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Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions: Can the Titans shock the Lions?

The Tennessee Titans are visiting the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.

The Titans are just bad

After a dominant 31-12 win in Miami in Week 4, the Tennessee Titans had a bye week and got back to the old habits. They lost the last two games and are now at the bottom of the AFC South with a 1-5 record, their worst start since the 2016-16 season. In the last one, the Titans were blown away 34-10 by the Buffalo Bills. Mason Rudolph started at quarterback, replacing Will Levis, who was sidelined with an injury. That didn’t change much for the Titans offense, which is ranked at the bottom of the league in points per game. Rudolph finished 25 of 40 for 215 yards with a touchdown, interception, and lost fumble.

The Lions look better than ever

If many were surprised by how deep the Detroit Lions went last season, no one really is by their excellent start of the season. They are on top of the NFC North with a 5-1 record and are currently on a four-game winning streak. The Lions proved they are for real, ending the Vikings’ perfect start with a 31-29 win in Minneapolis. Detroit had a slow start to the game, getting into a 10-0 deficit in the opening quarter, but then went to a 21-0 run in the second to get back in the game. Jake Bates kicked a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to win the game for Detroit. Jared Goff went 22 for 25 for 280 yards and no turnovers in his third straight game with a 140-plus passer rating, joining Aaron Rodgers, Kurt Warner, and Roger Staubach as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

Betting Trends

The Lions are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games overall, 6-1 SU in their last 7 home games and 1-4 SU in their last 5 home games playing against the Titans. They are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played in October. Detroit has played over the total point line in 12 of their last 18 games overall, and 4 of their last 5 games played in Week 8. The Titans are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games overall, 6-0 SU in their last 6 games against the Lions, 2-12 SU in their last 14 games on the road, and 4-1 SU  in their last 5 visits to Detroit. They are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall, 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against the Lions and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in October. Tennessee has played under the total point line in 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the NFC.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Detroit Lions completely turned the fortune of the franchise last season and, from a bad team, became a real contender seemingly overnight. Jared Goff is neck-to-neck with the best quarterbacks in the game and will have a chance to add another win for his team. The Titans are coming to Detroit this week as the winners in their last six meetings. It is questionable if they will be competitive in any game soon since they traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks this week as they look to shed salary and accumulate draft picks. Given that, Tennessee will stand no chance in this one, so we go with Detroit to cover the -11.5-point spread.