Titans Panthers Betting – Titans Roll Over Toothless Panthers In Carolina
Online betting players watched a Jekyll-and-Hyde Tennessee team in 2009, as they started awful, but ended strong. The Titans are trying to carry that momentum into this season, and this weekend, they’ll head to Carolina to face the offensively-challenged Panthers, who can’t seem to get out of their own way.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Saturday, August 28th, 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
- Pick: Tennessee Titans +3
What’s On The Line
The Titans looked extremely solid on both sides of the ball in a 24-10 win over Arizona at home in their last meeting, while the Panthers were a part of arguably the worst game in preseason history, a 9-3 loss at home to the New York Jets. As both teams should allow their starters to play most of the first half, if not all, we’ll get an idea of how these two will line up in Week 1.
Offensive Matchups: Titans Panthers Betting
Vince Young was 9-of-13 for 128 yards for the Titans, but a revelation for the Titans is that they may have a couple of good backups for Chris Johnson, who had six carries for 22 yards and a score. Javon Ringer and LaGarrette Blount are battling for the backup spot in Tennessee, who averaged 4.2 yards on the ground. The threat of Johnson holding out was very real, but extinguished. He’s also a threat to get hurt, considering how much he touches the ball. Being deep at running back should make the Titans feel a little better.
On the other hand, the Panthers’ offense was terrible in their last game, but to be fair, the Jets are arguably the best defensive team in the league. Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore combined to go 15-of-39 for 93 yards and a pair of picks, while they had 21 carries for 82 yards as a team. The Panthers also committed five turnovers, including three fumbles. There needs to be a whole lot of work done offensively in Carolina this week.
Betting Edge: Titans
Defensive Matchups: Titans Panthers Betting
Tennessee’s defense kept Arizona quiet all game, and they picked off a pass for good measure. Will Witherspoon led the team with six tackles for the Titans, who are pretty deep at linebacker. But one negative is that the second and third-string teams allowed the Cardinals to get down the field a little, and that could be something that the Panthers would want to go after in the second half. This shows that they aren’t that deep defensively.
If anything, the Panthers’ defense carried their team in their last game, holding the Jets to a meager 112 yards, and they shut them down in all three of their red-zone opportunities. Linebacker Dan Connor led the way with six tackles, but end Everette Brown may have been the star of the show with five tackles, and three of those were for losses. With Kyle Vanden Bosch gone to Detroit, the Titans need to boost their defensive line, and Brown may be the start of the show.
Betting Edge: Draw
Notable Injuries: Titans Panthers Betting
The Titans have a long list of players that hope to be ready by Week 1: defensive ends Derrick Morgan (calf), William Hayes (knee), and Jacob Ford (leg), cornerback Cortland Finnegan (groin), and receiver Justin Gage (thumb) all figure to miss this game.
Receiver Steve Smith (arm) doesn’t figure to get any preseason action in, while running back Jonathan Stewart (Achilles) may try to play in this game for the Panthers.
Betting Edge: Panthers
Outlook and Pick: Titans Panthers Betting
NFL betting odds have the Panthers as a 3-point sports betting favorite in this contest, but we’re giving the edge to the Titans on the road as the Carolina offense has been brutal so far in the preseason. Not having Smith, their No.1 receiver, has been a problem, as well as having two extremely young quarterbacks. There figures to be some bumps along the road for the Panthers this year, while the Titans are out to prove that they’re closer to the team that finished last year, instead of the ones who were blown out 59-0 in New England. Go with Tennessee in your sports betting book.
