Odds Favor Mariota Being Titans’ Starting QB in 2020, Winston Won’t Be Bucs’

• Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the 1st and 2nd picks in the 2015 NFL Draft
• Sportsbooks have released odds on whether Winston or Mariota will remain the starting QB of their team next season
• Mariota has been benched by the Titans in favor of Ryan Tannehill

Remember when Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston and Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota were the first two players off the board in the 2015 draft? Well, a lot has changed since then.

Neither player was offered an extension headed into the final year of their rookie deal and now you can bet on whether they’ll be the starter for their franchise in 2020. Let’s start by taking a look at Marcus Mariota and the Titans.

Marcus Mariota as 2020 Titans Starter Odds

*Odds taken 10/16/19

The oddsmakers seem to have more faith than I do that Mariota will be the Titans’ starter next year. Head coach Mike Vrabel has decided to bench Mariota in favor of back up Ryan Tannehill and while that isn’t necessarily a permanent decision, it doesn’t look good for the former Oregon star.

Marcus Mariota: "This is an opportunity for me to learn. I'm going to make the most of it… I'll be better from it." pic.twitter.com/PkgIgeCTgD

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 16, 2019

There is a premium on quarterbacks in the current NFL climate and the fact Tennessee didn’t offer a contract extension heading into the final year of the deal spoke volumes. The fact Mariota responded by posting a 59.1% completion percentage and only seven touchdowns in six games, isn’t good either.

Marcus Mariota Career Stats

Looking at his career stats it’s easy to see why he wasn’t given the mega extension so many others have received. The reality is he wasn’t drafted by the current GM and the current coach wasn’t around in 2015 either. I think it’s more than possible they move on and either draft a quarterback this year or hunt for a new one in free agency. The fact you can get +150 on ‘No’ makes it an even more intriguing bet.

Pick: No (+150)

Jameis Winston as 2020 Buccaneers Starter Odds

Winston was the top selection back in 2015 and while he didn’t get extended heading into the fifth year of his rookie deal either, I like his chances of staying with his current team a little bit more. He has more touchdowns and passing yards than Mariota this year and also has the better completion percentage. One detractor is the high amount of interceptions, Winston has ten this year which trails only Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.

Jameis Winston now has 5 games of at least 4 turnovers since entering the NFL in 2015.

No one else has more than 2 over that span. #SCFacts pic.twitter.com/jAZ0eL0lFD

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 13, 2019

Jameis Winston Career Stats

The win-loss record is ugly but the rest of Winston’s numbers are something head coach Bruce Arians can work with. Tampa Bay is too good to land a high enough pick to get an elite quarterback this year and I think at the very least they’ll give Winston another year to figure things on. The big bucks extension may not come but that’s not the bet here, Winston just needs to start a game for the Buccaneers in 2020 and I think he can. Take the plus-money option on both of these prop bets and even if you split, you make out with a profit.

Pick: Yes (+110)