The Tennessee Titans are in the playoffs for the first time since 2008 but are in tough in the first game of Wild Card Weekend against a Kansas City team that’s rounding into form at the right time.
Sportsbook opened the Chiefs as 8-point home favorites with a total of 44.5.
- The Chiefs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games in the playoffs as favorites.
- The Titans are 4-1 SU in their last five games on the road against the Chiefs.
- The total has gone OVER in five of the Titans’ last seven games against the Chiefs.
The Titans were sitting pretty at 8-4 SU entering Week 13 but proceeded to drop three straight games, which meant their postseason hopes came down to a Week 17 battle with archrival Jacksonville. Marcus Mariota and company topped the Jags (who had already clinched a playoff berth) in that game to sneak into the postseason and likely save coach Mike Mularkey’s job in the process.
Of the 12 teams making an appearance in the postseason, only the Titans and Buffalo Bills have allowed more points than they’ve scored. By all accounts, the Titans did extremely well to go 9-7. Tennessee’s offense ranks 18th overall in the league, and the passing game comes in 20th. Mariota is the main reason for that, as the Oregon product set a career low in touchdowns (13) and passer rating (79.3) to go along with a career high in interceptions (15). We’re still waiting to see a real breakout from Mariota, but this weekend’s tilt could give him a prime opportunity to do so.
If you’ve watched the Titans this season, you already know they’re far from a safe bet on the road at 3-5 ATS, but their success in Kansas City is worth noting. In the Titans’ last six trips to Arrowhead Stadium, they’re a solid 5-1 ATS. Tennessee beat K.C. 19-17 in late December of the 2016 campaign while covering the spread as 6-point underdogs in their last appearance in Missouri.
The Chiefs are another squad that’s had some big highs and some very deep lows in 2017. K.C. looked like world-beaters after rattling off five straight wins to start the campaign before going 1-6 in their next seven, including losses to the lowly Giants and Jets. The Chiefs then reeled off four straight wins to end the regular season while holding off the surging L.A. Chargers.
In that four-game winning streak, Kansas City allowed 15, 13 and 13 points before allowing 24 to the Broncos in Week 17, but the majority of the starters didn’t see the field in that contest. The defense generated 12 turnovers in that span, so to say the unit is rounding into form at the right time would be an understatement.
Kansas City’s improved defense has translated into a litany of UNDERs at the betting window, as the UNDER has paid out in six of their last eight games. If you’re into past trends, you may be wary of the Chiefs, as they’ve gone 1-10 SU and ATS in their last 11 playoff games. This is a different team, however, and it’s quite clear the version of the Chiefs we’re seeing now resembles the same unit that won five straight out of the gate.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Odds at sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Kansas City Chiefs pegged as 7-point favorites in this betting matchup. The total, meanwhile, was listed by books like Sportsbook at 46.
A 26-17 result in favor of the Chiefs was the prediction by the OddsShark handicapping pick engine earlier this week. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.
Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City Chiefs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Tennessee Titans will try to spoil the party on Saturday; they are 8-7-1 against the spread this season, while the Kansas City Chiefs are 10-6 ATS. Tennessee is 9-7 on the OVER/UNDER betting totals; Kansas City is 8-8. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Kansas City vs Tennessee injuries news.
The Power Rankings at OddsShark have the No. 17-rated Titans taking on the No. 11-rated Chiefs in this betting contest.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 6-ranked offense (25.94 PPG) against a Tennessee Titans defense that ranks No. 17 at 22.25 PPG. The Chiefs passing attack has averaged 256.5 yards per game, more than the Titans give up through the air (239.25 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Titans feature the league's No. 3-rated road run defense, allowing 97.38 yards per game. The Chiefs, meanwhile, rank No. 20 in rushing offense at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last game, the Titans were Week 17 Sportsbooks, coming out on top of the Jaguars by a score of 15-10.
Kansas City won its last game, 27-24 over Denver on Sunday, behind a 147-yard receiving performance from Albert Wilson at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
- Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games
- Tennessee is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Tennessee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Kansas City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games
- Kansas City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
