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With Will Levis out and Mason Rudolph in at QB for the Titans, this is a more comfortable take against a Buffalo club that will be welcoming Amari Cooper and could be in a bit of a letdown spot following its win over the Jets on Monday night.
The Titans will start backup QB Mason Rudolph in place of Will Levis, who continues to make losing football decisions. I actually like this Under more with a game-manager like Rudolph under center for Tennessee. He is less likely to turn the ball over and give up short fields or a defensive touchdown. Although this 1-4 Titans team has struggled, their defense has quietly played well, ranking 9th in defensive DVOA and 7th in rushing yards allowed. Buffalo is a run-heavy team that could have their ground attack stifled a bit. Buffalo’s defense is finally getting healthier, and will return DT Ed Oliver. I don’t see the Titans scoring much here, nor do I see the Bills hanging a huge number.
Many NFL observers believe Tennessee might be better off without second-year QB Will Levis, expected to be sidelined on Sunday. The more-steady Mason Rudolph, who might be a better option anyway these days for the Titans, is in line to get the start at QB. No matter, the Titans' explosive quotient is going to remain quite low, even as Rudolph is less likely to err. This is more of an endorsement for the Bills at Orchard Park, where they have scored better than 40 ppg this season. Buffalo regained some momentum at the end of its tough three-game road trip by tripping the Jets on Monday night, and home cooking seems to mean something for Josh Allen & Co this season. Play Bills
We missed last week on Bills linebacker Dorian Williams, but I like him to register at least eight combined tackles Sunday vs. Tennessee. The Titans should employ a run-based attack, at least early, and Williams sports an impressive 18.8 percent tackle rate. He's played 78 percent of Buffalo's defensive snaps. Look for Williams to clear this prop number for the sixth time in seven games this season.
The Bills give up the most receiving yards to opposing running backs (61.3 per game), and Tony Pollard won't have competition from Tyjae Spears, who is out with a hamstring injury. The Titans are expected to be playing from behind. That can only help this prop. In the last two games, the Bills gave up 56 receiving yards to Breece Hall and 57 to Dare Ogunbowale.
One of the toughest tasks for teams in sports is that first game at home after a lengthy road trip. That is the case for a Buffalo Bills team that has had issues with its offense lately. Josh Allen was just nine for thirty two starts ago against the Houston Texans, and last week scored just three second half points against the Jets. Take Tennessee that just needs a serviceable game from Mason Rudolph.
Mason Rudolph is reportedly starting for Tennessee, meaning the Titans hopefully won't have to overcome the backbreaking mistakes Will Levis has become known for. Levis leads the NFL with 10 turnovers. Defensively, the Titans allow an NFL-low 4.2 yards per play and rank No. 1 in success rate allowed. The Bills got great news on their injury report, but this is too many points. Buffalo has been fortunate, ranking No. 2 in turnover margin, while Tennessee has been extremely unlucky, ranking 31st.
It's a homecoming of sorts for the Bills, back in Buffalo after three straight road games. It's a new home for Amari Cooper, acquired this week from Cleveland and ready to step into Buffalo's No. 1 receiver role. The Titans own the league's No. 1-ranked defense, but the lofty status is misleading. It has faced three backup QBs, plus rookie Caleb Williams. Josh Allen, they ain't. Will Levis has hardly been gangbusters, yet he is the Titans' first-string QB. He will sit out with an injury, giving way to career backup Mason Rudolph, who has little on offense to work with.
The Bills are a team we want to target with opposing running backs. The Buffalo defense is second worst in the NFL in rushing yards/attempt, allowing opposing backs 5.3 yards/attempt. Even though the Titans offense has been disappointing so far this season, Tony Pollard has been a bright spot. I like him to be a featured part of the offense this week in a good matchup.
Regardless of Amari Cooper being added to the mix, the Bills are a far more consistent bunch than are the Tennessee Titans. I can trust the Bills defense to force a couple of turnovers, giving their offense the added possesses needed to cover this spread.