The Tennessee Titans try to earn another upset in the NFL playoffs when they visit the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round Saturday night.
Sportsbooks have the Titans as 10-point underdogs following their impressive win over the Patriots in New England in last weekend’s Wildcard Round, and now facing the No. 1 team in the NFL.
If you’re betting the NFL odds for Tennessee at Baltimore, these are the Guaranteed Sports Picks to factor into your handicapping Saturday.
Oh Henry
Titans running back Derrick Henry was a force in the Wildcard win over New England, carrying the ball 34 times for 189 yards rushing. Not only did that run-heavy attack wear down the Patriots defense – and protect Ryan Tannehill and the passing game – but it kept Tom Brady and the New England offense limited, giving them the ball for less than 29 minutes.
Tennessee will have to take another Henry-heavy approach to the Ravens in the Divisional Round. Baltimore is the most explosive offense in the league, averaging more than 33 points per game on the year. The Titans do have a strong stop unit – allowing only 17.6 points against on the season – but they will need help on both sides of the ball if they are to contain Lamar Jackson and this Baltimore scoring pace.
The Ravens defense is not to be treated lightly, however, Baltimore limited opposing running backs to just 3.8 yards per attempt over the last three weeks of the season and if the offense is able to get up on the scoreboard, it would force the Titans to go away from Henry and put the game in the hands of Tannehill, who was 8 for 15 passing for only 72 yards in the win over the Pats.
X Mark’s the spot
One of the biggest question marks heading into this Divisional Round matchup is the health of Ravens running back Mark Ingram. He’s fighting through a calf injury and hasn’t played since Dec 22, with two full weeks off after sitting out Week 17 and enjoying the team’s bye week in the opening round of the postseason.
While Ingram has been limited in practice he returned to action on Thursday and is expected to suit up against the Titans. Ingram is a big part of this Baltimore rushing attack, totaling over 1,000 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns on the season, complementing the dual-threat play of Jackson and fellow RB Gus Edwards.
Ingram has also become a weapon in the pass game, catching 26 passes for 247 yards along with five receiving touchdowns. Tennessee confronts him with a run defense giving up only 4.1 yards per run attempt to opponents but has allowed 881 receiving yards to pass-catching backs – third most in the league.
Total time
The Over/Under betting total for Titans at Ravens opened at 48.5 points and has been bet down to 47 with money taking the Under.
Baltimore finished the regular season with a 9-7 Over/Under record, including a 4-4 O/U mark at home. Tennessee is 10-7 Over/Under on the season, including an Under result in the Wildcard Round, and has gone 5-4 O/U as a visitor.
These teams have gone 3-8-1 Over/Under in their last dozen head-to-head meetings.
