TNF Titans vs. Steelers Week 9 odds and predictions
Every week, VSiN will be doing an in-depth dive on the week’s Thursday Night Football game. In Week 9, that game features the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Last week, the Titans earned a big win over the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the Steelers are coming off a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, they’ll come into this one hungry to get back in the win column. With that out of the way, keep reading for our Titans vs. Steelers preview, picks and player props.
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How To Watch Titans vs. Steelers
Date: Thursday, November 2
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: PRIME VIDEO (Amazon)
Titans vs. Steelers Spread
Will Levis was outrageous in his first start for the Titans, throwing for four touchdowns in a 28-23 win over the Falcons. The performance seemingly came out of nowhere, as Levis didn’t look very sharp in training camp or the preseason. Now, there are some expectations for the rookie quarterback heading into this meeting with Pittsburgh. However, the Steelers are ninth in the league in Defensive DVOA this season. And they’re a top 10 defense when it comes to playing the pass. So, this isn’t exactly a great matchup for Levis, especially when you throw in the fact that Pittsburgh is 23-5 against rookie quarterbacks under head coach Mike Tomlin.
The big question with a game like this is whether Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense can score enough points against a Titans team that is 11th in the league in DVOA. But Tennessee has actually struggled against the pass this year, with the team being just 25th in the NFL in Defensive DVOA against the pass. The Titans make up for it against the run, where they are second in the league defensively. But the fact that their secondary isn’t trustworthy is hard to ignore in a game like this. Pickett should be able to find some success through the air. And that should be enough considering the matchup the Pittsburgh defense has.
The Steelers actually won 19-13 as 1-point favorites when these teams met in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is very similar. I also think it’s worth mentioning that Pittsburgh is 17-5 against the spread when playing at home after a loss by 10 or more points under Tomlin. And the Steelers have won those games comfortably, doing so by a margin of 8.4 points per game.
Titans vs. Steelers Total
This game has an extremely low total and it’s still hard to see it going Over. Neither one of these teams is explosive through the air, even if Levis’ four-touchdown performance last week says otherwise. Both teams will be trying to establish the run in this game, and I don’t think either one of them will have much success. But overall, it’s hard to see this turning into anything but a defensive slugfest. And realistically, the only thing that I can see changing that is a defensive touchdown — or something along those lines.
This season, the Under is 5-2 in the seven games that the Titans played. Meanwhile, the Under is 6-1 in the games that the Steelers have played — with the Under hitting in five in a row for Pittsburgh. That said, hoping for a low-scoring game feels like the only call when looking at this one. And the fact it’s a Thursday Night Football game only helps, as these games tend to be ugly.
Titans vs. Steelers Player Props
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Diontae Johnson Over 58.5 Receiving Yards
Johnson has had at least 79 yards in back-to-back weeks. He’s getting the job done no matter who is under center for the Steelers. Now, Johnson will get to work against a Titans defense that is giving up the second most receiving yards per game to opposing WR1s (96.6 YPG), according to FTN. This is just a very good matchup for Johnson and I think he’ll have no trouble creating separation for himself. It’ll just be up to Pickett to put it on him, but I don’t think he’ll struggle to do so.
Titans vs. Steelers Prediction
I like quite a few things in this game, but I do feel like the Steelers laying this few points is a gift. I am not moved by anything I saw from Levis in last week’s game. I just don’t think the Falcons did a good job preparing for that one. Pittsburgh isn’t likely to make the same mistake. This is a team that can be trusted to tee off on rookie quarterbacks, and the Steelers also happen to be playing at home here. That should make a difference. I’m making this one of my best bets for the week, which I don’t normally do with the Thursday games.
Bet: Steelers -2.5
Head to our Pro Picks page to see how VSiN analysts are betting Titans vs. Steelers!
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