The Washington Redskins take on the Tennessee Titans at the Nissan Stadium to kick off Week 16 of NFL action on 12/22/18.
The Redskins are still alive in their playoff hunt but their fate is no longer in their hands as they need a little help to make it. The Titans are in second place and two games behind Houston for the top position in the AFC South. Making the postseason is easier for the Titans than the Redskins but because the Baltimore Ravens own the tiebreaker against them, it would be better if the Titans win out as well.
The Washington Redskins were given up for dead when Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury. Nobody gave them a fighting chance to make the playoffs after back-up Colt McCoy also suffered a leg injury. Third stringer Mark Sanchez didn’t work out for them but when the Redskins turned to veteran Josh Johnson, he played decent enough to give the team an upset win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 and keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
Johnson had not even completed 100 passes in his entire NFL career when he made his first appearance against the Giants two games ago. But he went 11-16 for 195 yards with 1 touchdown and one interception. He earned the start last week and played steady enough to give the Redskins the victory. For the season Johnson is 27-41 with 346 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Redskins will need him to be steady again to give themselves a chance to win.
With three consecutive victories, the Tennessee Titans are right behind the Baltimore Ravens for the 6th seed in the playoffs. If they are able to win out, then they might just be able to sneak in. Playing at home is crucial here because the Titans have won five out of their last six at Nissan Stadium. A month ago, it looked like Tennessee was out of the picture but they are winning at the right time and who knows they might just be able to do so.
The main reason for the Titans’ recent success is none other than quarterback Marcus Mariota who has thrown for 2,418 passing yards with 11 scores and 8 pickoffs while completing 68.6% of his passes. Running back Derrick Henry has been the story for the last two games. Henry rushed for 238 yards in Week 14 and then went for 170 yards with two scores last week. Another big game from him would help his team’s cause on Saturday.
Washington is 1-4 SU in their last five games played. The Redskins are 4-3 SU in seven road games this season. Tennessee is 5-2 SU in their last seven games played. The Titans are 6-1 SU in their last seven home games played. Head to head ,these teams have split their last six meetings at 3-3.
Nobody expected them to win but the Redskins pulled off the road upset over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their last outing. But to have a shot at sneaking into the playoffs, Washington needs to win out. Josh Johnson made his first start in seven years and the 4th string quarterback threw one touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over against the Jaguars. If Johnsons takes good care of the leather well, the Redskins are going to give the Titans a good fight here.
The Redskins though are just 4-12 SU after a win which means they probably won’t win this game. But regardless of the outcome, I think Washington has enough to hang with the Titans and keep this game within reach. I don’t think it will be as low scoring as their 16-13 win over the Jaguars but it won’t be a shootout either. Regardless, I think the home team will pull off a close win in the end. We’re picking the Tennessee Titans to beat the Washington Redskins on 12/20/18.
The Redskins are 8-6 ATS in 14 games played this season. Washington is 4-3 ATS in seven road games played this season. The Titans are also 8-6 ATS in 14 games played this season. Tennessee sis 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games played. Head to head, the Titans are 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings.
The Titans have been a solid play at home this season and that has likewise translated at the betting window. Titans are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games at home. The Redskins are 2-3 ATS in their last five road games as underdogs. Tennessee has also covered 8 out of their last dozen games as double digit favorites. But nine out of the last 14 wins by Tennessee have been by single digits and I think 10 points is too much to give away to a desperate team like the Redskins. I’m picking the Titans to win but not this much. Prediction: Redskins +10.5
The total has gone under in 12 out of Washington’s 18 games overall. The under is also 5-2 in the Redskins’ seven road games this year. The total has gone under in 8 out of the 14 games played by the Titans this season. Head to head, the total has gone over in four out of the last six games between these two teams.
The trends point to the under in this matchup but when you take a look at the total, it’s only 37 points and it is the lowest total for any game this week. That said, I don’t think these two teams are going to engage in a shootout but I’m confident both will score more than enough points to breach the posted total. The over has also hit in the Titans’ last four games with an average combined score of 38.75. The over is 3-2 in Washington’s last five games with an average combined score of 40.4 Prediction: Over 37
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