Titans Odds-On Favorites to Make AFC Playoffs After Fourth-Straight Win

• The Tennessee Titans are 6-1 in their last seven games
• The Titans are scoring 31.6 points per game in that span after averaging just 13.9 in their first six games
• The Titans are 8-5 and are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final Wild Card berth and the Houston Texans atop the AFC South

The Tennessee Titans are one of the hottest teams in the NFL as they’ve won four straight and six of their last seven. This has been a completely different team since Ryan Tannehill took over under center. Their NFL playoff odds have now reached -230 as it looks like they have a couple of paths to the playoffs. Are they a good bet to make it?

Tennessee Titans Playoff Odds

Odds taken Dec. 11.

Titans Are on a Tear

It’s hard to believe the Titans’ turnaround as they’ve gone from being a team that looked like one of the worst in the NFL to becoming a playoff contender. A big difference has been the insertion of Tannehill under center as the team was 2-4 under Marcus Mariota, averaging just 13.9 points per game.

Since Tannehill took over, the team is 6-1 and is averaging 31.4 points per outing. Tannehill is fresh off an incredible outing where he was named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week. He went 21-of-27 for 391 yards, three touchdowns and 140.4 passer rating.

Just how good has Tannehill been for the Titans? He’s just the second player in NFL history to complete 75-percent of his passes with a passer rating of 130 or higher (minimum 10 attempts) in three straight games. The only other was Aaron Rodgers in 2011.

The Titans have always had a strong defense and a good ground game, but with Tannehill solving the team’s biggest weakness, they’ve gone from outhouse to penthouse in terms of their caliber as a team.

Titans Can Win the Division or Wild Card

One of the reasons why the Titans odds are at -230 is because they have two paths to the playoffs: either through the division or via the wild card.

In terms of the division, they are currently tied with the Houston Texans for the top spot in the AFC South. Both teams are 8-5. However, both teams will square off with each other twice in the final three weeks. The Titans will also host the New Orleans Saints while the Texans go to Tampa Bay. Houston has the easier schedule.

As for the Wild Card, the Titans are currently 8-5 and are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the No. 6 seed. They’re also a game behind the Buffalo Bills, who are the No. 5 seed at 9-4. However, the Steelers and Bills face each other this Sunday, which means the Titans have an opportunity to gain ground on either one or the other.

Beyond this week, Buffalo still has to go to New England and will host the New York Jets, so they don’t have a cakewalk. They might win one of their final three. As for the Steelers, they’ll visit the Jets and go to the Baltimore Ravens, so they could also go 1-2 the rest of the way.

What’s the Best Bet?

I actually see some value with the ‘No’ in this prop – even as good as the Titans have been playing. The issue is that I see them splitting with the Texans and I’m not sure that they beat the Saints at home. As for the Texans, as mentioned, they have the easier schedule as they’ll face Tampa Bay instead.

In terms of the wild card, the Titans don’t have the tiebreaker with Buffalo (loss earlier in the year) and they also don’t have the tiebreaker with the Steelers for now (Steelers have a better winning percentage in conference play). That being the case, I see some value with the Titans missing the playoffs.

The Titans are priced here at -230 as if they’re a lock to make it and while there’s a good chance they do, I think it’s more of a 50/50 shot and we’re getting a decent payout on the ‘No’. I’d rather take a flier with that.