Arizona Cardinals vs Tennessee Titans Odds, Lines, and Picks
By Chris Amberley in NFL Football
Published:
- The Tennessee Titans are 3-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 (Sunday, September 12th, 1 pm ET)
- Tennessee and Arizona were two of the top-three teams in situation neutral pace in 2020
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
Week 1 on the NFL schedule continues with a doozy from Nashville. The defending AFC South champion Tennessee Titans will host the Arizona Cardinals, in a game that should produce plenty of offensive fireworks.
These two teams ranked top-six in the league in 2020 in total yards per game, and both made upgrades to their already explosive offenses.
Kick-off is scheduled for 1 pm ET on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, with CBS providing the tv coverage, and sunny, 88 degree temperatures in the forecast.
Cardinals vs Titans Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | +135 | +3 (-120) | O 52.5 (-110) |
| Tennessee Titans | -155 | -3 (+100) | U 52.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Sept. 7th at DraftKings.
The Titans opened up as 3-point favorites, and that’s where the line stands after briefly dipping to -2.5. The game’s total sits at 52.5, up a full point since odds were first released.
52% of the spread bets are currently on the Cardinals, while 55% of total bettors are backing the over. Given the fact that AZ sports betting is now legal, it shouldn’t shock anyone if more Arizona bettors back their home state team leading up to this contest.
Kyler and Company
The Cardinals enter year three of the Kliff Kingsbury experiment, hoping to improve on last season’s 8-8 campaign. Kyler Murray is one football’s most exciting talents, and is fresh off a fantastic sophomore season. Murray started all 16 games, throwing for 3,971 yards and 26 TD, despite battling injury.
KYLER DUSTED THE 49ERS DEFENSE 🏎💨
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/BrNprMpvpw
— ESPN (@espn) September 13, 2020
He’ll enter this season healthy, and when that was the case last year, he was basically a cheat code. In addition to throwing for 26 TD, he ran for 11 more, and eclipsed 60 rushing yards in seven games.
He connected with number one wideout DeAndre Hopkins 115 times for 1,407 yards (third most), and the team upgraded Larry Fitzgerald to second round pick Rondale Moore, giving Murray another explosive playmaker at his disposal.
KYLER MURRAY!!! D.HOP!!!! MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ZojGTj71WQ
(via @NFL)— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 16, 2020
The matchup versus the Titans is favorable, especially in the secondary. Tennessee allowed the fourth most pass yards per game in 2020, and featured the third worst pass rush. They’re relying on first round rookie Caleb Farley, who struggled in camp, and soon to be 33-year-old Janoris Jenkins at corner, the latter of which allowed 13 yards per catch, and a 60% reception rate in 2020.
Titans Tough To Stop
Tennessee meanwhile, is fresh off an 11-5 campaign that saw them score the fourth most points in football. Ryan Tannehill produced a fantastic season, throwing for a career-high 33 touchdowns, against just 7 interceptions. The nine-year veteran also added a career-best 7 rushing TD, and now has the luxury of throwing to one of the most feared 1-2 receiving duos in the NFL.
Ryan Tannehill hits AJ Brown for a 69 yard TD. Too big, too strong, too fast. This man is a problem.pic.twitter.com/iSkzpA0aJC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 29, 2020
Julio Jones joins 1,000-yard receiver A.J. Brown, and the two should feast on Arizona’s corners. The Cardinals just lost Malcolm Butler to retirement this month, and will be forced to rely on an inexperienced secondary. Good luck stopping Jones and Brown.
Can’t remember entering an NFL season with so many poor secondaries across the league. And this is before inevitable droves of injuries. NFL badly needs an influx of quality young DBs.https://t.co/tHOfSkJW9W
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) September 3, 2021
To make thing even more difficult for Arizona, they’ll also have to deal with Derrick Henry. The reigning two-time rushing King is fresh off a 2,027 yard season, while the Cards boasted Pro Football Focus’ third worst rushing grade last year.
Arizona did add J.J. Watt in the offseason, and while he can still be effective, his PFF grade has declined in back-to-back seasons.
Cardinals vs Titans Pick
With both offenses set up for success, it makes sense to target the over. It also helps that both these teams love to play fast. The Cardinals ranked number one in situation neutral pace last season, while the Titans ranked third. Neither team has given any indication that they’re looking to slow down, and the improved weaponry for both QB’s is only going to make them tougher to stop.
Julio Jones
AJ Brown
Derrick Henry
Ryan TannehillTitans got a squad 👀 pic.twitter.com/mD7EPYYhPv
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) June 6, 2021
12 of Tennessee’s 16 regular season games went over the total in 2020, and the Titans have been an over machine since Tannehill took over the starting job. Under his guidance, 21 of 26 games (80.7%) have eclipsed the total.
Pick: Over 52.5 (-110)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
