Titans Listed as 2-Point Favorites vs Chargers with Tannehill Starting
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: April 8, 2020 at 7:17 pm EDTPublished:
- Ryan Tannehill will make his first start at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday
- The Titans are two-point favorites at home against the LA Chargers
- With the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill was 3-1 as a starting QB against the Chargers
Former Miami Dolphin Ryan Tannehill will get the start for the Titans in Week 7 when Tennessee hosts the LA Chargers at Nissan Stadium (Oct. 20th, 4:05 PM ET).
Tannehill took over from Marcus Mariota in Tennessee’s Week 6 loss against the Denver Broncos (16-0). He showed enough in his relief effort (13-16, 144 yards, 1 INT) for head coach Mike Vrabel to announce Tannehill as the starter in Week 7.
It will be Tannehill’s first starting assignment since the end of last season with the Phins, and the betting public doesn’t seem to know what to make of it.
Let’s just say that there’s been some volatility in this betting market.
Sportsbooks list the Titans as one-point favorites. That number increased to Tennessee -2.5 but almost as quickly dropped to a pick. Then the money went back on the Titans, driving the spread to its current point in the Chargers vs Titans odds and stats.
Los Angeles Chargers vs Tennessee Titans Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Chargers | +110 | +2 (-110) | Over 40.0 (-105) |
| Tennessee Titans | -130 | -2 (-110) | Under 40.0 (-114) |
*Odds taken 10/16/19
Tannehill’s last start was December 30th, 2018. He quarterbacked the Dolphins to a 42-17 loss at Buffalo.
Change For The Sake Of Change?
In announcing the switch under center, Vrabel insisted he was simply seeking to find a way to spark his 2-4 team. The Titans, since opening with an impressive 43-13 triumph at Cleveland over the Browns, have lost four of five and two in a row.
Mariota has struggled all season long. His completion percentage this season is a career-worst 59.1%. He’s rates 20th in the NFL in passing yardage (1,159), 30th in passer rating (91.7), and is tied for 17th in touchdown passes (seven).
#Titans HC Mike Vrabel on switchjng to Ryan Tannehill: “Just looking for a spark. … I just feel like now is the time.”
Said the decision was based on a collective view of Mariota, the whole body of work. pic.twitter.com/uQySYEmTjL
— Erik Bacharach (@ErikBacharach) October 16, 2019
Mariota was 7-of-18 for 63 yards and two interceptions in the loss to the Broncos before giving way to Tannehill.
Vrabel added that his decision to switch QBs was as much based on Mariota’s body of work as it was on his poor 2019 numbers. Last season, Mariota threw for just 11 TDs in 14 games.
Can Tannehill Put A Charge In Titans?
Perhaps this week’s opponent played as much a role in the decision to make the switch to Tannehill as Mariota’s struggles.
Ryan Tannehill getting in some reps, I will say it’s weird seeing Marcus Mariota taking reps behind him. #Titans pic.twitter.com/bskXhfoQX3
— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) October 16, 2019
Tannehill has dominated the Chargers during his NFL career. He went 3-1 against the franchise as Miami’s starting QB.
In the four games, combined, Tannehill is 83-of-127 through the air (65.3 completion percentage) with six TDs against one pick and a solid passer rating of 102.2.
Just want to give a shoutout to all the Tennessee sports radio shows out there…
Good luck on your first day of "Is Ryan Tannehill a good quarterback?" show
God Speed. pic.twitter.com/3r0JeecTHf
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) October 16, 2019
Compare those to Tannehill’s career stats as a starter – 42-46 W/L record (.477), 62.3 completion percentage, and 87.0 passer rating – and it’s clear that he’s been a much more impressive QB against the Chargers.
Chargers Have Issues Of Their Own
Looking at Tennessee’s struggles, it’s easy to forget the hot mess that is the Chargers.
They’re also 2-4. Last week at home, they faced Pittsburgh Steelers third-string QB Devlin Hodges. He’s an undrafted rookie quarterback who was making his first-ever NFL start.
Hodges is now an unbeaten NFL starting QB after defeating the Chargers 24-17.
Last season, the Chargers were 12-4 and lost the AFC West title to the Kansas City Chiefs in a tiebreaker. This season, they’re losing to almost everybody.
Based solely on Tannehill’s career of success against them, you can probably add the Titans to the list of teams that have vanquished the Chargers this season.
Pick: Tennessee Titans -2 (-110)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
