by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2021
Game time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Where to watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Titans -2
BetMGM: Titans -2
Caesars: Titans -1.5
Season record
Titans: 9-4 (1st place, AFC South)
Steelers: 6-6-1 (Last place, AFC North)
A strong 6-2 week for Sean Murphy in this past Sunday’s slate of games. With two Saturday games and more on the horizon, what can this crucial week hold as we enter the final month of the regular season? Catch Murph’s plays, available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Titans - Steelers preview and analysis
Last week
Titans: won 20-0 vs. Jaguars
Steelers: lost 36-28 at Vikings (Thursday)
There may not be a better situation for the Tennessee Titans heading into the final month of the regular season than Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Albeit on the road, the Titans have managed to stay afloat without Derrick Henry and are in good position to win the AFC South and return to the playoffs. That isn’t to say that the path getting there hasn’t been with some turbulence.
The Titans won 20-0 last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as expected, but the offense had a ho-hum afternoon while the defense did its job. Ryan Tannehill only threw for 191 yards on 20 of 31 passing while rushing for a touchdown. D’onta Foreman, running in place of Henry, had 62 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown.
Regardless of the numbers or the score, it was a win the Titans needed after losing their previous two – against the New England Patriots and Houston Texans – by multiple scores.
"At the end of the day, we know what kind of team we are," Titans safety Kevin Byard said. "And I felt like the last two losses we had, we kind of got away from that a little bit. ... It wasn't necessarily about the Jaguars and their team. It was more about us know what we needed to do and playing to our strengths."
It certainly was about the Jaguars, but that’s neither here nor there.
The Titans’ defense is still going to continue to be a terror with the likes of Byard and sack leader Harold Landry (11). They’re still giving up only 22 points per game and are facing a Steelers offense that has come alive as of late, but only to be on the losing side.
Pittsburgh’s offense has shown capabilities of being a dangerous unit late in the season, but Ben Roethlisberger has been a roller coaster with his production. He threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns in a failed comeback attempt against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football after throwing for 236 in the one-point win against the Baltimore Ravens the week prior.
Rookie running back Najee Harris had one of his best games, totaling 104 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. With two straight games of being a solid offensive weapon, he’s showing the flashes of why he was so coveted.
"We're running out of time," Roethlisberger said. "I don't look at moral victories."
Neither team has been reliable in the books over the past few weeks. The Titans snapped a three-game ATS losing streak with the 8.5-point cover against the Jaguars; they had gone 5-0 ATS before that slide. The Steelers have gone 2-4 despite a stretch of being underdogs the past few weeks.
Prediction
This has to be a game where Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson need to make their presence felt on the Tennessee secondary. The Titans are giving up almost 270 passing yards per game. However, it’s the Steelers and they have not looked great as of late. I like Tennessee’s defense to get the job done. Titans by 10
Betting trends
The Titans are 12-15 ATS as a favorite in their last 27.
The Titans are 8-3 straight up in their last 11 as a road favorite.
The Titans are 1-5 ATS following a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better.
The Steelers are 5-0 ATS in their last five against AFC South teams.
The Steelers are 8-10 straight up in their last 18 as an underdog.
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
