Titans Three-Point Favorites Over Saints Without Henry

• The Tennessee Titans currently sit as 3-point home favorites over the New Orleans Saints, despite the absence of star running back Derrick Henry.
• The Titans will look to cover the spread in their sixth consecutive game as newly-signed running back Adrian Peterson looks to shoulder the bulk of the running-game volume.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - This week’s NFL slate features a fantastic matchup between the hosting Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints.

The points spread opened with Tennessee favored by 2.5 points, but betting action has moved the spread slightly to 3 points on online betting sites.

Tennessee Titans Vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Odds

• Tennessee Titans -3 (EVEN)
• New Orleans Saints +3 (-120)
• Tennessee Titans -150
• New Orleans Saints +130
• Over 44.5 (-110)
• Under 44.5 (-110)

The Titans are currently riding a five-game winning streak, including consecutive victories over the Bills, Chiefs, Colts, and Rams. During their five-game win streak, they have also managed to cover the spread in each game.

They sit at a 7-2 record both outright and against the spread.

The Titans’ win over the Rams last week was a huge step in the right direction, as they were able to defeat a solid team with a solid defensive unit without the focal point of their offensive attack, Derrick Henry. Despite Henry’s injury, the Titans did not change their offensive identity; instead, three separate running backs contributed carries, led by newly-acquired Adrian Peterson’s 10 attempts.

Without Henry, the offense as a whole was somewhat disappointing: no running back tallied more than 29 yards on the ground, and the wide receiver group was led by A.J. Brown, who only hauled in five of his 11 targets for 42 yards.

Despite this, the Titans were able to find the end zone three times, including a passing touchdown from Ryan Tannehill to Geoff Swaim and rushing touchdowns from Ryan Tannehill and Adrian Peterson.

The defense, however, has been the real reason for Tennessee’s success, limiting opposing running backs to just 77.1 yards per game, good for sixth-best in the league.

The defensive front has also done a very good job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, especially last week when they notched 13 total quarterback pressures.

New Orleans, on the other hand, has struggled with consistency throughout 2021. Two weeks ago, the Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-27; however, last week, they lost to the Atlanta Falcons as 6.5-point favorites.

One thing that has been consistent with the Saints throughout 2021 has been their running-game prowess. In their eight 2021 games, the Saints have racked up over 100 rushing yards in five of them.

For the Saints to win this matchup, they will need to run effectively against one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL.

In their five victories, the Saints have averaged 125.4 rushing yards.

From a defensive perspective, the Saints’ defense has been strangely elite against the run, but poor against the pass: they rank first in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed to opposing running backs, but have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards per game to opposing wide receivers.

The Saints have also been fantastic at covering the spread as an underdog in 2021, covering the spread in each of the three games in which they were point-spread underdogs. For the Saints to extend that streak to four, they will have to run the ball effectively with Alvin Kamara and limit Ryan Tannehill and the Titans passing game.