Melvin Gordon is going to add an important piece to this Broncos offense -- a reliable running game that can take some pressure off second-year QB Drew Lock. Then add in Jerry Jeudy, and this offense is going to look much better in 2020. While I'm not fond of going into this game without Von Miller (and Courtland Sutton), the Broncos' pass rush is more than just one man. Considering the late kickoff, the altitude and the fact that the Titans (and particularly Ryan Tannehill should fall back to Earth after overperforming in 2019, give me the home underdog with a full field goal.

There are a lot of unknown variables in this game that lead me to stay away from the spread. What I do know is Mike Vrabel was wearing a mask on Sunday that said give the ball to Derrick Henry. And Denver did bring in Melvin Gordon this offseason. I think we've got two defensive-minded head coaches looking to establish the run here, and when that's the case, we're going Under.

Even with the Von Miller injury, I'm on Denver. Ryan Tannehill won't be the guy he was last year; he's facing a Broncos defense with a lot of playmakers, including former Titans DT Jurrell Casey. Drew Lock went 4-1 down the stretch last season and has better weapons now with the drafting of Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.

With season openers, rely on how teams finished the previous year at your own risk. However, one can’t ignore how Tennessee revved up after a shaky start and charged within one win of a Super Bowl berth. The surge coincided with the QB switch to Ryan Tannehill and the emergence of Derrick Henry into an all-world RB. The unit returns nearly intact, and it has distanced itself from the shutout loss in Denver last October, which prompted the demotion of QB Marcus Mariota. For good measure, the Titans acquired DE Jadeveon Clowney last week. They should extend a 5-1 ATS streak on the road.

We're not sure how much home-field advantage is going to have an effect with little to no fans, but one home-field advantage that still matters is in Denver, where visiting players who have zero game experience after no preseason will have to play at altitude. The Titans are also stuck playing a super late game for their body clocks with the 10:10 p.m. ET start time. Those factors should make the Broncos a favorite to win outright if they aren't a terrible team, and considering their win total was set at 7.5 all offseason, the market is expecting them to at least be capable. I think the Broncos pass rush gives Ryan Tannehill trouble and the Denver offense does enough to get the win.

What's the deal with this low total? Snow is expected in Denver on Tuesday, but it's expected to be beautiful next Monday night, so it’s not the weather. Last season, the Joe Flacco-led Broncos beat Tennessee 16-0 in an ugly game. Marcus Mariota started for the Titans, threw two interceptions and was yanked, beginning the Ryan Tannehill era. The team then started scoring in bunches and got Over the total in nine of its last 10 regular-season contests. The Broncos' offense looked much more fluid in the final few games of 2019 with Drew Lock at QB, and the team drafted more speed at WR for him. Over is the play.

There isn't a great time to play a primetime road game at altitude. However, I would much rather start the season at altitude with fresh legs than play it later in the season when health isn't a given. Did the Titans overperform last season? Perhaps. Are the Broncos a significantly better team this year? Maybe. With a limited off-season I'm of the believe that it will take the Broncos a few weeks to play well together. The Titans are obviously the better team, but I make this game a pick'em due to the difficult game environment. Take the points.