The Tennessee Titans are 6-2 on the year, but right now, nobody is talking about their record.
The headline news is that All-Pro running back Derrick Henry will miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury that will require surgery. The Titans were well on their way to a playoff spot and likely still will be, but this news is a killer for Tennessee.
Tennessee added veteran running back Adrian Peterson on Monday to take over for Henry. At this point, there’s got to be better options than Peterson if they’re looking for legitimate production.
While the Titans got worse on Monday, the Rams got better.
The Rams (7-1) traded for superstar veteran linebacker Von Miller. Los Angeles nabbed Miller from the Broncos for second and third-round picks and now boasts a big three on defense with Miller joining forces with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
Does this mean the Rams will be unstoppable? Here are our picks and predictions for the Week 9 edition Sunday Night Football between the Titans and the Rams.
Odds and lines current as of Friday, November 5.
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Sunday Night Football Prediction Week 9
The Titans have been a bit shocking recently. Earlier this season, Tennessee lost to the Jets, but has since woke up and won four straight games, including wins over Buffalo, Kansas City and Indianapolis.
However, without Derrick Henry, the question remains as to whether or not the Titans can continue their dominance running the football.
Tennessee’s offensive line has done extremely well this season, which is one reason why the running game should continue having success.
However, the defense has been a bit rough this year for the Titans as they’ve allowed 368.1 yards per game. The secondary can make plays, as it did intercepting Carson Wentz twice in Week 8, but the rushing defense isn’t nearly as good as advertised.
The Titans have allowed 100.8 rushing yards per game, but if a team really wanted to run the football against the Titans, they would have success.
On the other hand, the Rams look like one of the best teams in the league and just got better.
After adding Matthew Stafford in the offseason, you just knew the Rams were going all out for a Super Bowl this year. Now, Los Angeles has added another piece in Von Miller that should really keep the defense near the top of the league.
However, the Rams’ secondary has struggled and the Miller move only addresses that indirectly by potentially lessening the amount of time defensive backs need to cover for. The Titans can still move the ball down the field in the passing game with Ryan Tannehill, A.J. Brown, and Julio Jones. The only issue is that the Titans haven’t been the best in pass protection.
Still, the Rams don’t deserve to be a multiple possession favorite, per our NFL gameday odds. Everyone will be betting against the Titans without Henry, but the passing game will still have success and the run game can function behind a really good o-line.
SNF Week 9 Pick: Rams 28, Titans: 24
Titans receiver A.J. Brown torched the Colts for 155 yards and touchdown in Week 8. What can he do for an encore in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams? (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Sunday Night Football Best Bets Week 9
SNF Best Bet: Titans +7 (-110) at Caesars
The Rams may have added Von Miller, but they didn’t add any depth in coverage. That’s where Los Angeles has struggled this year, allowing 264.1 yards per game through the air.
It’s going to be hard to stop A.J. Brown and Julio Jones and I’d still expect the running game to contribute as well, even with Henry out. It’s unclear if Adrian Peterson or Jeremy McNichols will get the start, but either way, the Titans will figure it out on the ground and then open up the passing game.
Meanwhile, the Rams need to rush the football more to win this game. The Titans are mostly built on coverage and haven’t been great against the run, despite what the box score says. If the Rams continue to run the football, that’ll help tighten the game up and keep it close.
SNF Best Bet: Under 53 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
The Rams have allowed just 21 points per game while scoring 30.6 points per game. The Titans are going to have to be strategic on offense without Henry, but I still think they’ll run the ball and try to shorten the game with less drives. Long possessions will be crucial here for the Titans.
Meanwhile, if you want to beat the Titans’ defense, you’ve got to run the football. The Titans have missed plenty of tackles and really struggle to get stops in the run game, despite only allowing 100.8 yards per game on the ground. More teams should test Tennessee in the run game and I think the Rams do just that in this one.
Thanks for reading our NFL Week 9 SNF picks! Check out our Week 9 Early Lines for more NFL betting tips.
