The 7-2 New England Patriots are looking every bit like the Super Bowl favorites after getting the best of the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans, on the other hand, will get a chance to stop the Pats’ six-game winning streak after a huge win in Dallas on Monday. Will the Pats keep on rolling? Or will the Titans score another upset?
After coming out on top of a marquee matchup with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a 31-17 win, the Patriots will hit the road for an intriguing matchup with Tennessee. Brady passed for 294 yards and a touchdown with no errors on 22-of-35 completions, but it was the Pats’ run game and defense which truly stepped up in the Packers win. Even without running back Sony Michel, the Patriots managed to rush for 123 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. New England’s ground attack can get a boost next week, as Michel could make a return after missing multiple games. The Pats’ offensive attack, as a whole, can also have star tight end Rob Gronkowski back. Gronk missed the Packers game with back and ankle issues, but it’s still too early to tell whether he’ll make it back to action this coming weekend. As for the Pats’ defense, holding Rodgers down to only 259 passing yards can be considered as a feat for the improving New England defense that has allowed just 18.0 points in their last three games.
The Patriots are 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last two road games.
Betting on the Tennessee Titans (4-4)
Thanks in large part to a big outing from Marcus Mariota, the Titans were able to break their three-game losing skid in a 28-14 upset road win over the Dallas Cowboys last Monday. Mariota, the second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, completed 21 of 29 passes for 240 passing yards and two touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also used his legs to deal damage on the Cowboys’ defense, as he rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. It was a morale-boosting win for the Titans, whose offense may have finally woken up. The Titans are averaging just 16.8 points per game, but if Mariota plays this well, they can put up points on the board in a hurry. That great offensive night from the Titans shouldn’t overshadow that much the team’s defensive job. Tennessee, which limits opponents to only 17.6 points per game – the fewest in the NFL –, allowed just 297 total yards to Dallas.
The Titans are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
Writer’s Prediction
New England wins, but fails to cover, beating the Titans by a final score of 24-20.
