NFL forecast: Ryan Tannehill, Titans can clinch division
The last time Tennessee played Miami, quarterback Ryan Tannehill led the Dolphins to a 27-20 win over the Titans in the 2018 season opener.
On Sunday, Tannehill will face his former team for the first time since Miami traded him to Tennessee during the 2019 NFL draft.
Tannehill and the Titans (10-5, 9-6 ATS) can clinch the AFC South title with a win and can claim the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a victory and Kansas City loss at Cincinnati.
Tennessee has struggled on offense since losing NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry in Week 8. But the Titans have won and covered their past two home games and got a boost with the return of wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had 11 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown in a 20-17 win over the 49ers.
Tennessee has had extra rest since that Dec. 23 victory, while the Dolphins are working on a short week after beating the depleted Saints on “Monday Night Football.”
Miami (8-7, 8-7 ATS) has followed a seven-game losing streak with a seven-game winning streak. But the Dolphins have beat up on some bad teams during their run, including the Giants, Texans and Jets twice.
Fourth-year Titans coach Mike Vrabel has a 39-24 record, and I’ll bank on him and Tennessee to find a way to cover as 3-point favorites (at BetMGM).
Four more plays (home team in CAPS):
Cardinals (+6) over COWBOYS: In sports betting, like the stock market, it typically pays to buy low and sell high. Arizona has lost three in a row while going 0-3 ATS, as its stock has plummeted. Dallas has won and covered four straight, as its stock has soared. As a result, the line is a bit inflated. Arizona is 7-1 ATS on the road this season and has covered five of the past six meetings with Dallas.
PATRIOTS (-15½) over Jaguars: New England needs to win and have the Raiders or Dolphins lose to clinch a playoff spot. The Patriots are in dire need of a victory to erase the bitter taste of back-to-back losses after a seven-game winning streak. They should be able to take out their frustrations on Jacksonville, which is on an 0-6 spread skid and is an NFL-worst 4-11 ATS. New England has the league’s top scoring defense, allowing 17.3 points per game, and should shut down the Jaguars in a blowout win.
SEAHAWKS (-7½) over Lions: I was one of the countless bettors who lost a teaser last week when Seattle blew a 24-14 fourth-quarter lead in a 25-24 home loss to the Bears. That brutal defeat is one of the reasons I’m taking the Seahawks to bounce back against Detroit in what might be Russell Wilson’s final home game in Seattle. Pro bettors have told me they like to bet on teams coming off ugly losses.
Rams (-5½) over RAVENS: Baltimore’s battered secondary was shredded in last week’s blowout loss to the Bengals, as Joe Burrow threw for 525 yards and four touchdowns. Now the Ravens face Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, fourth in the league in passing yards (4,339) and second in TD passes (36). Los Angeles has won and covered four straight and can clinch the NFC West title with a win and Arizona loss.
Last week: 2-3
Season: 43-37
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
