Sunday, September 13, 2015

Raymond James Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The Tennessee Titans matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The opening line for this matchup has the Buccaneers as 3 point favorites and the over/under was set at 42. The Titans had a 3-12-1 ATS record last season, meaning they covered the spread 20% of the time. Their over/under record was 6-10-0. The Buccaneers finished with an ATS record of 7-9-0, covering the spread 44% of the time. Their over/under record finished at 5-11-0.

Tennessee comes into this game with rookie Marcus Mariotta under center. The number 2 overall pick had a great preseason, having completed 21-of-30 passes for 326 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He'll be relied on heavily moving forward as a franchise cornerstone, but we wouldn't expect a great first season from him due to the lack of quality talent on the roster. Bishop Sankey is the top returning rusher for the Titans, running for 569 yards on 152 attempts last season. He scored 2 touchdowns and will more than likely split time in the backfield with a few other players. Kendall Wright is the top leading receiver for Tennessee, and he's already Mariotta's favorite target. He had 57 catches last season for 715 yards, but he caught 94 balls for over 1,000 yards in 2013, so you know the talent is there. Ryan Succup returns as the kicker. He made 19 of 22 field goals last season including 2 from over 50 yards.

Some recent roster moves for Tennessee include just completing a trade for Terrence West for a 7th round draft pick. They also put rookie David Cobb on injured reserve and claimed David Bass from the Chicago Bears.

Tampa Bay starts rookie Jameis Winston in a battle of the top 2 picks in the 2015 draft. Winston had a pretty rough preseason, but he's been dealing with an ankle injury that the team is confident is going to be fine for the season opener. Doug Martin is the top returning running back for the Bucs, having rushed for 497 yards last season on 135 attempts. With Tampa Bay having a pretty bad offensive line, both Martin and Winston may have long seasons when it comes to injuries. Mike Evans will be Winston's top target, coming off a season in which he hauled in 68 passes for just over 1,000 yards. He'll be important in the red zone as well, because his size is an advantage over most cornerbacks and safeties. Kyle Brindza will kick for the Bucs this season. In the final preseason game, Brindza made 2 field goals of over 50 yards.

The Titans are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games in Week 1 and are 15-33-4 ATS in their last 52 games overall. They are 4-16-2 ATS in their last 22 games on grass and are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. The under is 4-0 in the Titans last 4 games overall, is 4-0 in their last 4 games on grass, and is 4-0 in their last 4 games in Week 1.

The Buccaneers are 15-35-1 ATS in their last 51 home games, are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games in Week 1, and are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in September. U

The under is 5-0 in the Buccaneers last 5 home games and is 9-1 in their last 10 games overall. The under is also 13-3 in their last 16 games on grass, is 4-1 in their last 5 games in Week 1, and is 6-2 in their last 8 games in September.

In head to head matchups, the Titans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings and the home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Tennessee Betting Trends

Tennessee was 6-10-0 against the over/under last season

Tennessee had an ATS record of 3-12-1 last season

Tampa Bay Betting Trends

Tampa Bay was 5-11-0 against the over/under last season

Tampa Bay had an ATS record of 7-9-0 last season

Injuries to Watch

Tennessee

09/04/15 RB David Cobb Calf "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
09/04/15 DB Brandon Harris Knee IR
09/04/15 CB Jason McCourty Groin out indefinitely
09/04/15 DT Sammie Hill Knee out indefinitely
09/04/15 LB Zaviar Gooden Hamstring out indefinitely

Tampa Bay

09/04/15 DL Larry English Knee out indefinitely
09/04/15 DT Akeem Spence Back out indefinitely
09/04/15 CB Leonard Johnson Ankle out for season
09/04/15 WR Mike Evans Hamstring probable Sunday vs. Tennessee
08/17/15 T Demar Dotson MCL expected to miss 4-6 weeks

Josh's Pick: Take Tennessee

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald