Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos 9/14/20 NFL Picks, Predictions, Betting Tips, Week 1

Game: Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos

Date: 10 p.m., Monday, September 14, 2020

Location: Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Denver -1.0

Total/Over-Under: 42.0

For Tennessee, last year’s Week 6 trip to Denver marked a major turning point in the Titans season.

Tennessee’s embarrassing 16-0 loss was the final straw for Marcus Mariota. The struggling former first round pick was benched for Ryan Tannehill in the second half of the Broncos game. That quarterback change sparked an eventual Titans run of nine wins in 13 games that ended with an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.

Now, with Tannehill firmly entrenched as the Titans starter, Tennessee will look to avenge last season’s shutout loss at Mile High when they open the 2020 season against the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

This is Denver’s second straight season opening game on Monday Night Football. Last year they endured an embarrassing 24-16 loss as a three-point favorite at Oakland. That kicked off an 0-4 start that really ended Denver’s 2019 season before it began.

Vic Fangio is now in his second season at the helm of the Broncos and should be in a much more comfortable position. The long-time defensive assistant had a trying rookie season, with the Broncos starting 3-8. However, he was able to rally them to a 4-1 finish and that momentum has carried into a strong offseason for Denver.

The Broncos aggressively added new weapons to its offense this spring. Signing Melvin Gordon and using a first round pick on Jerry Jeudy has raised the talent level on the league’s No. 28 offense. They also added new offense coordinator Pat Shurmur and are hoping that Drew Lock will make even more strides in his first full season as a starter after showing promise during Denver’s 4-1 late season run.

Tennessee is looking to follow the same formula they used to great effect last year. The offense will revolve around hero thunderous back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,540 yards while leading the league’s No. 3 ground game. The Titans will pair that punishing rushing attack with a physical, opportunistic defense as they continue to reflect head coach Mike Vrabel’s “old school” approach.

The Titans were one of the toughest teams in football last year. They were also one of the most fortunate, scoring wild last-second wins against the Chargers, Buccaneers and Chiefs during a whirlwind late season run. I don’t know that Tennessee is going to be able to handle that type of pounding again this year, especially after three tough postseason games to end last year.

And after going 9-7 for four straight years, the Titans margin for error is pretty slim.

One other interesting storyline in this game involves Jurrell Casey. Casey was a five-time Pro Bowler in Tennessee and the heart of the Titans defense for years. He was traded to Denver for a seventh round pick this offseason, and now he’ll get a crack at his former mates in his first game with the Broncos.

Fangio is a defensive mastermind. The Broncos held the Titans to just 204 total yards in their meeting here last season. I think that they can shut them down again since nothing on the Tennessee offense has really upgraded. Denver has been an exceptional home team early in the season, going 14-2 in September home games dating back to 2012. I think they can win another low-scoring grinder here.

Who will win the Titans/Broncos NFL game against the spread?

Robert Ferringo’s Pick: Take Denver -2.0. 

NOTE: Robert made these picks and predictions in May. Things can and will change in the four months between May and September. These May predictions may or may not match his rated Week 1 picks released to his clients on Thursday, Sept. 10.

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