Getty Marcus Mariota will look to get the Tennessee Titans back on the right track.
The Tennessee Titans (2-3) pay a visit to Mile High to play the Denver Broncos (1-4) at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Week 6.
The Titans are in a major rut as of late, having lost three of their past four games and displaying major ineptitude on offense, averaging just 10.3 points per game in those losses.
On the other side of things are the Broncos. Denver just pulled off their first win of the season in a convincing 20-13 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5. However, their offensive inconsistencies continued as they scored just three points in the second half and nearly blew a 17-0 lead just a week after blowing a double-digit lead at halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
These are two AFC teams that likely won’t make the playoffs in 2019, but something’s gotta give.
What should we expect out of this Week 6 matchup?
Game Info and Betting Line
Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos
October 13, 2019 at 4:25 pm ET
Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Coverage: CBS
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by BetOnline
Spread: Denver (-2)
Over/Under: 40.5
Denver Broncos
As mentioned earlier, the Broncos are the definition of a Jekyll-and-Hyde team. Denver got off to a raucous start against the Chargers, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive and moving the ball at will against a respectable Los Angeles squad.
However, they stalled rather quickly as soon as the second half began — a trend that has been their downfall during the entire season — gaining just 113 yards on their seven drives during the second half, including three three-and-outs.
While the Broncos will have an easier opponent this time around against the Titans, they need to avoid the offensive inconsistencies that have plagued them throughout the 2019 season.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are the definition of a “mediocre” squad. While they have a stifling defense that ranks sixth in the NFL in points allowed, they also rank 23rd in the NFL in points per game.
Despite having one of the top young runners in the league in Derrick Henry, Tennessee has been stifled by the limitations of Marcus Mariota. While Mariota has taken care of the ball this season, throwing zero interceptions against seven touchdowns, he has also been sacked 22 times. The 4.4 sacks allowed per game is the third-highest in the NFL.
Despite Mariota’s solid 7.9 yards per attempt, his net yards gained per pass attempt goes down to 5.9 because of the amount of sacks he takes.
Considering the Broncos didn’t have a single sack during the first three weeks of the season, the Titans need to protect their quarterback if they want a chance at winning at Mile High.
Trends and Prediction
Titans Trends:
- Tennessee are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee’s last 5 games.
- Tennessee are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games.
- Tennessee are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Denver.
Broncos Trends:
- Denver are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Denver’s last 14 games.
- Denver are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver’s last 10 games against Tennessee.
These are two mediocre squads that are playing for respect and for their head coaches. The Broncos have a more balanced squad, but they have a major flaw when their offense suddenly dies down in the second half.
As far as the Titans are concerned, their defense is stifling and they force turnovers — they rank sixth in the NFL in interceptions. With that said, the run game and the defense will be the key to victory here.
Furthermore, their new kicker — Cody Parker — will have to ensure that he doesn’t miss any field goals after former Titans kicker Cairo Santos missed four field goals last week in the team’s 14-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Even with all of that said, I’m giving the advantage to the Broncos because they have a more balanced team playing at home in their own time zone.
Pick: Broncos (-2), Under (40.5)