Titans vs. Falcons: NFL preseason betting odds, preview, and pick

Tennessee and Atlanta will open their preseason accounts on Friday night, as the Titans face off with the Falcons in NFL action.

Titans hoping rookies shore up defense

The inability to stop opposing offenses was the downfall of the Titans last season, who fell in the Wild Card Round 20-13 to Baltimore after an 11-5 regular season. They used the draft to help alleviate that situation, picking CB Caleb Farley and LB Monty Rice to address their biggest issues.

Tennessee addressed their struggles in the passing game by trading for Julio Jones to partner with A.J. Brown. Jones is dealing with a slight hamstring issue and will not play, but his presence on the field should help Derrick Henry face fewer eight-man fronts and give QB Ryan Tannehill a major weapon.

Rookie WR Dez Fitzpatrick will look to hook up with QBs Logan Woodside and Matt Barkley in this one, as the two vie to be Tannehill’s backup. Expect Fitzpatrick to be targeted often as Tennessee looks to see what their fourth-round pick can do.

Pitts looks to show there is life after Julio

After a 4-12 regular season, Atlanta made a move to bring in Titans’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. They then used their first-round pick to draft TE Kyle Pitts out of Florida, who many consider to be a generational talent at the position. He is a mismatch for any defender who lines up across from him, and should help fill the void left by Jones.

QB Matt Ryan will not play in this game, so A.J. McCarron and Feleipe Franks will look for Pitts early and often. WR Calvin Ridley will also see some time, and is expected to step up and at least provide a solid replacement for the former Pro Bowl wide-out.

Atlanta will also be trying to determine who their backup running back should be. Qadree Ollison, Cordarrelle Patterson, Javian Hawkins, and D’Onta Foreman are all vying to be a change of pace to Mike Davis, and each is expected to see a solid number of touches in this contest.

Titans and Falcons Trends

• The Titans are 2-2 ATS in their last four preseason games
• The Titans are 2-4 ATS in their last six games
• The Falcons are 0-5 straight-up in their last five games
• The Over is 7-2 in the Titans’ last nine games
• The Under is 7-3 in the Falcons’ last 10 preseason games

Expect a potent performance from Pitts &. Co

This is a game featuring two defenses with more holes than a block of Swiss cheese last season, and playmakers in both offensive huddles will be ready to take advantage. Pitts is a nightmare for a defense at full strength, so facing one with rookies and players learning a new playbook will provide him opportunities to make big plays.

Atlanta is also likely to run the ball a fair amount to try to differentiate between their four backs, meaning they should keep the Titans’ defense on the field a fair amount. With no real big playmakers on the field, I don’t see Tennessee doing enough to win this game. Given the struggles of both defenses, take the Over for an easy win.

Score prediction: Atlanta 27, Tennessee 20

NFL Preseason PICK: OVER 37.5