What’s better than a Saturday matchup between the Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans? Well, to be honest, a lot of things are, but that’s not the point. The first game of Week 16 kicks off at Nissan Stadium, where sportsbooks opened the Titans as big 10-point home favorites with a total of 37.
- The Titans are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games at home.
- The Redskins are 4-12 SU in their last 16 games after a win.
- The total has gone OVER in three of the Titans’ last four games (avg. combined score: 38.75).
Redskins vs Titans Game Center
Johnson has been a pleasant surprise for Redskins
At 7-7 SU, the Washington Redskins are still alive in the NFC playoff hunt but will likely have to win their two remaining contests and get a little help in order to reach the postseason. After their top two quarterbacks suffered broken legs and the Mark Sanchez experiment proved to be short-lived, fourth-stringer Josh Johnson made his first start in more than seven years and didn’t turn the ball over and threw for a touchdown in Washington’s 16-13 upset over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.
The ’Skins simply haven’t been able to string together wins, as Washington is 4-12 SU in its past 16 games when coming off a win. Washington is also 1-4 SU in its previous five road tilts when coming off a road win. When it comes to the total, the UNDER is trending. Four of the Redskins’ past five road games have gone UNDER the closing total with an average combined score of 35.2 points.
Titans are peaking at the right time
Sitting two games behind Houston for the top spot in the AFC South, the Titans won their third straight with a 17-0 triumph over the New York Giants to improve to 3-0 vs the NFC East in 2018. The triumph was Tennessee’s first shutout since 2000. Running back Derrick Henry continues to break out of a season-long slump by erupting for 170 yards and two scores on the ground on a career-high 33 carries.
Making the playoffs will be a little easier for the Titans than it will be for the Redskins, but Baltimore owns the tiebreaker over Tennessee, so winning out is key for Marcus Mariota and company. The Titans have always fared well at Nissan Stadium and that’s translated to the betting window. Entering Week 16, Tennessee is 7-2 ATS in its past nine in Nashville.
My pick: take the OVER
The total of 37 was the lowest on the board as of this writing and I think oddsmakers are off the mark here. While neither team is expected to light the scoreboard up, I think both offenses can muster enough points to easily go OVER the low number. Henry’s resurgence has been something to behold and Johnson looks to be more than capable under center, so I’m comfortable betting on this one to go OVER.
