A turnover-riddled Tennessee Titans team limped into Thursday Night Football as home underdogs last week.
The predicted script seemed on track when the Titans fell down big at halftime, but Tennessee battled back for a win without turning the ball over a single time.
Now they’ve nearly got the AFC South title on lock with a distant shot at the conference, too.
But the NFL’s hottest team, the Miami Dolphins, comes to town Sunday, hunting a playoff spot and eighth consecutive win. Will the Titans play strong again and put an end to the Dolphins’ dominant streak?
How to watch: Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans
- What: Miami (8-7) at Tennessee (10-5)
- When: 12 p.m., CST, Sunday
- Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
- TV: CBS
- Radio: WGFX 104.5 FM-The Zone
Odds favor the home team in Week 17
Even before the final seconds ticked away in Miami’s Monday Night Football win, Tennessee sportsbooks showed the Titans as slight favorites over Miami for Week 17 play.
As of Tuesday afternoon, sportsbooks across the board were calling Tennessee 3.5-point favorites for the game.
The best Titans moneyline odds were at Caesars Sportsbook at -175. Draftkings Sportsbook TN and BetMGM TN had the best moneyline value for Dolphins bettors at +155.
Oddsmakers set the over/under of 41 points., though FanDuel Sportsbook TN had it at 40.5 points. The over has hit in seven Tennessee games and six times in Miami games this season.
Both the Titans and Dolphins are 9-6 against the spread this season.
As the Titans enter the final two regular-season games, sportsbooks have their Super Bowl odds hovering between 18-1 and 20-1.
Clinching up the AFC South requires just one more win or a Colts loss so the payouts for a wager there won’t be too great with odds around -2500.
Titans put brakes on Niners roll
The San Francisco 49ers came into town rolling on a short week. Three-point favorites, San Francisco scored seven on the opening drive and jumped to a 10-0 lead by halftime.
However, after the Tennessee offense sputtered in the first half, punting on every drive, the Titans responded in the second half.
With A.J. Brown back in the fold, Tennessee earned the comeback win. The wide receiver had an 18-yard touchdown catch and finished with 11 receptions for 145 yards.
The win was not without drama, as San Francisco scored to tie the game at 17-17 with 2:20 to play. Then, quarterback Ryan Tannehill led an eight-play drive that ended in the game-winning field goal for the Titans. Four seconds and several San Fran laterals later, Tennessee held on for the 20-17 victory.
The Titans secured the ball and went turnover-free for the game after recording 13 turnovers the prior four games.
Tannehill completed 22-of-29 passes and threw for 209 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans again were without star running back Derrick Henry, but the latest reports indicate Henry could return for Week 18, especially if the Titans need a win.
Dolphins dominate COVID-depleted Saints in New Orleans
The Dolphins had little trouble against the depleted New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Ian Book was the third man up for the Saints after COVID-19 sidelined starting quarterback Taysom Hill and backup Trevor Siemian — along with 20 other Saints players. Book’s second career pass ended in six points for the Dolphins, courtesy cornerback Nik Needham.
Miami’s defense has allowed an average of just 11.7 points a game in their last seven wins. They sacked Book eight times and recorded six sacks against Jets quarterback Zach Wilson the week before.
The visitors controlled the ball on both sides to secure a 20-3 victory over New Orleans and extend their win streak to seven.
Miami is now the only team in NFL history to have a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game win streak in the same season. The Dolphins also vaulted into seventh place in the AFC with the win before facing the Titans and Patriots to close the season.
A Miami win in Nashville would mark the first eight-game win streak for the franchise since the 1985 season. The Dolphins need to win out to earn their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle returned from the COVID-19 list to snag 10 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. At 96 catches, Waddle passed Michael Thomas for the second-most by a rookie. He’s now five receptions behind Anquan Boldin’s 2003 record of 101.
