Thirty of the NFL’s 32 teams had appeared in a wild card playoff game between 2009 and 2019. One of the two that had not was the Cleveland Browns, a testament to that franchise’s ongoing futility. The other was the New England Patriots. This was not a sign of their futility — but a sign of their elite status, as they had earned byes to the divisional round for 10 seasons in a row. That came to an end this past Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins came to Foxboro and hung a huge upset on the Patriots, scoring a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to win by three — and to send the Patriots, winners of the AFC East, to the third seed, which meant they would have to host a wild card playoff game. They will host a Tennessee team that had mounted a four-game winning streak before losing two of three to finish the season. Can Tennessee’s stout offense run over the Patriots? Or will New England get back to business? Check out our sports betting preview of this AFC wild card clash.
Titans vs Patriots 2020 NFL Wild Card Lines, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Saturday, January 4, 2020, 8:15 pm ET
- Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
- TV: CBS
- Radio: Westwood One
- Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
- NFL Odds: New England -4.5
Why should you bet on Tennessee?
Ryan Tannehill is playing the best football of his career this season at quarterback, and tailback Derrick Henry is leading the way for this offense. Tannehill had a 22:6 TD:INT ratio, throwing for 2,742 yards on the season. Those numbers do not reflect a full season, as Marcus Mariota was the team’s starting quarterback at the beginning. A.J. Brown hauled in 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight scores. Henry has had an iconic season at tailback, running for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns.
The team’s defense has been a strength, as they have permitted just 20.7 points per game on the year. However, they gave up over 22 points per game in their last six matchups, and they need to tighten up against a Patriots team that has all kinds of tricks at their disposal. To be sure, New England is basically down to baling wire in their wide receiving corps, with Julian Edelman as the only dangerous threat. However, the Patriots will get full use out of running backs James White and Rex Burkhead, both carrying the ball and catching passes out of the backfield. If you like Tennessee, you see the Patriots finally going under in a playoff matchup in which they are favored — quite the low-probability event given the historical trend put in place by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Why should you put your money on New England?
If the Patriots are going to win this game, it will be their defense that leads the way. Their defense was putting up historic numbers in the early going this season, and this is a team that has gone to four of the last five Super Bowls. However, their defense makes picking the Patriots more than a simply sentimental decision. After all, no team has permitted fewer points than the Patriots did this year, giving up 14.1 points per week. That did soften in the last five games, as they gave up almost 22 points per game. They don’t have the bye week to figure things out, but they do have the coaching and the experience to turn things around.
On offense, New England scored 26.1 points per game. However, Tom Brady took a step back this year, completing just 60.8 percent of his passes, tied for a career low. He posted a 24:8 TD:INT ratio on the season, with 4,057 yards. However, two of those interceptions came in Week 17, including a pick-six against Miami. Tailback Sony Michel put up good numbers, running for 912 yards and seven scores, and Julian Edelman had 100 cathces for 1,117 yards and six scores. Can the Patriots find the magic once again to win?
Final Score Prediction
I see Tennessee pushing New England hard, but these are the playoffs. Do you really think Ryan Tannehill can outduel Tom Brady? I don’t see it happening in the postseason. I predict a final score of New England 27, Tennessee 20.
