Tonight at 8:15 PM in Nashville, Tennessee’s Nissan Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys will visit the Titans in hopes of keeping pace in the NFC East Division.
Temperatures are expected to be around 57 degrees at the time of kickoff of Thursday Night Football, with mild breezes and little chance of rain – perfect football weather.
What isn’t perfect is the quarterback status of the Titans. Tennessee was once a certain winner of the AFC South, not playing up to their usual dominant standard but still walking tall enough to handle their business.
That changed when QB Ryan Tannehill was lost for the season, and rookie Malik Willis was inserted as the starter. Now, they’re 7-8 and on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, thanks to the surging Jacksonville Jaguars, who have now matched their win-loss record.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Tennessee Titans
- Cowboys Point Spread: -12.5
- Cowboys Money Line: -700
- Titans Point Spread: +12.5
- Titans Money Line: +475
- Over/Under: 40.0
Online NFL betting sites believe that the Cowboys will roll the Titans on TNF by nearly two touchdowns. Combining the over/under and the point spread creates a final score projection of:
Dallas 27
Tennessee 14
Because the Titans play the Jaguars for their final game of the year, whether they win or lose against the Cowboys is irrelevant. A win against Jacksonville in Week 18 will deliver the AFC South to the Titans, no matter what happens tonight.
Dallas has already clinched a berth in the NFL Playoffs as at least a wild card seed, but they still have their sights set on winning the NFC East and usurping the Philadelphia Eagles.
This scenario would require that the Cowboys beat the Jaguars and the Washington Commanders to finish the year, and that the Eagles lose their remaining two games. This isn’t likely even if Philadelphia is without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Many are betting on the Dallas Cowboys to advance at least into the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs because their first opponent will either be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or a different winner of the NFC South.
If Dallas won their first playoff game, that would then place the Cowboys against the Eagles for the third and final time, with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line.
Legal NFL Playoff sportsbook sites have posted the following line for betting on the winner of the AFC South, and it doesn’t bode well for Tennessee.
AFC South Odds To Win
- Jacksonville Jaguars -250
- Tennessee Titans +210
As stated earlier, it all comes down to Jacksonville and Tennessee’s Week 18 matchup to decide which team wins the division, so expect the moneyline odds in the betting lines to appear similar to what is presented above.
The current Super Bowl LVII odds also reflect a scenario where the Titans are left out in the cold for this year’s playoffs, as they’re ranked well behind Jacksonville.
Super Bowl 57 Odds To Win
- Buffalo Bills +375
- Philadelphia Eagles +450
- Kansas City Chiefs +475
- San Francisco 49ers +600
- Cincinnati Bengals +800
- Dallas Cowboys +1100
- Minnesota Vikings +2200
- Los Angeles Chargers +2500
- Baltimore Ravens +2800
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3300
- Green Bay Packers +5000
- Miami Dolphins +5000
- Jacksonville Jaguars +5500
- Detroit Lions +10000
- New York Giants +12500
- Carolina Panthers +15000
- Tennessee Titans +20000
The Titans aren’t dead yet, however, and they’ll deliver some serious bread to anyone brave enough to wager on their current NFL odds.
Thursday Night Football Betting Odds – Bovada Sportsbook
Sources – The Weather Channel, Yahoo! Sports