The wins last week for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, while both important, had two very different meanings from one another. The Jaguars' 31-20 win against New England didn’t erase their collapse against the Patriots in last season’s AFC Championship Game, but it very well could have been an early season claim on the conference’s throne. Jacksonville controlled the game in its entirety. The Jags’ secondary completely rendered Rob Gronkowski useless the entire afternoon, narrowing Tom Brady’s already limited playmaking options to Phillip Dorsett and your next door neighbor, James White. The Jacksonville offense picked up 27 first downs and moved the chains 10 times on 14 third-down attempts, keeping the game just out of Brady’s reach in the fourth quarter, and all without running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Marqise Lee. Without quarterback Marcus Mariota and Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker, and with a decimated offensive line, an enigma of a receiving corps and an eight-year journeyman at quarterback, the odds were not in the Titans’ favor against a star-studded Texans defense that was looking to rebound from a lackluster Week 1 performance. Houston’s defense sputtered for a second straight week as Mike Vrabel’s gutsy coaching performance sparked a 20-17 win over the Titans’ divisional rival, in what was very much a must-win game for the two-tone blue, despite it only being Week Two. Sunday afternoon, the Jags welcome the Titans to TIAA Bank Stadium for their first of two meetings on the season. Tennessee at Jacksonville Kickoff: Sunday Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. ET TV: CBS Spread: Jacksonville -6.5 Three Things To Watch 1. Mike Vrabel, the Mike McDermott of play-calling If Bill O’Brien had been playing the role of Teddy KGB from Rounders during last week’s Titans-Texans game, he might have mumbled in a John Malkovich Russian accent, “... kid’s got alligator blood, can’t get a read of him...” before meticulously twisting open another Oreo and shuffling the deck before his next opponent, Matt Damon... or in this case, Mike Vrabel. The hand Vrabel was dealt last week felt like a two and a seven off suit — it certainly didn’t feel like a winner as an 0-2 start to the season seemed almost certain. No Marcus Mariota at quarterback. No Taylor Lewan at left tackle. No Jack Conklin at right tackle. And no Delanie Walker catching passes or blocking on the end. Living on the edge had to be the game plan against Houston — and Vrabel played his hand perfectly. Vrabel gave Pro Bowl free safety Kevin Byard the unchecked authority to audible at the line of scrimmage after the Titans’ opening drive quickly fizzled into a punting situation. As the up-back, Byard took the direct snap and threw a perfect left-handed fade to his own backup (Dane Cruikshank) on a fake punt for a 66-yard touchdown. Late in the second quarter with a 14-point lead, Vrabel told his 6-4 backup quarterback (Blaine Gabbert) to lower his shoulder and pick up a first down on fourth and inches from the Titans’ own 31-yard line. Playing without his two best offensive linemen (Lewan, Conklin), the linebacker-turned-coach lined up his 6-3, 247-pound running back (Derrick Henry) in the Wildcat and let him rumble for first downs and even throw a shovel pass, eventually leading to a decisive Tennessee touchdown. O’Brien certainly couldn’t get a read on Vrabel, his former understudy, as the first-year head coach out-dueled his old mentor with creativity and aggressiveness for four quarters. All O’Brien could do was push away from the table and relent. “He beat me. Straight up. Pay him. ... Pay that man his money.” Vrabel continuing his play calling hot streak against a ferocious Jaguars defense, with the Titans offense still ailing, is another long shot. But the alternative is roughly equivalent to getting caught dealing from the bottom of the deck by a horde of angry “municipal workers.” (Please see “Rounders” for further reference.) 2. Offensive lines shuffled The Titans weren’t the only team suffering from offensive line injury issues. Last week the Jaguars lost starting left tackle Cam Robinson after the second-year starter went down with a torn left ACL. With Robinson placed on injured reserve, head coach Doug Marrone turns to the undrafted free agent from James Madison, Josh Wells, to protect Blake Bortles’ blind side. Wells plugged in perfectly against the Patriots after Robinson went down in the first quarter. In fact, the entire Jaguars offensive line was fantastic keeping Bortles upright against New England, allowing no sacks and only four quarterback hits. The Titans will offer a more formidable pass rush than the Pats did last week with veteran quarterback tormentors Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey and recently added linebacker Kamalei Correa. The Titans are optimistic about the returns of Lewan and Conklin to game action this week as both tackles have returned to practice in limited reps. Much like the Jags last week, the Titans' shorthanded O-line held its own against the Texans, keeping running lanes relatively open for Henry and Dion Lewis and only surrendering a single sack. Sunday against Jacksonville will be an even greater test for a Titans offensive line looking for cohesion. 3. Who's who under center Last week Blake Bortles turned in the best performance of his NFL career without number one receiver Marqise Lee and running back Leonard Fournette, throwing for 377 yards and four touchdowns against the Pats. His numbers last week were certainly attention grabbing, but what was especially eye-popping was actually witnessing the oft-criticized Bortles make game-deciding throws and scrambling for back-breaking first downs with a lead late in the fourth quarter. Whether this new and improved Bortles is here to stay for the next 15 weeks remains to be seen, but through the first two weeks of the season, the quarterback play in Jacksonville seems solid. While the quarterback situation in Jacksonville is solidifying, the one in Nashville is still too fluid.<doc-sep>Scott Halleran/Getty Images The Tennessee Titans (1-1) will try to continue their recent success against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0) on Sunday despite visiting them as large road underdogs at sportsbooks. The Titans have won four of their past five meetings with the Jaguars, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, but they may be without starting quarterback Marcus Mariota once again because of a lingering elbow injury. NFL point spread: The Jaguars opened as 6.5-point favorites; the total was 39.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report. NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 30.4-11.4 Jaguars. NFL picks on every game. Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news. Video Play Button Videos you might like Why the Titans Can Cover the Spread Tennessee was able to win in Week 2 without Mariota under center, holding off the Houston Texans 20-17 after closing as a three-point home underdog. Kicker Ryan Succop was the hero for the Titans, kicking the game-winning field goal with one minute left after the Texans had taken a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. Succop also kicked the game-tying field goal with 9:43 remaining to help support backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who threw for 117 yards and one touchdown in the victory. Why the Jaguars Can Cover the Spread Jacksonville looks like the best team in the AFC following a dominant 31-20 win over the New England Patriots in Week 2. The Jaguars saw quarterback Blake Bortles outplay counterpart Tom Brady with 376 yards and four touchdowns, and they were also able to overcome running back Leonard Fournette's injury-enforced absence. While Fournette may miss another game here, Bortles has proved he can carry the offense, which is something many could not say as recently as a year ago. Smart Betting Pick Gabbert will be facing his former team in this spot, so some bettors might think there is a motivational angle of some sort worth wagering on. However, this is a divisional game, and Bortles is playing at an All-Pro level, picking up where he left off at the end of last season. He is the better player and fully capable of leading Jacksonville to another big win and cover. Tennessee is just 6-16 against the spread in its past 22 road games versus teams with winning records, and Gabbert will not help the team overcome that trend. Bet on the Jaguars to rout the Titans. NFL Betting Trends The total has gone under in six of the Titans' past eight games on the road against the Jaguars. The Jaguars are 6-2 SU and ATS in their past eight games against their division at home. The total has gone under in nine of the Jaguars' past 12 games against the AFC. All NFL odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.<doc-sep>Betting odds: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Spread: Jaguars -6.5 Over/Under: 39.5 Time: 1 p.m. ET TV channel: CBS >> All odds as of Friday morning. Download The Action Network App to get real-time NFL odds and track your bets Betting market: Most books have held off as the status of Marcus Mariota’s elbow remains murky. Keep an eye on our NFL live odds page for updates as the game gets closer. Weather report: With their win over the Patriots last week, the Jaguars are now just 8-21 against the spread at home in games in at least 80-degree heat, according to our Bet Labs tools. All three Florida teams have fared poorly against the spread in hot home games, failing to take advantage of visiting teams that aren’t used to playing in similar conditions. Temps in Jacksonville are expected to be in the mid 80s this weekend. — Mark Gallant Trends to know: Over the past three seasons, Blake Bortles and the Jags are 11-6-1 ATS vs. division rivals — including 6-2 ATS as a favorite — covering by an average of 10.1 points. — John Ewing Whether it’s Mariota or Blaine Gabbert under center, history is not on the Titans’ side. Gabbert is 0-8-1 ATS after he manufactures a straight-up win in his previous game, failing to cover by more than a touchdown per game. Since Gabbert’s first start in 2011, he’s the only NFL QB (minimum three starts) who has never covered following a SU win. But it doesn’t get much better for Mariota. Since he was taken second overall in the 2015 NFL draft, Mariota is 17-24-2 ATS (-8.2 units) and is the second-least profitable QB in the league behind only the retired Carson Palmer. — Evan Abrams Injury watch: Mariota (elbow) reportedly had his best practice on Thursday in terms of velocity on his throws, but he was still listed as a limited participant. The status on running back Derrick Henry (back) remains unclear, as well, although he has at least practiced in a limited fashion all week. The Titans offense is hoping to welcome back left tackle Taylor Lewan (concussion) and right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) against the Jaguars’ fearsome front seven. Leonard Fournette (hamstring) is on track to return after getting in limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday. The status of T.J. Yeldon (ankle) appears less certain after he opened the week with a DNP before returning to practice on Thursday. The good news for the Jaguars is that right guard A.J. Cann (triceps), tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (core), right tackle Jermey Parnell (knee) and center Brandon Linder (knee) don’t appear to be in danger of missing any game time. Note: Info as of 6 p.m. ET Thursday. See our Injury Dashboard for daily practice participation and game statuses up until kickoff. — Ian Hartitz Bet to watch: Under 40(ish) The Titans could once again be without Conklin and Lewan along the O-line, and one of their first backups (Dennis Kelly) is also questionable. That’s a problem for most teams. That’s an even bigger problem for the Titans, who have no depth at tackle, and it’s a potential disaster against a vicious Jacksonville defensive line. So what does that mean? Don’t expect Tennessee to get anything through the air with its subpar receivers against the best coverage corners in football — especially with tight end Delanie Walker out. Regardless of who is under center, the Titans will have to run the ball up the gut a lot, which is a relative weakness of the elite Jags defense. Jacksonville knows this, but I’m not sure Tennessee has any other choice. The Titans defense played very well against the Jags last year, holding them to 16 and 10 points. I expect another inspired effort in what should be a classic low-scoring divisional slugfest. The Jaguars could also come out flat after getting their long-awaited revenge against the Patriots last week. Look for a number of 40 or higher once this opens across the market. — Stuckey Editor’s note: The opinions on this game are from the individual writers and are based on their research, analysis and perspective. They are independent of, and may not always match with, the algorithm-driven Best Bets from Sports Insights.<doc-sep>The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off an impressive dismantling of the New England Patriots last Sunday, beating them 31-20 in a game that really wasn’t even that close. That momentum has carried forward to the betting lines this week as the Jaguars find themselves a 6.5 point favorite over the incoming Tennessee Titans to TIAA Bank Field. The Jaguars have been impressive the first two weeks of the season, more so against the Patriots where both sides of the ball seemed to fire on all cylinders and the Titans have looked... less than impressive we’ll say. It’s interesting there was a line so early on the game as well, because of all the injuries the Titans are dealing with. As of the publishing of this, we still don’t know if it will be Blaine Gabbert or Marcus Mariota starting at quarterback on Sunday or if the Titans full offensive line will be available. The first two weeks have seen the Titans offense struggle to get anything going with Mariota being flat out bad as well as getting hurt and Gabbert having his normal struggles. If not a for a 66-yard fake punt passing touchdown (which was about 30 percent of the Titans passing yards on the day), they would have lost to the also struggling Houston Texans. This has the makings of a trap game coming off the big win last week, but honestly I think the Jaguars will want to send a message to the Titans.<doc-sep>
The Tennessee Titans head to the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars tomorrow and the Titan Sized staff has predictions. Following an improbable victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2, the Tennessee Titans will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this week for a second-consecutive division showdown. As the Titans get healthier, so do the team’s expectations, but an away game in Jacksonville will be a tall task for a still-ailing team. How do our staff members feel about the Titans’ chances? Let’s find out! Matias Wodner: The news of Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin potentially playing is a huge development, and if Marcus Mariota starts, the Titans will be in this game from start to finish. The Jaguars haven’t beaten the Titans since the medieval ages, but I think that changes this week. The Jaguars are firing on all cylinders and the Titans have struggled to find an identity through two weeks due to a bevy of critical injuries. Being on the road and with a potentially limited Mariota, this will be a tough one for Mike Vrabel and his squad. Score: Titans 17-23 Nick Lombardi: The Titans pulled out a huge win last week, but it required perfect execution of their game plan to do so. And the offense still only mustered one touchdown – special teams produced the other 13 points. It looks like Taylor Lewan might return this week, but without a healthy Marcus Mariota the offense will still be handicapped. And it doesn’t help matters this is a road game against perhaps the best defense in the league. The Titans will again show solid game planning, but the Jaguars defense stifles Gabbert and the offense. Score: Titans 13-24 Jaguars Lleyton Steinmann: Titans and Jaguars will battle it out in a close run-heavy game. The Titans will have a hard time getting yards through the air, so they’ll rely on big games from Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis to keep the score close. The Titans will get a lot of pressure on Blake Bortles and will record multiple sacks. Watch for a breakout game from Harold Landry. The Jaguars defense will hold the Titans’ injury-depleted offense to 13 points and put their offense in a good enough position to win the game. Score: Titans 13-17 Jaguars Max Dambach : After cruising to a 2-0 start, the Jacksonville Jaguars (and even Blake Bortles) proved that they can stand up and beat anyone, even the New England Patriots. Mike Vrabel and staff may have been able to scrap their way to an important victory against the Texans, but I would be surprised if they pulled out a victory against a Jacksonville roster looking to cement their control of the AFC South at home in Week 3. Score: Titans 17-28 Jaguars Ryan Dobbins : Even with getting Lewan and Conklin back, I still don’t feel confident enough that we squeak out a win in Duval. The jags are fir on all cylinders right now and I don’t think the Titans are healthy enough to edge them out Score: Titans 13-17 Jaguars