Tennessee at San Diego Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

Posted by Michael Hunt on Friday,November 4, 2016 5:45, EDT in

NFL News, Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

Before the 2015 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers called the Tennessee Titans about the No. 2 overall pick. San Diego was willing to trade QB Philip Rivers and its first-round pick for that No. 2 so the Chargers could take Marcus Mariota. But the Titans said no and that’s looking wise now. Mariota faces Rivers for the first time Sunday with the Chargers as slight NFL betting favorites.

Tennessee at San Diego Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

Let’s check in with Coach Mularkey on the team’s progress as we begin the second half of our 2016 season.

Here’s today’s #TitansIn2. pic.twitter.com/yO1JxY9EKa

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 3, 2016

When: Sunday, Nov. 6, 4:25 PM ET
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
TV: CBS
Radio: Tennessee / San Diego
Stream Option: NFL Live
Opening NFL Lines: Chargers -4 (47)

Why Bet on Tennessee?

Mariota passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the Titans’ 36-22 win over Jacksonville last Thursday. Mariota, who was 22 years, 362 days old during Thursday’s game, has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of the past four games, joining Hall of Famers Frank Tarkenton and Dan Marino and Drew Bledsoe as the only quarterbacks to throw at least two touchdown passes in four consecutive games before the age of 23.

Titans running back DeMarco Murray, who was acquired by Tennessee in an offseason trade with Philadelphia, rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Titans’ Week 8 win. Murray is second in the NFL with 756 rushing yards and has eight total touchdowns, becoming the sixth player in NFL history with at least 750 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his first eight games with a team. Murray is on pace for a league-high 320 carries so you could see more of rookie Derrick Henry. Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Henry’s workloads will remain gameflow dependent. Henry had 16 carries for 97 yards and a TD vs. the Jaguars.

“It was just the flow of how the game was going,” said Mularkey. “We’ve done a good job with these guys. I think it’s more of how the game is going along.”

Tennessee linebacker Derrick Morgan has recorded a sack in four consecutive games. Morgan has 5.5 sacks during the streak, one short of his career high, and has boosted the Tennessee pass rush that is third in the NFL in sacks.

Why Bet on San Diego?

San Diego’s two-game winning streak was snapped as it lost 27-19 on the road to the Broncos last week. Melvin Gordon rushed for 111 yards on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but the offense was undone by a trio of interceptions including a pick-six.

Gordon has carried the ball 161 times for 572 yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry with eight rushing scores. He’s also chipped in with 24 receptions for 219 yards and two TDs. Rivers leads the air attack as he’s in the midst of another standout season. He has completed 182 of 292 attempts (62.3%) for 2,285 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 93.8 passer rating.

San Diego is 3-5 but history shows that a losing record at this point of the season does not negate a team’s chances of making the playoffs. Since 2000, 40 teams have reached the halfway point of their season with a .500 or below winning percentage and advanced to the playoffs, including at least one in each season. Last year, there were five such teams: Houston (3-5), Kansas City (3-5), Washington (3-5), Seattle (4-4) and Pittsburgh (4-4). Of those 40 clubs, five have advanced to the Conference Championship Game, including the 2001 New England Patriots, who won Super Bowl XXXVI.

The Chargers have moved OLB Kyle Emanuel to inside linebacker. The Bolts are desperate on the inside after losing Manti Te’o to an Achilles’ tear and Jatavis Brown (knee) and Denzel Perryman (hamstring) to injuries in Sunday’s loss. Perryman is expected to miss Week 9, and require “weeks” of rest.

The Chargers lead the all-time series vs. the Titans 26-17- 1, and had won nine straight since the franchise moved to Tennessee before dropping the most recent contest, 20-17, on the road in 2013.