Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
The first NFL Sunday of the season is finally here! The Tennessee Titans take on the New Orleans Saints during the early afternoon slate of games. Matt McCuen shares his Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints prediction, pick against the spread, and the latest odds.
Matt McCuen - September 10, 2023, 9:08 AM EDT
7 minTennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
The Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints will duel things out from the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday afternoon as the two teams kick off their 2023 seasons.
Titans vs. Saints Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 10, 2023
- Time: 1:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBS
Titans vs. Saints Odds
- Spread: Titans +3 (+100), Saints -3 (-110)
- Total Odds: O 41 (-110), U 41 (-108)
- Moneyline Odds: Titans (+148), Saints (-165)
Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction
The Titans will look to rebound after a tough go of things in 2022. The Titans ended the season with a 7-10 record. A big reason for that record was the injuries that the Titans had to deal with. Most notably, an injury to starting Quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The losing season was the first in the Mike Vrabel era and the first losing season overall for Tennessee since 2015 when the team went 3-13.
Tannehill will be healthy and good to go for Week 1. Tannehill will begin his 11th season in the NFL and his fifth at the helm for the Titans. Tannehill was inconsistent a season when he did suit up throwing for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
The star of this Titans offense is the man that they call the King Derrick Henry. Henry has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four of his last five seasons. The one year that Henry did not rush for over 1,000 was in 2021, when he rushed for 937 yards. The reason that he did not go over the 1,000-yard mark was that he played in just eight games. Henry has rushed for 78 touchdowns in 102 career games.
The wide receiver position is a bit of a concern for the Titans entering the year. Deandre Hopkins surprised many when he signed with the Titans in the offense. Nuke has been one of the best wide receivers in football since entering the league in 2013. When playing fifteen games or more, Hopkins has gone over the 1,000-yard mark every year in his career. Additionally, Treylon Burks is seen as a potential top option. Burks, who played collegiately at Arkansas University, strung together 444 yards as a rookie in 2022.
The defense ranked toward the bottom half of the league in 2022, allowing opponents 351.6 yards per game. Despite ranking low overall, Tennessee was the best-rushing defense in football, allowing just 76.9 rushing yards per game. The passing defense was the issue for the Titans, allowing a league-worst 274.8 yards per game in the air.
The Saints will have a new starting quarterback at the helm in 2023. Derek Carr will get the opportunity to run this New Orleans offense. Carr has put together some outstanding numbers in his career, and it was time for him to move on from Las Vegas. Carr has thrown for 35,222 yards, 217 passing touchdowns, and 99 interceptions in his career. In addition, Carr has been voted into the Pro Bowl in four years, including in 2022.
The Saints will be without their starting running back Alvin Kamara, who is serving a suspension. Jamaal Williams will be the lead back to begin the year. Williams signed as a free agent after the best year of his career in Detroit, where he rushed for a career-high 17 touchdowns. Rookie Keandre Miller should also see significant action in Week 1 in the backfield.
The wide receiver core is strong for the Saints, headlined by Chris Olave and veteran Michael Thomas. Olave had a breakout year as a rookie, racking up 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. Thomas will begin the year fully healthy, as injuries have held him down the last couple of seasons. Thomas went over the 1,000-yard mark in his first four years in the NFL but has played in just ten games over the last two seasons.
The Saints were a top-five defense in football a season ago. The Saints ranked fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (314.8). This is an ultra-talented group that won them a lot of games a season ago.
Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints Pick
I love everything about this Saints team entering the year. New Orleans got significantly better on the offensive side of the football.
The upgrade of Carr over Dalton or Winston is a significant one. Carr is one of the more underrated players in football, and he will have a breakout season in New Orleans. The playmakers that the Saints added in, Jamaal Williams, Keandre Miller, and Michael Thomas (injury), will be a huge part of this team's success.
The Titans will struggle to move the football with any consistency against this stout New Orleans defense. Hopkins is the only real playmaker that the Titans possess outside of the numbers, and Marshon Latimore will limit Hopkins.
Pick: New Orleans Saints -3 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
NFL Odds
