One of the NFL's most famous venues will host a long-awaited full house on Sunday, as the Seattle Seahawks open their home schedule against the Tennessee Titans and welcome in fans for the first time since the 2019 season.
Seattle's faithful supporters will be even more pumped after their team delivered a fantastic Week 1 win on the road, while the Titans will leave a flat opening day performance behind them in Tennessee.
Here are our best free NFL betting Titans vs. Seahawks picks and predictions for September 19.
Titans vs Seahawks odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
After vastly different Week 1 performances for the Seahawks and Titans, this line shifted from Seattle -3.5 ahead of the weekend to -5.5 afterward. Brief action on Tennessee shrunk it to -5 but it has since gone to -6, where it sits as of Thursday afternoon. The total ticked up from 52.5 on Sunday evening to its current number of 54, with action still coming in on the Over.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets.
Titans vs Seahawks picks
Picks made on 9/16/2021 at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Titans vs Seahawks game info
• Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
• Date: Sunday, September 19, 2021
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Titans at Seahawks betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key injuries
Titans: Caleb Farley CB (Out), Taylor Lewan T (Out), Anthony Firkser TE (Out), Sam Ficken K (Out), Derrick Roberson LB (Out).
Seahawks: Tre Brown CB (Out), Rashaad Penny RB (Out), Bryan Mone DT (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Titans are 0-4 ATS in their last four games. Find more NFL betting trends for Titans vs. Seahawks.
Titans vs Seahawks predictions
Seahawks -6 (-110)
The Seahawks stormed out of the gate in Week 1, dominating the Colts in a 28-16 win with a scoreline that flattered the Colts. Russell Wilson was at his best, playing in rhythm and taking shots when available, finishing with awesome efficiency in an 18 for 23, 253 yards, four touchdowns and no picks line. The expected uptick in play-action was delivered by new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, with the emphasis on stretching the field horizontally leading to Wilson taking the middle of the field more often than usual.
Even more promising was the performance of the defense, the former hallmark of Pete Carroll's Seahawks. The multiple-year-long plan to build up a stable of pass rushers paid off, as five different Seattle defenders finished with three or more pressures while the defense got home to a tune of three sacks and 10 QB hits. Their Bear front, enabled by do-all defensive tackle Poona Ford, suffocated a strong Colts running game that limped to 3.8 yards per touch. On the back end, the secondary handled Indianapolis' cast of big-bodied pass catchers with relative ease, with Colts receivers combining for 10 catches and 122 yards.
While the Seahawks enjoyed encouraging performances on both sides of the ball in Week 1, the opposite was true for the Titans. In its first game without former OC Arthur Smith, Tennessee played more like the unimaginative and unthreatening offense Marcus Mariota guided for years than the cutting-edge, dynamic attack led by Smith and Ryan Tannehill over the previous two years. The Titans' play-action rate plummeted to the bottom of the league in Week 1 and they gained just 3.9 yards per play as Tannehill suffered six sacks.
Though Tennesse's defense wasn't as bad as its final score suggests, there were a number of worrying signs. Outside of Jeffery Simmons and Kevin Byard, that unit entered the year short on talent and that played out in Week 1. Worse, the Titans did what bad teams do over the offseason and threw money at weaknesses in an effort for a quick-fix, and the results were to be expected. Jackrabbit Jenkins, given $7.5 million guaranteed, was beaten consistently on the outside, while Bud Dupree, one of the biggest contracts handed out in free agency, registered a sole tackle in 70 percent of snaps.
Whether it has been Dean Pees or Shane Bowen with the headset, the Titans' defense has been consistently bad under Mike Vrabel and there's no reason to expect a turnaround. There is hope for the offense yet, but Week 1 taught us it will require a philosophical awakening from new OC Todd Downing. That won't happen within a week and as such, Tennessee won't keep it within a touchdown on Sunday.
Under 54 (-110)
With Wilson, the Seahawks have been a lock to finish as a Top 10 offense in efficiency in recent years and that ceiling has appeared to get even higher with early returns promising for their new scheme. They picked up chunks of yardage through the air and on the ground, averaging 7.2 yards per play, they converted third downs at a solid rate, and were a perfect two-for-two in red zone trips. Add in solid pass protection, a healthy dose of play-action, and Wilson taking and hitting on deep shots, and Seattle's offense becomes nearly impossible to stop.
However, the total of 54 is still awfully high when Seattle's opponent appears so completely broken. On an individual level, neither Derrick Henry nor Julio Jones played well in Week 1, and if the Titans continue to play as poorly as they did, Henry will be an afterthought due to the game script. The offensive line was awful and made worse by the Titans' fatal flaw in Week 1.
After being among the NFL's most efficient offenses and one that used play-action at the fourth-highest rate in 2020, Downing went away from play fakes completely in Week 1. The Titans finished the week 32nd in play-action rate, an absolutely inexcusable decision after Arthur Smith's play-fake heavy scheme resurrected Ryan Tannehill's career and hid a weak offensive line. Both Tannehill and the line were exposed to begin the season, and that falls at the feet of Downing.
Using play-action and moving pockets can mitigate a weak offensive line and make a middling QB like Tannehill play like an ultra-efficient playmaker. With Jones and A.J. Brown at wide receiver, that's all Tannehill needs to do — provided he is enabled to do so. In the long-term, all hope is not lost for the Titans' offense. In the short-term, however, Tennessee's offense is broken and we've gotten no indication a quick-fix is coming.
With only one competent offense in this one, we're going Under.
Tyler Lockett Over 68.5 receiving yards (-115)
While DK Metcalf continues his rise to superstardom at wide receiver for the Seahawks, the veteran in the room, Tyler Lockett, continues to produce at a high level. Lockett and Wilson's connection is among the best in the NFL, whether it's within the structure of the offense or after the play has broken down.
Lockett began the season brightly, catching four passes for 100 yards and a pair of scores, and he'll be presented with an excellent opportunity to build on that in Week 2. In a flat Titans performance against the Cardinals, Kyler Murray was able to pick up huge chunks through the air out of structure as Tennessee's secondary was unable to stick in coverage while Murray bought time. That's bad news for Tennessee, as there is no more lethal connection out of structure in the NFL than Wilson and Lockett.
With the Titans toothless up front and weak in the secondary, the pair will be able to connect whether it's within the rhythm of the offense or after the play has broken down. Between Wilson's ability as a deep ball passer and Lockett's ability to stack on deep routes and effectively track the ball in the air, it may only take a play or two to top this total but either way, we'll have plenty more volume to depend on.
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