Week 2 Road Dog Bet: Tennessee at Seattle Prediction
Tennessee Titans (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Seattle Seahawks (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
Week 2 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 4:25PM EDT
Where: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
TV: CBS
Point Spread: TEN +5.5/SEA -5.5 (Betanysports.eu – Allows you to bet games at -105 odds instead of -110. Do the math! This will save you THOUSANDS of dollars over the years!)
Over/Under Total: 54
The Tennessee Titans come to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in week two action. Both teams experienced very different week one results. Tennessee was utterly flattened by the Arizona Cardinals at home, 38-13, in a troubling season debut for a team many fancied as a contender. They already face a game where they would really like to get the “W.” But against Seattle, who looked crisp in a week one road win over the Colts, 28-16, it won’t be easy, as the Seahawks make their 2021 home debut. Who can get the cover on Sunday in Seattle?
Why This is a Tough Spot for Tennessee
Teams that are fancied as contenders don’t want to start 0-2, but Tennessee is getting a tough start to the season with two straight NFC West opponents where they’re a little out of their wheelhouse, especially on the road. And against another offensive team like Seattle that features a mobile quarterback, a cast of impactful receivers, and a diversely applied running attack, their defense will be facing some of the same challenges they faced against Arizona on Sunday.
The Tennessee defense has good players. There are individuals who can make plays, and on the right day, they can change the game’s result through big plays and turnovers. Kevin Byard had a pick on Sunday in a game with few Tennessee highlights. But going back to last season and into game one last week, we see a Titans’ defense that is heading in the wrong direction. Since their appearance in the 2019 AFC title game, they have been getting waning support with less stoutness and an ebbing of their big-play potential.
But Not So Fast…
One-game windows at the beginning of the season can lead bettors astray. Taking anything you saw in week one and running with it is a good way to have a rough start to the season. There were concerns for the Titans—a defense that that seemed readily exploitable and a flat offense, with Derrick Henry looking sluggish and the big addition of WR Julio Jones not paying off right away. Expecting all that to remain status-quo could be a big misstep. In coach Mike Vrabel’s tenure, we’ve seen a team usually respond well to these types of regular season conundrums. When they need a win to avoid falling into too big of a hole, they usually get it.
While the Seattle defense played well on Sunday, this is a different ball of wax. Indy was working in some new pieces with an offense that is incomplete. Against Tennessee, the Seattle defense will be dealing with a group that should look a lot better, from Tannehill to Henry, and onto guys like AJ Brown and Jones. Journeyman receiver Chester Rogers had four catches for 62 yards as they try to develop a fuller cast of contributors. I’d look for them to be a lot better moving forward, as this is the part of the team that does most of the heavy lifting.
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Good Spot for Seattle?
Some things shake out for this to be a good spot for the Seahawks this week. A lot of Tennessee players haven’t played within hundreds and hundreds of miles of this building. It’s a bit of an out-of-the-way locale against a team from a different conference for the Titans. But beyond location are a slew of other concerns. The Seattle offense had to like what they saw on Sunday from the Tennessee defense, especially as they hit the ground running on Sunday. Wilson was efficient and moving well, getting some nice contributions from Chris Carson on the ground while making meaningful connections with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
The Seattle secondary held up well in week one with Indy, but this should be harder. And if Wilson becomes errant, this is a Titans’ defense that can make a team really pay. We might also see the Titans’ front test the Seattle offensive line, an outstanding issue, more of a factor than what we saw in week one with a flat Indy “D.” Still, after giving up a big day to Kyler Murray, the Tennessee pass-defense has a lot of tough questions to answer this week. Wilson is a serious weapon, and with two game-breaking receivers in Metcalf and Lockett, they look to repeat what they did last week and to replicate what DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk were able to do.
Super Wide Range
This is a game where perhaps a number of different perspectives are all viable. Both teams are consistent playoff teams but inconsistent enough to give pause The Seattle defense, for example, plays with a wide span of form. And the Tennessee offense, when Tannehill is clicking, and Henry is having his way, can really take over games. But they don’t do that every week, as we saw on Sunday, losing as favorites by 25 points. And unlike division or even conference teams that know each other a bit, this game has no real familiarity, giving it even more of a feeling of uncertainty.
Take the Points
It’s a hard game to pick, but that’s not the only reason why taking points feels a little better. One has to defer a little to the urgency that Tennessee faces this week. Not that Seattle won’t be in an urgent frame-of-mind in their home-opener this early in the season too, but I see them having a hard time holding off a Titans team that I think will have more positive energy this week. There is a chance that Seattle could feast on a Titans’ team whose formula for success has subtly soured, but I see the Titans hanging in there and covering the spread on Sunday.
Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Tennessee Titans plus 5.5 points.
