Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins Betting Preview
Where: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami
When: Sunday, October 9, 2016, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Titans (+3.5) at Miami Dolphins (-3.5); total: 43.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Writer’s Pick: Tennessee Titans (+3.5)
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Betting on the Tennessee Titans (+3.5)
Defense is one of the few things where the Tennessee Titans have considerably improved this season. They held opposing teams to no more than 17 points in the first three weeks. However, Mike Mularkey’s crew only went 1-2 during that stretch, and that’s mainly because of their crucial late-game mistakes and the lack of experience.
Sunday’s 27-20 setback to the Texans was another example of that. The Titans fought hard and were in striking distance throughout the entire game, but they found a way to lose again when it allowed Houston to deliver the game-winning TD—a 67-yard punt return by Will Fuller in the third period. Tennessee’s offense and special teams have now yielded three scores and eight turnovers through four games.
QB Marcus Mariota, who threw for 202 yards and got picked off once versus the Texans, is the cause for more than half of the Titans’ giveaways. His passes have been intercepted at least once in each game this season, amassing a total of five picks under his belt. And as long as the former Heisman Trophy winner continues to give away possessions and put up below-average numbers, it’s hard to see Tennessee winning any time soon.
But hey, the Titans’ next game—an on-the-road encounter with the Dolphins this coming Sunday—is a very winnable game for them. Miami’s offense has been really sloppy thus far, averaging just 17.8 points and 329.8 total yards. Plus, its defense is actually even worse, yielding more than 400 yards of total offense. Mariota should have a more time and room to work with in locating his targets downfield.
Tennessee is 3-7 SU (3-7 ATS) in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Miami Dolphins (-3.5)
The Miami Dolphins, simply put, were dominated by the Bengals last Thursday night.
Almost nothing went right for the Dolphins, who dropped to 1-3 on the season. They were limited to a single touchdown, finished just 2-of-11 on third-down conversions and A.J. Green made their defense look non-existent by going off for 173 yards on 10 catches with a touchdown to lead Cincy to the eventual 22-7 victory.
For the sake of fairness, though, Miami was playing with a depleted offensive unit. Running back Arian Foster and tight end Jordan Cameron were both out with their respective injuries. This was probably the main reason why the team saw its quarterback Ryan Tannehill get sacked five times by the Cincinnati defense.
Starting this coming week though, the Dolphins can look forward to a four-game home stand that starts with a matchup against the Titans. Four of their last six meetings (4-2 ATS) have favored Miami, and that winning stretch should continue if Tennessee keeps on coughing up opportunities.
Jarvis Landry and Foster can both look forward to a big game here. The former, who was held to seven catches for 61 yards by Cincy, currently leads the Dolphins with 375 yards on 31 receptions across four games. That stretch includes also back-to-back 100-plus-yard games against the Patriots and Browns.
Foster, meanwhile, is set to face a Titans front seven that’s allowing 110.0 yards per contest. But we still don’t know if the former Texan will be available to play this week. If not, expect the Dolphins to lean heavily on their passing game once more.
Writer’s Prediction
Tennessee (+3.5) steals this one, 24-20.
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