Tennessee Titans (3-9 SU, 4-7-1 ATS) vs. New York Jets (7-5 SU, 6-5-1 ATS)
NFL Week 14
Date/Time: Sunday December 13th, 1:00PM EST
Where: MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, N.J
TV: CBS
by Jay, NCAA Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: TEN +7.5/NYJ -7.5
Over/Under Total: 42.5
The Tennessee Titans snapped a 3 game losing skid last week with a 42-39 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite giving up 5 touchdowns to Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles on the defensive side of the ball, Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota delivered his own magic by throwing for 268 yards with 3 touchdowns and rushing for an impressive 112 yards with an additional touchdown. Mariotas running ability is what set him apart from his competition at the college level and he proved last Sunday that it could be what sets him apart at the next level when his offense needs it. This Sunday the Titans try to find some momentum as they take the road for a meeting with the New York Jets.
The Jets also had some excitement last week scoring an incredible come from behind victory against the New York Giants in a battle in the Meadowlands. The Jets were trailing 20-10 in the 4th quarter when the Giants elected to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Jets 4 yard line. The Giants who were trying to seal the victory ended up causing a huge change in momentum when Rontez Miles picked off Eli Manning in the end zone. From that point forward, the Jets mounted a comeback behind the arm of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who completed 36 of 50 passing for 390 yards with 2 touchdowns. During the final couple drives, the offense relied heavily on WR Brandon Marshall who caught the game tying touchdown. Marshall and fellow WR Erik Decker both eclipsed the 100 yard mark and the Jets would later hold on for a win in overtime which resurrected their playoff hopes.
Now at 7-5, the Jets are in the thick of the AFC wildcard hunt meaning they cannot afford any losses down the stretch. The Jets enter this Sundays contest against Tennessee as rather sizeable 7.5 point favorites. The Jets have actually been favored by more than a touchdown twice this season. In both instances, coincidentally they were 7.5 point favorites over both Washington and Jacksonville. The Jets split those two games going 1-1 ATS as more than 1 touchdown favorites. However, the Titans have not been a very good underdog team for bettors this season. In fact, Tennessee has dropped 6 of their last 7 games ATS as underdogs. So how can Tennessee change that trend this Sunday?
Obviously the easy answer is Marcus Mariota. Mariota has proved to be nearly unstoppable in flashes this season but he just needs to be more consistent. Offensively, the team is just looking for someone to step up outside of Mariota as a go to threat. The running game has been horrendous and the receiving corps have been pretty awful as well. Kendall Wright leads all receivers with just 390 receiving yards while tight end Delanie Walker has been the only productive target in the passing game with 800 receiving yards on 67 receptions. WR Dorial Green-Beckham stepped up in last weeks victory to catch 5 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown as a breakout star. Green-Beckham has the potential to step up and be a big threat for this offense so perhaps he can provide the spark the Titans need moving forward.
However, the Titans will go against a pretty stingy New York Jets defense this Sunday that should see the return of CB Darrelle Revis. The Jets defense rank 5th in total defense giving up just 326 yards per game and they should be able to match-up well against Tennessees offense especially if Revis is able to go. The question I have going into this Sundays contest is which Ryan Fitzpatrick will we see? Will it be the quarterback that completed 46% passing with 4 interceptions and 3 scores in the back to back losses to Houston and Buffalo?
Or will we see the quarterback that has since completed 66% passing while averaging 333 yards with 6 combined touchdowns over the past two weeks in back to back victories over Miami and the Giants. I believe the play at the quarterback position with Fitzpatrick will be very critical towards how this game unfolds for the Jets because they have the playmakers in the passing game to take advantage of the Titans secondary. The question is will they be able to execute?
Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: This is a risky number here if you consider how inconsistent the Jets have been on offense and the Titans for that matter. If Mariota plays well, I think this could be a tossup game. Consider it a small play but I will back the Titans and the points. Take Tennessee +7.5!
Get a generous 50% bonus up to $1000 FREE at one of the web’s oldest and most trusted sportsbooks: Sportsbetting.
