Titans-Rams best bets: How will Tennessee fare without Henry?
The Tennessee Titans face a tough test as they begin life without Derrick Henry in primetime against the joint-league leading Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Here's how we're betting Titans-Rams:
C Jackson Cowart: Matthew Stafford over 2.5 passing TDs (+100)For whatever reason, it feels like people are overlooking Stafford's brilliance this campaign even as he continues to torch defenses week after week. The Rams star ranks second in the NFL in passing touchdowns (22) and has thrown for at least three TDs in five of his eight starts, including in each of the last three contests.
Stafford should have a field day against the Titans, who are tied for the seventh-most passing TDs allowed (15) and have surrendered three such scores in two of the last three weeks. Tennessee has also allowed at least 8.0 yards in half of its games thus far - that's a bad sign against an elite deep-ball passer in Stafford, who ranks second in yards per attempt (9.1) and already has three touchdowns of at least 50 yards. Expect him to pick apart this secondary in a game Los Angeles should control handily.
Alex Moretto: Rams over 30.5 points (-115)NFL fans everywhere are worse off for not being able to watch Henry strut his stuff every weekend, and while his injury is undoubtedly a big blow to this Titans team, I'm not ready to judge just how big an impact his absence will have on this offense.
Ryan Tannehill can absolutely handle himself with the unit shifting to a more pass-heavy approach, and A.J. Brown is ready to erupt as the offensive focal point. Jeremy McNichols is also a playmaker who's understandably been buried behind Henry on the depth chart but has averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 7.8 yards per catch in his one-and-a-half seasons in Tennessee. The offense will look very different, but I'm not so sure it's going to be as bad as people seem to suggest. Still, I want to see it first.
What we do know is this Rams offense is a nightmare matchup for the Titans defense. Stafford and his stable of weapons outmatch Tennesse's secondary, which will open up all sorts of room for Darrell Henderson on the ground. So instead of trying to decide whether or not the Titans can keep pace, I'd rather just trust in one of the most consistent units in football to get theirs against a relatively underwhelming defense.
Matt Russell: Jeremy McNichols anytime TD (+200)Whether it's at the Draft or on a game-to-game basis for fantasy football, we often refer to running backs as the most replaceable position in football. Tennessee is an exception - or at least we assume that's the case.
While I don't expect McNichols to be Henry, I do think he gets first crack at the majority of carries as the Titans try to fill that void. The locker room will agree he's earned that over a veteran off the street.
L.A. has built its defense around allowing teams to run the football, and Sebastian Joseph-Day is an underrated loss to the defensive line. Look for McNichols to get more opportunity than a 36-year-old Adrian Peterson coming in fresh.
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