Pittsburgh Steelers taking care of business in Houston on Monday, the Jaguars have been locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC. That begs the question: how much are they going care about this contest? If they play their starters the whole way, they could potentially knock out the Titans from the playoff conversation and not have to worry about seeing them next week. If they ease up and let them win, they’re likely going to have to face them in back-to-back weeks.

Remember that “must win” doesn’t always equate to “will win”. See the Detroit Lions in Week 16 who needed a win against the Cincinnati Bengals team that had seemingly quit, and the Lions lost. Or the Baltimore Ravens last week as they hosted the hapless Indianapolis Colts, yet needed a last-second defensive stop to secure the win. All of the pressure is on the Titans, so even if Jacksonville does rest key players, it doesn’t mean that they can’t win this game. Two of the Titans last three losses were to Arizona and San Francisco, who are a pair of teams employing a slew of backups.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have lost three straight games but nothing is lost. A win this week gets them in and for this team, a playoff berth is success. Even better is the fact that the Titans will be facing a team that has nothing to play for. There is no reason to expect the Jags to offer much resistance.

Tennessee needs a layup right about now. Nothing has worked for them over the last few weeks. Quarterback Marcus Mariota has really struggled over the second half of the season (six touchdowns, 10 interceptions since Week 9), the running game has disappeared (just 76.3 rushing yards per game in December) and the defense has struggled. However, some home cooking should help. This is a team that’s 5-2 at home this season and plays much better in front of their own audience.

The Titans need a “get well” type of game in the worst way and have a willing opponent with nothing to play for that should oblige.

Jaguars vs. Titans Prediction