Redskins vs. Titans Point Spread: NFL Week 16 Odds, Prediction
There’s Saturday action in the NFL for the second straight week, and the doubleheader kicks off with Washington visiting Tennessee, with both still alive in the playoff hunt.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Injuries are a part of the NFL and every team has to expect some. However, no club in the league this year has been hit harder than the Washington Redskins. Back in August, they were gutted at running back, including rookie and projected starter Derrius Guice lost for the season. That led to the signing of veteran Adrian Peterson. He was great for a while but has really tailed off. Washington has placed a whopping 18 guys on injured reserve.
Has any club in league history lost its top two quarterbacks to broken legs in the same year? The 2018 Redskins have. It’s hard to blame Coach Jay Gruden for the team’s recent struggles, but he might be a fall guy regardless. That is, unless Washington gets a near-miracle and reaches the post-season. Tennessee, meanwhile, is still in the AFC wild-card hunt but it’s not looking great for the Titans to play extra football a second year in a row.
These two teams are a lot alike. They aren’t flashy whatsoever offensively and play ball-control offence behind their running game and conservative passing attack. The Rams and Chiefs these teams are not! This figures to be one of the week’s lower-scoring games.
Dating to the Oilers days, the all-time series between the Titans and Redskins is even 6-6. Washington has won the past two on walk-off field goals. The road team has covered the past five.
Washington Redskins
Washington seems to like playing on Saturday, winning its past three on the day (last 2016). The Skins kept their slim playoff hopes alive with Sunday’s 16-13 upset win at Jacksonville on a walk-off field goal. Josh Johnson made his first start in more than seven years and was the fourth quarterback in as many weeks to start for Washington after Alex Smith and Colt McCoy broke their legs and Mark Sanchez just stunk. Johnson didn’t turn the ball over against the Jags, threw for a TD and rushed for 49. The Skins totaled just 245 yards, but held the Jaguars to 192 and forced two turnovers. The Cowboys’ loss at Indianapolis kept Washington’s NFC East hopes alive. Dallas still leads by a game and wins any tiebreaker.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are still alive for the AFC South – two games behind Houston – and for the conference’s last wild-card spot but loses a tiebreaker to current WC leader Baltimore (which is an underdog Saturday night at the Chargers). Tennessee won its third in a row Sunday, 17-0 at the Giants to improve to 3-0 vs. NFC East clubs this year. It was the franchise’s first shutout since 2000. Derrick Henry had his second straight monster game with 170 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 33 carries. His 408 yards the past two weeks is a team record in back-to-back games. Marcus Mariota threw for only 88 yards vs. New York, but if you run the ball that well you don’t need to pass much.
