OTAs are in full swing in Nashville, as the Tennessee Titans begin their march towards the 2019 season. A current look around the landscape of the NFL betting odds from our friends out in the desert shows that they don’t think too highly of the Titans heading into 2019.
The current AFC South odds:
- Indianapolis Colts, 6/5
- Houston Texans, 5/2
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 4/1
- Tennessee Titans, 6/1
No qualms with the Indianapolis Colts being the favorites. As a Titans fan, I am absolutely dreading the next five years of playing Frank Reich. This team is built to win for a long, long time with one of if not the best offensive line in football and a stable of decent running backs that Spencer Ware was added to in free agency. They addressed needs at receiver with Devin Funchess in free agency and a draft steal in Parris Campbell. Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron remain at tight end. And, of course, I haven’t even mentioned Andrew Luck, who made a case for MVP in 2018. That offense is going to be loaded and should be able to move the ball however they want to.
They have a couple of young cornerstone defensive players in Darius Leonard and Malik Hooker. Plus, they added Rock Ya-Sin and Ben Banogu in the draft. Jabaal Sheard is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the NFL, and the addition of Justin Houston should bolster the pass rush. This should be a much-improved unit in 2019.
Again, absolutely no gripe from me as to why the Colts should be the preseason favorites – but after the Colts? Man, it’s completely up for grabs.
Deshaun Watson is the second best quarterback in the division, and DeAndre Hopkins is the best receiver in the entire NFL. So, that’s going to make the Houston Texans offense a threat as long as those two are standing. The big question remains: are the additions of Matt Kalil and Tytus Howard enough to drastically improve that woeful offensive line? If not, Watson could be in for another brutal season of sacks.
On defense, the Texans allowed the 4th fewest points per game in 2018. But, that’s a bit deceiving – they allowed 26.2 PPG to playoff teams. That number would rank 24th. Thankfully, they only allowed 12.5 PPG to terrible teams in 2018.
Only the Arizona Cardinals offense produced less points per game than the Jacksonville Jaguars offense in 2018. It was a completely anemic offense devoid of play-makers. Having a top five defense in 2018 didn’t mean a thing as few points as the offense was scoring. I don’t think simply plugging in Nick Foles at quarterback is going to be a miracle cure – I still have doubts about his staying power as a long-term franchise quarterback.
So, factor all of this in, and 6/1 odds for the Titans certainly looks like a good value to me.
In 2019, the focus of the offense is going to be put squarely on Marcus Mariota, who is entering the biggest season of his life. But, he’s never had a better supporting cast. Derrick Henry was the hottest running back in the league during the back stretch of 2018. Adding Rodger Saffold should improve the offensive line. Delanie Walker is healthy. Corey Davis has had another year to develop, and the Titans drafted A.J. Brown. This is the most loaded the Titans offense has been in years. If he even remotely plays up to his capability, this offense is going to improve dramatically.
The defense won’t get production out of first round draft pick Jeffery Simmons right away, but it’s still a complete unit. Lest we forget, the Titans were 3rd in the NFL in terms of PPG allowed last season. If they can fine-tune the pass rush, the defense is going to be even better in 2019. Dean Pees electing to hold off on retiring was huge.
All in all, I don’t understand why people are sleeping on how few holes this roster has. The Titans look like a complete team and if Mariota takes the next step as a quarterback, they’re going to be a force in the AFC.
I’m calling it now – the Texans are going to take a step back on offense. The Jags are going to take a step back on defense, and the Titans are going to be the team to capitalize on it. They’re the most complete team in the division outside of the Colts and are well worth the 6/1 rolling of the dice.
Before you place a bet, there are pretty solid reviews via sportsbettingdime.com, they’re rating them for security and bonuses but also how generous the line selection is. So at the very least, find the site that’s gonna pay the most for when the Titans end up playing spoiler and winning the division.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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