Houston (9-7) will be taking on Tennessee (3-13) this upcoming Sunday at 1 p.m. EST, broadcast on CBS. The current betting odds from BetMGM suggest that the Titans are favored by 1 point in this matchup. In terms of season performance against the spread, the Texans are 6-8-2, while the Titans have struggled significantly with a 2-14 record. Historically, Tennessee leads the series with a 24-21 advantage, but in their last contest on November 24, the Titans secured a 32-27 victory against the Texans. Last week, the Texans faced a heavy defeat against the Ravens, losing 31-2, whereas the Titans came up short against the Jaguars, falling 20-13.
Looking at the Texans’ offensive ranking, they sit overall at 21st place, while both their rushing and passing games also rank low at 21st and 19th, respectively. Their scoring ranking is a little better, at 18th. Defensively, the Texans perform much better, ranking 7th overall, with 12th in rushing, 6th in passing, and 16th in scoring defense. The Titans, in stark contrast, rank 28th in offense, with a rush ranking of 15th and a passing rank of 28th as well. Their scoring is tied for 25th. On the other hand, the Titans’ defense ranks impressively at 2nd overall, though they struggle against the run, ranking 22nd, while excelling in the pass defense at 6th and ranking poorly in scoring defense at 30.
An intriguing player to watch for the Texans is quarterback C.J. Stroud. He is just 323 passing yards short of achieving a remarkable milestone—becoming only the third player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. Stroud has shown consistency, passing for at least 240 yards across three consecutive road games. In the last game against the Titans, he threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, impressively avoiding interceptions in nine of his ten career starts against division rivals.
For the Titans, all eyes will be on QB Will Levis, who finds himself in a critical situation as he returns to the starting lineup after being benched due to four turnovers against Cincinnati on December 15. This is his 12th starting opportunity of the season, providing him a chance to demonstrate his development before the offseason. Levis had previously shown good performances in his two prior games where he didn’t throw any interceptions before his benching.
A significant aspect of this game is the ramifications for the Titans regarding their draft position. A loss could solidify the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft, a position reminiscent of when they selected QB Marcus Mariota in 2015. If Tennessee loses and receives assistance from New England by beating Buffalo’s backups, they could claim the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 2016—which they traded just weeks before the draft, leading to several successful acquisitions including three All-Pro players.
Injury reports reveal several key players for both teams. For the Texans, defensive end Denico Autry (knee) and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi (ankle) are sidelined, along with center Shaq Mason (knee) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion). Meanwhile, the Titans are uncertain about running back Tony Pollard (ankle), who missed last week’s game due to illness but is questionable to return. Running back Tyjae Spears (concussion), kicker Nick Folk (abdomen), safety Amani Hooker (shoulder), outside linebacker Arden Key (hand), linebacker Otis Reese (ankle), and offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan (shoulder) are out. However, right guard Dillon Radunz (shoulder) is expected to return after missing two games.
Historically, the Texans have recently had the upper hand, winning three out of their last four matchups, though the Titans have won six out of the last ten. Houston managed to sweep the 2023 season series against Tennessee, with eight of their last nine encounters being decided by a margin of nine points or fewer.
As for various statistics, the Texans have clinched the AFC South for the second consecutive year. Notably, running back Joe Mixon has accumulated 883 total yards and ten touchdowns over seven away games this season, needing just seven additional rushing yards to hit 1,000 yards for a fifth time in his career. Wide receiver Nico Collins, who recorded 92 yards and a touchdown in their last game against Tennessee, is just 32 yards shy of reaching 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season. Additionally, tight end Dalton Schultz has snagged touchdown receptions in his last two road games.
Fantasy football enthusiasts may want to consider WR Calvin Ridley, who leads the Titans with 61 receptions for 941 yards. He needs only 59 more yards to achieve his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season and his third overall.
This matchup is set to conclude the Titans’ 65th year in the franchise’s history and represents their 26th game hosted at Nissan Stadium. Furthermore, it marks the franchise’s 1,000th regular-season game. With the Titans looking to finish strongly in terms of passing defense, they’ve ranked among the top defenses historically, presenting a strong challenge for their competition in this final regular-season matchup.
