The Tennessee Titans (7-8, 3-4 home) host the Dallas Cowboys (11-4, 3-3 away) in a pivotal Week 17 contest with playoff implications on the line. Tennessee needs to win to stay on par with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, while the Cowboys can still win the NFC East with a victory.
Thursday night’s contest kicks off at 9:15 p.m. EST inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Dallas is a 12-point favorite, and the over/under total is 39.5 points.
What to Know – Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a shot to still win the NFC East by winning their final two games of the regular season and seeing Philadelphia lose out. Dallas has the third-best record in the NFC and is safely in second place in the division.
Offensively, the Cowboys have one of the better units in the NFL, scoring 28.9 points per game and averaging 376.5 yards of total offense. The defense for Dallas ranks in the top 10 in scoring, allowing 20.2 points per game and 332.5 yards of total offense to opposing teams.
Starting middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch remains sidelined, and Micah Parsons is questionable but should be good to go. All-purpose back Tony Pollard also garnered a questionable tag for Thursday’s contest with a hip injury.
Dallas is 9-6 against the spread this season with a 3-3 mark ATS on the road. The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played on the road against the Titans.
What to Know – Tennessee Titans
If the Titans want to make the postseason, they’ll need to snap out of the five-game losing skid and win the final two games of the season, and hope for some help from other teams. Tennessee and Jacksonville are tied atop the AFC South, but the Jaguars have the more favorable schedule to end the regular season.
Tennessee has an offense that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL, averaging 17.9 points and 294.4 yards per contest. The Titans’ defense holds opponents to 20.8 points and 359.7 yards of offense.
Running back Derrick Henry was the big name on the injury report released Wednesday and is doubtful for Thursday’s matchup with a hip injury. The loss of Henry would be a major blow for a Titans offense that has struggled all season to put points on the board.
The Titans sport an 8-6-1 record ATS this year and a 3-4 record ATS in Nashville. Tennessee is 0-4-1 ATS in its previous five games.
The Pick is In
Both teams want to win this one and help their postseason chances, but the loss of Henry really dampers Tennessee’s chances. Still, the Cowboys haven’t been the same team on the road as they are at home, and the number is a lot of points to be handing the host team. We will side with a motivated Titans squad.
The Pick: Tennessee Titans +12
