Titans (7-10 last season) vs Vikings (13-4 last year)
Tennessee Titans vs Minnesota Vikings 8/19/2023 — The Tennessee Titans had an average of 17.5 points per game at the end zone. They maintained an average of 125.4 rushing yards, positioning them 13th in the league. In the previous year, the Titans accumulated a total of 5,045 yards. Collectively, the Tennessee team secured 153 first downs and incurred 111 penalties, resulting in a loss of 956 yards. They relinquished possession of the ball 23 times, with 11 interceptions and 12 fumbles. Tennessee managed to score 16 TDs through passing and an equal number of rushing TDs.
The Minnesota Vikings held the seventh spot in football rankings, averaging 361.5 yards per game. On average, they rushed for 1,661 yards throughout the season, with a per-game average of 97.7 yards. The Minnesota offense yielded yardage through penalties, ranking them 24th in the league with 684 yards on 88 penalties. Despite throwing 15 interceptions and losing 8 fumbles, they secured 244 first downs. In the previous NFL season, the Vikings held the sixth position, amassing a total of 4,484 passing yards, averaging 263.8 yards per game. The Vikings also excelled in scoring, ranking eighth in the NFL with an average of 24.9 points per game.
Tennessee Titans vs Minnesota Vikings Game Info
Time: 8:00 PM ET.
Date: Saturday, August 19, 2023
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, MN
TV: NFL Network
Tennessee Titans QB Joshua Dobbs and Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
In their recent matchup, the Titans went head-to-head with the Jaguars and suffered a 20-16 loss. Joshua Dobbs completed 20 out of 29 passes, accumulating 179 yards and securing one touchdown. He concluded the game with just a single interception and a quarterback rating of 82.4. Chigoziem Okonkwo wrapped up the game with a total of 42 yards from 3 receptions, averaging 14.0 yards per catch. Leading the rushing efforts for the Titans, Derrick Henry carried the ball 30 times, accumulating 109 yards at an average of 3.6 yards per attempt.
Kirk Cousins capped the game with 273 yards, completing 31 out of 39 passes, and earned a passer rating of 112.9. He also managed to score 2 touchdowns. His average yardage per pass attempt stood at 7.0 yards, and he successfully avoided any pick. The Vikings’ pass defense permitted 289 yards on 24 out of 35 attempts, resulting in a completion rate of 68.6%. Over the course of 56 plays, the Vikings managed to amass a total of 332 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per play. When it came to rushing, Minnesota achieved an average of 3.8 yards per carry, accumulating 61 yards from 16 carries.
Odds/Point Spread: Tennessee Titans -2, Total Odds: 37.5
The injury to Haskins will negatively impact the Tennessee Titans’ running game. Haskins was set to receive significant playing time as he competed with Derrick Henry for the backup role. In recent history, the Titans struggled, losing six out of their last seven matches against the spread when facing the Vikings. Additionally, their track record in the previous eight games is 1-6-1 ATS.
Despite some challenges faced by the Minnesota defense in their initial preseason game, the offensive line, expected to be a strong point for the Titans in 2023, provided consistent protection to their quarterbacks during the first match. The Vikings are poised to secure enough points on Saturday for a victory. This is partly attributed to Mullens, who showcased an impressive performance in the first week and is anticipated to start and receive significant playing time. Furthermore, the versatile rookie RB Chandler, who boasts some prior experience, adds to the team’s strengths.
Tennessee Titans Betting Trends
- Tennessee is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games with the Vikings.
- The Titans are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games against the Minnesota Vikings.
- The Tennessee Titans are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road.
- The team is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road against Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings Betting Trends
- The total went OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games with Tennessee.
- The total stayed OVER in 5 of the Vikings’ last 5 games at home.
- Minnesota is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home against the Titans.
- The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the American Football Conference.
Tennessee Titans vs Minnesota Vikings Betting Trends
Tennessee Titans vs Minnesota Vikings: The Minnesota Vikings stuck to their preseason strategy under coach Kevin O’Connell, opting not to field any of their key starters, a pattern that has emerged during his brief tenure in Minnesota. This approach was evident in their game against the Seattle Seahawks, where the Seahawks outscored the Vikings 14-3 in the second half and gained 210 yards compared to Minnesota’s 55 yards after halftime, resulting in a 24-13 victory for the Seahawks.
Throughout the four preseason games that O’Connell has overseen as coach of the Vikings, he has consistently refrained from deploying his core starters due to his limited belief in the value of preseason games. While the Minnesota team isn’t exactly taking a passive stance, they often find themselves fielding third-string players from their depth chart more frequently than their opponents.
In the meantime, a competition is underway in Tennessee for the backup quarterback position, contested between Malik Willis, a third-round pick from 2022, and Will Levis, a second-round rookie seen as the future successor to Ryan Tannehill. Willis needs to step up his game to secure a spot on the roster.
Given the heightened urgency of Tennessee’s offensive efforts and the Vikings still acclimating to a new defensive scheme, this discrepancy should provide Tennessee with an advantage, particularly as the game progresses into the second half.
Free Pick and Prediction: Tennessee Titans will win 21-19.
