Surging 49ers Road Favorites In Tennessee

San Francisco (8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS) has won and covered five of its last six games, with three of those victories coming by 18 points or more. The 49ers hope to continue their playoff push Thursday when they visit the struggling Titans (9-5, 8-6), who have lost three of their last four.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

These two teams are headed in opposite directions lately, and oddsmakers have certainly noticed. After originally Sportsbook Tennessee as a 1-point favorite, sportsbooks had moved the 49ers to 3.5-point road chalk at the start of the week.

San Francisco News & Notes

The 49ers have gone 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six games to get back into the NFC playoff hunt and their ground game has been a big reason for the recent surge. San Fran is averaging nearly 150 rushing yards per contest during that span, the fourth-highest average in the NFL since mid-November.

With top running back Elijah Mitchell unavailable last week due to a concussion and sore knee, Jeff Wilson Jr. rumbled for 110 yards and a touchdown in a 34-13 win over the Falcons. Wilson also added a pair of receptions for nine yards and could be a valuable fantasy play against the Titans if Mitchell isn’t able to return on a short week.

Defensively, Nick Bosa has recorded at least one sack in six straight games while Arden Key has at least 0.5 sacks in six of his last seven. The 49ers also stopped Atlanta on downs three times inside their own 10-yard line in last week’s win, becoming the first NFL team in 40 years to accomplish that feat.

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Tennessee News & Notes

The Titans no longer have the inside track on the top seed in the AFC after losing three of their last four outings and going 1-4 ATS in their last five. Tennessee failed to score in the second half Sunday in Pittsburgh, allowing a 13-3 lead to slip away in a 19-13 defeat.

Turnovers have been a huge factor in the Titans’ recent skid. Tennessee gave the ball away four times against the Steelers, with three of those giveaways leading directly to three Pittsburgh field goals. The Titans also practically handed the Steelers their first touchdown with two big penalties on defensive back Kristian Fulton, helping Pittsburgh score 19 points on just 168 total yards of offense.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is averaging less than 150 passing yards in his last three games and has not had more than one touchdown throw in six straight. Most of Tennessee’s offense these days is coming on the ground, where D’Onta Foreman has delivered 100-yard rushing games in two of his last three outings in place of the injured Derrick Henry.

How San Francisco Will Cover

Running the ball might not be easy against Tennessee’s second-ranked rush defense, but the 49ers need to stay committed to it. San Fran has run for at least 100 yards in each of its last six victories but has averaged 55 rushing yards in each of its last two defeats.

How Tennessee Will Cover

How well the Titans take care of the football will go a long way toward determining whether they have a chance at the upset. Tennessee has committed a combined 13 turnovers in its last three losses and just one in its last three victories.

Computer Pick: 49ers -3.5

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