The last two teams to face the Green Bay Packers meet on Sunday when the Tennessee Titans head east to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Titans (7-4) have lost to the Giants, Chiefs and Bengals by a combined eight points. Since Week 2, they are 7-2 and have ridden their usual formula to success: a pounding ground game on offense, supplemented by opportunistic passes, and an unforgiving defense. The Eagles have used a similar formula (and an easier schedule) to ride to a 10-1 start. Their only opponents who have winning records have been Minnesota, Dallas and Washington, with their lone loss coming against the Commanders. Can the Eagles make it an 11-1 start? Check out our NFL betting preview.
NFL Preview: Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles
(Sunday, December 4)
When: Sunday, December 4, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: FOX
Radio: WGFX 104.5 FM Nashville / WIP 94.1 FM Philadelphia
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Philadelphia -5.5 / O/U 44.5 // Philadelphia -240 / Tennessee +196
Why should you bet on the Titans?
The Cincinnati Bengals just got the better of the Titans last week, prevailing, 20-16, but the Titans are in first place in the AFC South and have an inside track to the postseason once again. The Titans only allow 18.6 points per game, but their offense can also be pedestrian, as we saw when the Titans only managed 16 points against Cincinnati despite a healthy Derrick Henry. The Titans only permit 84.5 rushing yards per game, third-best in the NFL, which will push the Eagles away from their preference to feature the running game. Philadelphia ran for over 300 yards against Green Bay, but it’s hard to see the Titans allowing that much on the ground.
Derrick Henry will be the key to the Titans this week; once he gets running downhill, defenses tend to crumble. The Philadephia pass rush is in the top five in the league in sacks per game, so if Henry can get big gains on first and second downs, then Ryan Tannehill won’t have to do a lot of work in third-and-long. Using the play-action after the running game is established will keep the Eagles’ defense from settling into a rhythm and will keep Jalen Hurts off the field.
Why should you put your money on the Eagles?
The Eagles have a +87 point differential – or about +8 per game. They are third in the NFL in scoring, with 27.5 points per game. The running game, featuring Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts, does a great deal of damage, and Hurts has also shown that he can hit deep balls accurately and repeatedly. Hurts ran for 157 yards all by himself against the Packers, and Sanders picked up 143 more.
On defense, the Eagles should take encouragement from the fact that Cincinnati was able to limit Derrick Henry to just 2.2 yards per carry. The Eagles also have a stout front seven, including new acquisition Ndamukong Suh, so it is possible that Henry will face tough sledding again this week. If you like the Eagles, you see the creativity of Hurts wreaking havoc against the Titans’ defense – just enough havoc to pull out the win.
Final Score and Prediction
The fact that the Packers were able to hang 30 on Philadelphia last week, including scoring led by backup quarterback Jordan Love, tells me that the Titans will be able to be productive as well. I think the Eagles can get the late win, but that spread is a bit large. I predict a final score of Philadelphia 27, Tennessee 24.
NFL Betting Odds
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