The Tennessee Titans hope to end their lengthy playoff slump when they visit the New England Patriots on Saturday night for an AFC Wild-Card showdown. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Tennessee (9-7) has won just one of its last five postseason contests and three of 10 since defeating Jacksonville in the 1999 AFC Championship Game. The franchise has lost two of its three playoff meetings with the Patriots, including both against Tom Brady.
New England (12-4), which is 9-3 against the spread in its last 12 postseason games as the favorite, is beginning the quest for its fourth Super Bowl championship in six campaigns. The Patriots have won 12 of their last 14 playoff contests and knocked off the Titans 35-14 in the 2017 Divisional round. New England is a 4.5-point favorite in the Patriots vs. Titans odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 44.5. Before locking in any Titans vs. Patriots picks or AFC Wild Card predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine's proven projection model has to say.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up over $7,000 for $100 players on its top-rated NFL picks since its inception four-plus years ago. It has nailed its recent top-rated NFL picks, entering Wild Card Weekend of the 2019-20 NFL playoffs on a strong 34-22 run that dates back to last season. It's also on an incredible 96-65 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch the past three years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 96 percent of CBS Sports office pool players last season. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Patriots vs. Titans. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. Visit SportsLine to see the pick. Now, here are the NFL betting lines and trends for Titans vs. Patriots:
- Patriots vs. Titans spread: Patriots -4.5
- Patriots vs. Titans over-under: 44.5 points
- Patriots vs. Titans money line: Titans +183, Patriots -226
- TEN: Titans are 5-3 on the road
- NE: Patriots have a plus-195 point differential
The model has considered that the Patriots are gunning for their fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, last accomplished by the Buffalo Bills from 1990 to 1993. New England has been the NFL's best over the past 20 years under coach Bill Belichick, who has compiled a 267-93 (.742) record, including 30-10 in the postseason.
Offensively, the Patriots' top target is wide receiver Julian Edelman, who has 100 receptions for 1,117 yards (11.2 average) and six touchdowns. He has 13 plays of 20 yards or more, and in three career games against the Titans, Edelman has 16 receptions for 154 yards, a 9.6 average. New England is also 6-2 against the spread in its last eight playoff home games.
But just because New England has experienced plenty of success the past two decades does not guarantee it will cover the Patriots vs. Titans spread on Saturday in the NFL Playoffs 2020.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December, has thrown 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions over his last seven games. He has made at least two scoring tosses in each of those contests, the second-longest such streak in franchise history (Marcus Mariota - eight straight in 2016), while Derrick Henry (16) joined Earl Campbell (19 in 1979) and LenDale White (15 in 2008) as the only players to rush for at least 15 TDs in a season for the organization.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown has recorded a touchdown (one rushing) in four straight games, becoming the franchise's first rookie to accomplish the feat since Chris Sanders had a five-game streak in 1995. On the other side of the ball, safety Kevin Byard made a team-high five interceptions in 2019 for a league-best 17 over the last three seasons and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (five) finished with at least five sacks for the seventh consecutive campaign.
So who wins Titans vs. Patriots in the 2020 NFL Playoffs? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Patriots vs. Titans spread to jump on Saturday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $7,000 on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
