In the first game of the Monday NFL Doubleheader, the Tennessee Titans take on the Buffalo Bills.
Can the Titans keep it close against the Bills as a 10-point underdog? Here’s our take. Let’s see what the NFL odds tell us at the top sportsbooks!
Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills
Monday, September 19, 2022, 07:15 PM EDT at Highmark Stadium
The Buffalo Bills are getting some solid treatment early on this season. The Bills began the season 1-0 with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.
Now they’re given a week and some to prepare for the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football.
Meanwhile, the Titans were already upset by the New York Giants on their home field. Things aren’t looking bright for Tennessee. However, the Titans are usually competitive and get into the playoffs. We’ll see if they can turn things around.
Here are my picks and predictions for Monday’s first game of a doubleheader between the Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills.
When The Titans Have the Ball
The Tennessee Titans gained 359 yards of offense against the Giants in Week 1. The Giants’ defense stepped up when they needed to, late in the second half, but overall, the Titans struggled against an average defense.
The Giants weren’t great in coverage, and the pass rush wasn’t all that effective either.
How Did The Titans Do Against the Giants Last Week?
The Titans played well in pass protection, giving Ryan Tannehill enough time to make plays in the pocket. But he doesn’t have a great receiving core, especially with A.J. Brown no longer on the team.
His favorite receiver was Kyle Phillips, who averaged 11 yards per catch with six catches. He only found Robert Woods and Nick Westbrook for one catch. Those were the two wideouts listed as the top receivers on the depth chart coming into the game.
Meanwhile, Derrick Henry averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 21 carries. However, he didn’t score a touchdown or earn 100 yards rushing.
The Titans protected Tannehill, but it will be much harder against this Buffalo Bills defense.
What Should We Expect From the Titans This Week?
The Bills put together a great game plan against the Rams last week, earning seven sacks and three interceptions. The rushing defense wasn’t great, which is the one area where the Titans would love to get going in.
The Bills will want to get Henry the ball whenever they can on the ground to gain yardage. You don’t want to put Tannehill in the wrong position with unreliable wide receivers.
Look for the Titans to run well in this game, but the passing game probably won’t work against the Bills.
When The Bills Have the Ball
The Buffalo Bills dropped 31 on the Los Angeles Rams on the road last week. Josh Allen threw three touchdowns and two interceptions but still finished with a 91.2 QBR.
The pass protection broke down, and the run game lacked, but the Bills still found a way to score 31 points against the reigning champs.
Allen also led in the running game with ten carries for 56 yards, where he scored another touchdown. He found his target, Stefon Diggs, eight times for 122 yards and a touchdown. That duo is going to be special this season.
Anyway, the Titans weren’t terrible in passing plays defensively. It was more of a struggle against the run, where they let Saquon Barkley run wild.
What Should We Expect From the Bills This Week?
The Bills played superbly, but I’m not ready to believe they can be that good every week.
The Titans’ pass rush should be able to get to Josh Allen. However, Josh Allen can also escape the pressure and earn first downs with his feet.
After all, Allen could be the best quarterback in the game this season.
Titans vs. Bills: Our Prediction and Pick
The Bills will more than likely get their run game working again. Buffalo ran for just 121 yards on the ground in Week 1, and half of that was Josh Allen scrambling. The Bills only gave eight rushes to Devin Singletary and six to Zack Moss. That will change in this game going up against a Titans unit that couldn’t tackle or stop Barkley in Week 1.
On the other hand, the Bills weren’t all that great against the run either. Darrell Henderson Jr. of the Rams broke out for a significant 18-yard gain and had some other solid runs for the Rams.
The Bills will want to limit big plays for the Rams, but that rushing defense could struggle to do that against Derrick Henry.
The Betting Pick
We can’t make ridiculous overreactions in Week 1. The Titans lost to the Giants while the Bills crushed the Rams.
Taking the Bills at -10 sounds like a clever play. But instead, I like the Titans to run the ball, keep the clock moving, and ultimately cover the spread.
NFL Pick: Titans +10 (-110) at BetMGM
