Patriots vs. Titans Point Spread: NFL Week 9 Odds, Prediction
The 2-6 New England Patriots earned a rare win, 25-22, against the Jets last week, but it likely says more about how incompetent New York is rather than anything positive the Pats accomplished. The Titans have just one win on the year and lost a third straight game in blowout fashion against Detroit last week.
This will be a coin-flip game against two terrible teams.
Tennessee opened as a three-point favourite to win on the NFL odds, with the total set at 38.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Playing at home generally earns teams three points on the spread, so the Titans favoured by a field goal tells you oddsmakers view these teams as equally bad. Keep in mind, Tennessee still hasn’t won at home this season.
New England and Tennessee may stink in the standings, but they’ve been gold to bettors…as long as you fade them. The Pats have only covered twice this season and the Titans have been even worse at 1-6 against the spread.
If you’re looking for a historical edge, New England has covered in six of their last eight games against Tennessee while the Titans are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against AFC opponents.
These teams don’t put many points on the board, but I personally lean Over this week. As of Wednesday afternoon the total has dropped to 38, the lowest of any Week 9 game, and the Patriots and Titans have each hit the Over in a majority of their games this season.
New England Patriots
Last week’s win against the Jets may tell you more about New York than New England, but the Patriots are not going to complain about a W in the standings. The Pats actually suffered an early setback against the Jets as rookie quarterback Drake Maye was forced to exit early after suffering a concussion. Journeyman Jacoby Brissett entered in relief, completing 15 of 24 pass attempts for 132 yards with no TDs or interceptions. No New England player hit the 50-yard mark in rushing or receiving, although Rhamondre Stevenson did run in two TDs.
With Maye still in concussion protocol, there’s a very real chance the Patriots will be forced to start Brissett, who they benched in favour of Maye a few weeks ago. That’s a problem as Brissett has just two passing TDs in six games this season and his season-high in passing yards is 168. You can expect New England to rely heavily on Stevenson running the ball against Tennessee.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans were absolutely demolished by Detroit last week as they were torched for all 52 points in the first three quarters before a scoreless fourth. Starting in place of the injured Will Levis, Mason Rudolph completed 22 of 38 pass attempts for 266 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Rudolph has started the last two games, throwing for a combined 481 yards with two TDs and three interceptions.
The main question right now is the status of Levis, who returned to practice this week as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. It’s obviously a positive sign he’s practicing, but it’s worth monitoring closer to game time. Calvin Ridley, who finished with a season-high 143 receiving yards last week, is also dealing with a shoulder injury and he was held out of practice on Wednesday. It’s not believed to be a serious injury, but it’s another one worth monitoring.
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