Arizona Cardinals (0-0) vs. Tennessee Titans (0-0)
September 12, 2021 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Tennessee Titans -3 ; Over/Under: -52
(Get latest betting odds)
The Tennessee Titans meet the Arizona Cardinals Sunday in Week 1 NFL action from Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Arizona posted a .500 record last season, finishing in third place in the NFC West. As for the Titans, they went 11-5 in 2020, taking the AFC South Division title. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
Last year Arizona improved on their 5-10-1 record from 2019, going 8-8 on the season. The Cardinals started out the year at 6-3 but ultimately lost five of their last seven games. Arizona finished in third place in the division and lost a Wild Card tiebreaker to the Bears.
The Cardinals managed to go 1-1 in preseason action this year. Arizona beat the Cowboys 19-16 on August 13, but then lost to the Chiefs 17-10 a week later. In the defeat, Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy finished 13-of-18 with 113 yards and an interception.
Over on the Titans’ side, they had a nice regular season in 2020. Tennessee went 11-5 overall, winning the AFC South for the first time since 2008 (via tiebreaker over the Colts). The Titans’ postseason was cut short quickly however, with a Wild Card Playoffs loss to the Ravens 20-13.
Tennessee managed a 2-1 record this preseason, taking wins 23-3 over the Falcons and 34-3 over the Buccaneers prior to a 27-24 loss to the Bears on August 28. Titans quarterback Logan Woodside managed to go 12-of-17 for 100 yards, one TD and one interception in the loss.
The Cardinals are 8-3-2 ATS in the last 13 as a road underdog and 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall. Arizona is 1-4 ATS in their last five on grass and the under is 8-0 in their last eight road games.
Meanwhile, the Titans are 1-4 ATS in their last five games in Week 1 and 1-5 ATS in their last six in September. The over is 7-2-1 in Tennessee’s last 10 as a favorite and 22-7-1 in the last 30 overall.
PICK: I’m going to stick with the Titans. Arizona did pretty well offensively last year overall, logging 384.6 yards per game. The scoring output was a bit lacking at 25.6 points per game, but it was good enough to keep the Cardinals within striking distance of most matchups. Arizona faces a lot of roster turnover this season however, so they’ll be reliant on new guys like Rondale Moore to help carry the load.
As for the Titans, they’re working under a new offensive system this year but still boast one of the more potent lineups on paper. Tennessee’s potential Achilles heel is defense; they allowed 398.3 yards per game last season. Provided the Titans can keep Arizona’s offense in check I don’t think they’ll have any issues staying ahead here, though.
