The Tennessee Titans enter this NFL season seeking an identity and long-term direction. The organization made waves this offseason by firing head coach Mike Vrabel and will enter this season in the first year of the Brian Callahan era.
They also face one of the more concerning quarterback outlooks with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph as the only two quarterbacks on the roster. Levis showed some flashes in his rookie season, but his NFL future will likely be decided by his level of play this year.
As a team, the Titans enter the season with the 5th-worst odds to win it all at +15000 on DraftKings Sportsbook. They have the third-worst odds to win the AFC at +8000 and hold +1000 odds to win the AFC South. Tennessee’s season-long win total is 6.5 games, with the under favored at -135 odds.
Calvin Ridley Over 875.5 Receiving Yards (-105 Odds)
The Titans made a splash this offseason handing Calvin Ridley a four-year contract worth $92 million with $50 million guaranteed.
You don’t make this type of investment without a plan to utilize this player. Ridley is coming off a season with the Jaguars in which he tallied 76 receptions for 1016 yards and eight touchdowns. The 29-year-old also joins a Titans offense that already has DeAndre Hopkins set to line up on the other side.
While you could argue he may get less of a target share, it also means the defense will be less zeroed in on Ridley. His production was strong last year, but there is room for improvement for the Alabama product. He recorded a career-low catch rate last season at 55.9% as he only managed to pull in 76 of his 136 targets.
When looking at the Titans’ season outlook, there is not a ton of reason for optimism. With matchups against teams like the Jets, Bills, Texans, Bengals, and more- expect Tennessee to spend plenty of time playing from behind.
The organization will be seeking to receive the answer to whether Will Levis can be the long-term option at quarterback this season. The only way for this to occur will be to air things out, especially since that is likely what the game script will dictate. This will also result in additional opportunities for Ridley in the process.
875.5 receiving yards is a comfortable meter of success for Ridley to clear this season. He possesses the level of talent required and the opportunity will be there for him this season with the Titans.
DraftKings Drive for Week 5 –– 1 Win After 5 Regular Season Games (+160 Odds)
Looking at their production last season, the Titans ranked 27th in scoring, 28th in yards tallied, 24th in score percentage, and 26th in first downs tallied. Defensively, they allowed the 16th-most points, 18th in yards allowed, and ranked 31st in turnovers. They also lost franchise centerpiece Derrick Henry who joined the Ravens this offseason.
Tennessee did bring in some talent this offseason, including Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley, but it is tough to have high expectations heading into this year. This is especially the case early on in the season.
The Titans will face off with the Chicago Bears who are one of the more highly anticipated teams entering this season. They then will travel back from Chicago to face the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. The team will then travel down to Miami to face the Dolphins before taking a Week 5 bye. Tennessee will then return from the bye week for a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Titans are considered 4.5-point underdogs against the Bears in the opening week on DraftKings Sportsbook. They are expected to open up as 4-point underdogs against the Jets in the following week. They are 3.5-point underdogs against the Packers in Week 3 and 6.5-point underdogs on the road against the Dolphins the following week.
While they are still expected to open as 1.5-point underdogs against the Colts in Week 6, this is a game they will have a significantly better chance. Unless Will Levis and the rest of this Titans can exceed expectations in a major way, expect them to struggle in each matchup before the bye week.
With a rest advantage and plenty of time to gameplan against the Colts, this feels like their first clear chance at winning a game. Expect things to play out this way and take the +160 odds to capitalize.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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