If Titans fans have learned one thing this offseason, it is to expect the unexpected. However, by stringing together six consecutive winning seasons, fans and oddsmakers alike have plenty of reasons to expect success from Tennessee in 2022.
BetMGM has released season win totals for all 32 teams in the NFL as well as each team’s odds to make the playoffs. For the Titans, BetMGM sets the win total at 9.5 with the under (-120) as the favorite.
As for the team’s playoff chances, the oddsmakers are on the fence as it currently stands in the middle of May. BetMGM lists Yes (-120) as the slight favorite over No (+100) for the Titans to crack the postseason field for the fourth straight season.
It’s fair to have questions about this year’s Titans team. And from a bettor’s perspective, this is one of the league’s most difficult teams to gauge at this point in the offseason.
The Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles and will now turn to first-round pick Treylon Burks to fill the void at wide receiver. The team also traded for veteran WR Robert Woods, who is coming off an ACL injury he suffered while playing with the Los Angeles Rams last season.
The Titans and first round WR Treylon Burks have agreed to terms on his 4-year, $14,369,590 fully guaranteed contract with a fifth-year team option.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 17, 2022
Rookie contracts coming together quickly.
To make the prognosticating even more difficult, Derrick Henry is coming off of the first significant injury of his career and will be running behind a revamped offensive line.
With all of that being said, it is still surprising to see oddsmakers so iffy on the Titans’ playoff chances.
Sure, the last look the league had at QB Ryan Tannehill was an ugly one, but his regular season accomplishments can’t be ignored. Tannehill is 30-13 as a starter since arriving in Tennessee and managed to quarterback the Titans to the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season.
Tannehill’s postseason struggles should not dictate how you bet the team to perform in the regular season.
#Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has scored the 7th most total TDs (passing & rushing) in the NFL with 94 (Lamar has 94 also) since taking over the starting job in 2019.
— Wes on Broadway (@TitansDraftTape) May 19, 2022
Only Rodgers (118), Allen (117), Brady (115), Mahomes (107), Wilson (103) & Cousins (97) have more during that time. pic.twitter.com/5kMOfMFsgc
The Titans’ defense was the primary reason for the team’s 12-5 record last season. By bolstering the pass rush with the additions of Denico Autry and Bud Dupree last offseason, the Titans were able to finish T-9th in sacks. If the Titans are able to get a full season out of Dupree, there is no reason why they can’t replicate, or even surpass, last year’s success.
It took the #Titans four years under Mike Vrabel to have a lethal pass rush.
— Luke Worsham (@luke_worsham) March 9, 2022
2018: old and slow
2019: average at best
2020: disaster (Beasley, Clowney)
2021: NINE sacks in a playoff game.
They simply had to keep their four front guys together. Mission accomplished.
The AFC South is still one of the worst divisions in football. If the Titans can take care of business by sweeping the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, the team will have 13 games to tally six wins in order to cash the over for the season win total.
The AFC West is a tough draw this year, but the AFC South is matched up with the NFC East in 2022 giving the Titans some much-needed schedule relief. While Tennessee’s Super Bowl chances might have taken a hit (+3000), there is no reason why this team can’t make its fourth straight playoff appearance and capture its second straight AFC South title.
Featured image via Steve Roberts – USA TODAY Sports
