Though last season ultimately ended in disappointment, with Mike Vrabel’s side losing out limply to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card playoffs, it’s fair to say that the Tennessee Titans had a good run of it overall.
Their 11-5 record saw them top of the AFC South and that was down, in no small part, to the superb showing of running back Derrick Henry, who became only the second Titan to rush over 2000 yards.
So when you see their odds to clinch the AFC title, though something of a recognized longshot, it’s a bet worth considering. You’ll see on that currently you can pick up as much as (+1400) on the Titans clinching the AFC, remember also that they came mightily close to doing that back in 2019, but lost out to the Chiefs in a 35-24 thriller.
By all accounts it’s a bet that’s proving very popular, with 26.7% of bets on the AFC title going their way, which illustrates the viability of the wager.
The Titans have retained their top talents over the offseason and have also added Julio Jones, who has been brought in from the Atlanta Falcons and offers a great deal of ability and experience that will further push their offense.
While it’s true that winning the AFC will mean the Titans need to better the likes of Kansas City, who are the overall favorite for the Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills and the Ravens and Cleveland Browns. The main pulling point on this bet is that their odds represent real value while backing the Chiefs, for instance, wouldn’t net you much of a reward.
In other words, this is a calculated risk worth considering. Last season the Titans opened the season with a five win streak and will hope for a similar strong start out of the blocks in 2021.
Coach Vrabel is aware that the shortcomings in his team exist mainly in defense, an issue he commented on after their recent preseason win over the Falcons;
“We have a standard on our football team that we try to live to, a certain way we want to play in all three phases, and defensively they did that,”
So indeed, if Vrabel can get the most out of his defense then the odds of Tennessee winning the AFC title become a whole lot more tempting.
The chances of Vrabel Winning the AFC South, where the Titans are now the narrow favorites, is greatly aided by the arrival of Jones and is the stepping stone that will in theory push them on further into the postseason.
The Tennessee Titans begin their season with a home game against the Arizona Cardinals (who they haven’t matched up with in regular season action since 2017), and that’s a nice way to open the campaign and a game they should be able to chalk up an opening victory from.
