Table of Contents

• Introduction & Team Review
• The Running Game
  • Titans Offense vs Raiders Defense
    • Titans Run Offense
    • Raiders Run Defense
    • Stats
    • Who has the edge?
  • Raiders Offense vs Titans Defense
    • Raiders Run Offense
    • Titans Run Defense
    • Stats
    • Who has the edge?
• The Passing Game
  • Titans Offense vs Raiders Defense
    • Titans Passing Offense
    • Raiders Passing Defense
    • Stats
    • Who has the edge?
  • Raiders Offense vs Titans Defense
    • Raiders Passing Offense
    • Titans Passing Defense
    • Stats
    • Who has the edge?
• Intangibles
• Final Outlook & Prediction
• Second Opinion on this pick from StatSalt.com
• Latest Updates, Injury Reports, & Line Movements
• Insiders' Best Bets

Last Updated: Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 10:47am EST

Introduction

National Football League action on Sunday afternoon and a pair of playoff-hopeful teams will square off as the Tennessee Titans grapple with the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California. These teams last met back in 2017 and the Raiders won that game on the road by a score of 26-16.  The Titans enter this game at 7-5 while the Raiders are at 6-6.

Tennessee Titans Review

The Tennessee Titans have been on a roll of late and they have turned it around thanks to Ryan Tannehill taking over at QB. The journeyman quarterback has gone 5-1 since taking over as the signal-caller and the Titans have won three games in a row to pull within a game of Houston for first place in the AFC South. In their last game, they grabbed a huge win over the Indianapolis Colts on the road by a score of 31-17. The offense has been very hot for the Titans as they have averaged 35.3 ppg over their last three games. Also hot has been running back Derrick Henry, who has rushed for 347 yards and four TDs over his last two games and he is 3rd in the league in rushing overall. Can the Tennessee offense lead their 4th win in a row? We shall see.

Oakland Raiders Review

The Oakland Raiders are fighting for a playoff spot but they were dealt a serious blow to their chances after losing 40-9 to the Chiefs on the road. The Raiders are now at 6-6 on the year and two games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West standings. They are actually three games behind because the Chiefs swept them in the regular season. That means, if the teams tie, then KC would win the division on a tiebreaker. The Raiders have been outscored 74-12 in their last two games but both were on the road. Oakland has gone 4-1 here at home. Can the Raiders keep their playoff hopes alive with an upset win over the Titans? You'll have to keep reading to find out.

The Running Game

Tennessee Titans Running Offense
vs. Oakland Raiders Running Defense

Tennessee Titans Running Offense

The Titans have a very solid ground attack that ranks 9th in the league and they are also 6th in yards per attempt. Their success on the ground is a result of the play from Derrick Henry, who has rumbled for 1140 yards and at 4.5 yards per attempt. Henry is 3rd in the league in rushing and he trails top-ranked Nick Chubb by just 35 yards. He has been on fire of late, churning out 347 yards and four TDs on the ground in his last two games. 2nd on the team in rushing is Marcus Mariota with 129 while 3rd is Ryan Tannehill with 128. 

Henrey IS their running game and the Titans have now averaged 199.3 ypg on the ground over their last three games and at a whopping 6.7 yards per attempt. The Raiders have been solid against the run for the most part but they have allowed 119.0 ypg on the ground over their last three games. Tennessee has averaged 111 yards per game on the ground on the road which is the same number the Raiders have allowed at home.

Oakland Raiders Run Defense

The Oakland run defense has been in the upper half of the league all year but it may be breaking down some. They have allowed just 103.6 ypg rushing overall and at 4.0 yards per attempt but in their last three games the Raiders have allowed 119.0 ypg and at 4.4 yards per pop. The question is, can the Raiders get their run defense back on track against one of the hottest running backs in the league? We shall see.

If they cannot stop the run, then it could be a long afternoon for them as Ryan Tannehill has been hot in his own right. He could have a big game if the Raiders can’t stop the run. The Raiders have allowed 111 yards per game on the ground at home and at just 3.8 yards per attempt.  

Stats

Who has the Edge?

I have to give the edge to the Titans in this category. They have probably the hottest running back in the league at the moment as Derrick Henry has rushed for 347 yards and four TDs over his last two games. The Raiders have solid numbers against the run for the year overall but they have allowed 119 ypg at 4.4 ypg over their last three games. The run defense has been breaking down for the Raiders of late and I expect that to continue here against the league’s 3rd ranked running back.

Advantage: Tennessee Titans

Oakland Raiders Running Offense
vs. Tennessee Titans Running Defense

Oakland Raiders Running Offense

The Raiders have been solid at running the ball this year as they come in at 10th in the league and a big reason for that has been the play of rookie Josh Jacobs. The former Alabama running back has rumbled for 1061 yards with seven TDs on the year. He is 4th in the league in rushing and that sets up for a great battle as the Titans have the 3rd ranked running back in the league. We do note that he is listed as questionable for this game. It will not be easy for him as the Titans have been solid against the run so far and even better of late as they have allowed just 98.7 ypg on the ground over their last three games. 

Second on the team in rushing has been DeAndre Washington with 156 while 3rd is Jalen Richard with 75.  The Raiders have rushed for 117.8 ypg here at home, but their ground game has been a bit weaker overall of late, putting up just 101 ypg over their last three games. The Raiders do need to get their ground game going as it will take the pressure off of Carr and the passing game.  

Tennessee Titans Run Defense

The Titans have a solid run defense and they will need it to step it up against the Josh Jacobs, who is the 4th leading rusher in the league. The Titans are 10th in the league against the run and 7th in yards per attempt about. Tennessee has been even better of late as they have allowed just 98.7 ypg on the ground over their last three games and they have allowed just 98.2 ypg on the road. 

Those numbers will be tested against a Raiders’ offense that has averaged 117.8 ypg ypg over their last three games. The Titans have a solid defensive line so it will be an interesting battle here as they are facing a solid Raiders’ offensive line. If the Titans can’t stop the run, then they will be vulnerable to the play-action pass. Carr could have a big game if that is the case.    

  

Stats

Who has the Edge?

I have to call this a push. The Raiders are 10th in the league in rushing while the Titans are 10th against the run. The Raiders have averaged 117.8 ypg on the ground over their last three games while the Titans have allowed under 100 yards per game on the ground in both their last three games overall and on the road. I just do not see an edge on either side in this department but if Jacobs doesn’t play, then the Titans will have a serious edge in this department. 

Advantage: Push

The Passing Game

Tennessee Titans Passing Offense
vs. Oakland Raiders Passing Defense

Tennessee Titans Passing Offense

The Titans are not a great passing team, but they do pass the fewest times per game in the league. They are a team that loves to run the ball and then build off of that with their passing game. Ryan Tannehill has taken over at signal-caller for the ineffective Marcus Mariota and he has gone 5-1 in his six starts so far.  Tannehill has thrown for 1602 yards with 12 TDs and four INTs in eight games (six starts) on the year. He has a passer rating of 113.9, which is top five in the league. 

Mariota had thrown for 1179 with seven TDs, two INTs and a passer rating of 91.7 in his six starts this year. A.J. Brown is their deep threat and he leads the team with 626 yards receiving while posting an 18.4 yards per catch average. 2nd on the team in receiving is Corey Davis with 426 yards while Adam Humphries is 3rd with 374. The Titans are 27th in the league in passing, but 10th in completion percentage and 6th in passer rating. If the ground game gets going then Tannehill could have a big game against the Raiders 26th ranked pass defense.  

Oakland Raiders Passing Defense

The pass defense for the Raiders has not been that good at all as they enter this game at 26th in the league in that department and that is despite the fact that teams don’t pass a ton against this team. The Raiders are also 28th in yards per attempt against, 31st in yards per completion against and 30th in passer rating against.  The pass defense has been better of late as they have allowed just 183 yards per game through the air of their last three games, but we also note that they have allowed 265.7 ypg passing at home for the year. 

The Raiders do not put a ton of pressure on the QB and leading them in sacks has been Maxx Crosby with seven while Benson Mayowa is 2nd with seven. Lading the team in INTs has been Erik Harris, who has three of them for 145 yards and TDs. The Raiders will need a big game from him in this one, especially if they can’t get pressure on Tannehill, who has been a bit elusive this year. 

Stats

Who has the Edge?

The Titans get the edge here. I know they Are 27th in the league in passing, but they have been very effective when they do pass the ball. Ryan Tannehill has been hot since taking over at the QB spot as he has gone 5-1 in his six starts and has a passer rating of 113.9 in those games. The Raiders have played better against the pass of late but still, their overall numbers have been very bad and they have allowed 265.7 yards per game through the air here at home. The Titans will get their ground game going and that will open up lanes for Tannehill to hit some big plays against a poor Oakland secondary. Give the edge to the Titans. 

Advantage: Tennessee Titans

Oakland Raiders Passing Offense
vs. Tennessee Titans Passing Defense

Oakland Raiders Passing Offense

The Raiders have been middle of the pack in passing this year as they enter this game at 15th in the league in that department. They are 2nd in completion percentage and 9th in yards per attempt and the Raiders will be facing a Tennessee pass defense that has been among the worst in the league. Derek Carr has had a solid season overall but he did not have a good game against the Chiefs last week, throwing for just 210 yards with a TD and two INTs. Still, he has completed 70.6% of his passes for 2843 yards with 16 TDs and eight INTs on the year. He could have a big game if the Raiders get their ground game going. 

The Raiders have thrown for just 207.7 yards per game in their last three contests but they have thrown for 237.8 ypg here at home for the year. The Raiders did have Antonio Brown on their roster before the season but he never played for them as off the field issues cropped up against the star WR. Darren Waller has been the guy this year as he has 807 yards receiving, to lead the team. Tyrell Williams is second with 489 yards and Hunter Renfroe is 3rd with 396 yards. 

Tennessee Titans Passing Defense

The Titans have been solid at stopping the run this year, especially of late but stopping the pass has been an issue for them. The Titans enter this game at 27th in the league in passing yards allowed per game at 260.1 ypg and it has been far worse of late as they have allowed 331.3 ypg through the air over their last three games. That will not do in this one, especially if the Raiders can get their ground game going. Oakland has been a solid passing team and Carr has some solid weapons to work with, so it could be a long afternoon for the Titans’ pass defense. 

Tennessee has allowed 250.3 yards per game passing on the road so far. The Titans are 13th in the league in sacks per game and leading the way has been Harold Landry with nine while no one else has more than 3.5. Leading the team in INTs is Logan Ryan and Kevin Byard, who each have four on the year.   

Stats

Who has the Edge?

I will be giving the Raiders the edge in this category. Oakland has been very average in passing this year, but Carr is more than capable of torching this secondary that has struggled of late. The Titans are 27th in the league against the pass this year and they have allowed 331.3 ypg through the air over their last three games. This is not a good pass defense at the moment and I will look for Carr and his solid receiving corps to take advantage of that. 

Advantage: Oakland Raiders

Intangibles

Tennessee Titans

The Titans enter this game at 3-3 on the road for the year and they have averaged 20.8 ppg and have allowed 17.7 ppg in those games. Tennessee is 24th in total offense at 329.8 ypg and 15th in scoring at 23.0 ppg. They are 19th in offensive yards per points 14.3 and 13th in yards per play at 5.6, plus 26th in third-down conversions at 34.04%. Let’s look at the kicking. The Titans are 21st in kick return average at 21.9 and 16th in punt return average at 6.9, plus they are 2nd in net punting at 47.4 and last in FG% at 50%.

On defense, the Titans are 20th in total yards allowed at 362.1 ypg and 7th in scoring defense at 19.5 ppg. Tennessee has a defensive yards per point average of 18.6, which is 3rd in the league and 15th in yards per play at 5.4. Lastly, the Titans are 11th in penalties per game at 6.7 and 9th in turnover margin per game at +0.4. 

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders enter this game at 4-1 here at home for the year and they have averaged 21.6 ppg and have allowed 20.4 ppg in those games. Oakland is 16th in total offense at 354.8 ypg and 23rd in scoring at 19.8 ppg. They are 28th in offensive yards per points at 18.0 and 7th in yards per play at 5.9, plus 7th in third-down conversions at 45.33%. Let’s look at the kicking. The Raiders are 8th in kick return average at 23.8 and 18th in punt return average at 6.8, plus they are 8th in net punting at 46.2 and 27th FG% at 71%.

On defense, the Raiders are 21st in total yards allowed at 363.3 ypg and 28th in scoring defense at 27.0 ppg. Oakland has a defensive yards per point average of 13.5, which is 29th in the league and 27th in yards per play at 5.9. Lastly, the Titans are 31st in penalties per game at 8.7 and 18th in turnover margin per game at -0.2.   

Who has the Edge?

I have to give this category a push. The Titans have the far better yards per point numbers, they commit far fewer penalties and they also commit fewer turnovers. The Raiders have a nice edge in the return game, they are better in 3rd down conversions and they are at home, where they have gone 4-1. Both teams have struggled with field goals and I feel that both coaches are rather even. This is a category that just looks even all the way around.

Advantage: Push

Final Outlook

I will be siding with the Titans in this one. The Raiders are struggling at the moment as they enter this game having lost their last two games in a row and they have been outscored 74-12 in those games. Yes, both were on the road but playing at home will not help them here, especially against a hot Tennessee team. The Titans enter this game having won five of their last six games and that coincides with the insertion of Ryan Tannehill as the starting quarterback. He could have a big game against a pass defense that has been among the worst in the league this year, especially if the Titans get their ground game going. 

Derrick Henry has been on fire of late as he has rushed for 347 yards and four TDs in his last two games and I see him having a good game against a Raiders’ run defense that has slipped of late. Oakland has an edge in passing when they have the ball, but many of the other edges in this game favor the Titans. They are playing with a ton of confidence right now, have the overall edge on defense and the Raiders have had their confidence shaken after getting whipped in their last two games. Take the Titans in this one.

Trends Are Courtesy Of Covers.com

• The Favorite (Titans) are 9-2 ATS the last 11 games in this series
• The road team is 4-0 ATS the last four games in this series.
• The Titans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game

• The Raiders are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games in Week 14

Latest Updates, Injury Reports, and Line Movements

The game has gone from a pick to Tennessee -3 with the Titans grabbing 56% of the bets. The Sharps are public are on the side of the Titans. 

Tennessee’s Injury Report

Questionable: LB Reggie Gilbert, C Ben Jones, and WR Tajae Sharpe

Out: WR Adam Humphries, DB Adoree' Jackson, LB Daren Bates, LeShaun Sims, and LB Derick Roberson  

Oakland’s Injury Report

Questionable: DB Erik Harris, C Rodney Hudson, DB Lamarcus Joyner, RB Josh Jacobs, and LB Marquel Lee 

Out: OT Trent Brown and LB Kyle Wilber 

Gametime Weather: Partly cloudy with temps in the upper 50s.

Prediction: Tennessee -3

Second Opinion on this pick from StatSalt.com