Vikings Open as 1.5-Point Home Underdogs Against Titans in Week 3
The Vikings are off to a catastrophic 0-2 start to the 2020 season, and things aren't going to get any easier from here. Their next three games (vs. Titans, @ Texans, @ Seahawks) are all against teams who won at least one playoff game last year.
Next up on the schedule are the 2-0 Titans, who made a surprising run to the AFC Championship Game last season and have kicked off this year with a pair of close victories. Tennessee survived three missed field goals to beat the Broncos 16-14 on Monday Night Football in Week 1. On Sunday, they held off the Jaguars 33-30 despite being significantly out-gained.
The initial line for next Sunday's game at U.S. Bank Stadium has the Titans as 1.5-point road favorites.
My initial reaction to that figure is that it seems far too low. The Titans may not have looked very convincing so far, but the Vikings have played like one of the worst teams in the NFL. It's difficult to find reasons to believe this team is going to turn things around as soon as next week.
This seems like it could be a rough matchup for the Vikings on both sides of the ball. Ryan Tannehill was the 2019 Comeback Player of the Year after leading the league in passer rating. He's off to a hot start with six touchdown passes and no interceptions so far in 2020. Derrick Henry was the league's leading rusher a year ago and is probably salivating over the thought of going against the interior of the Vikings' defensive line.
Defensively, the Titans have playmakers in the secondary (Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro, rookie Kristian Fulton) and up front (Harold Landry, Jeffery Simmons, Jadeveon Clowney).
Especially considering the Vikings won't have any fans at home next Sunday, it wouldn't surprise me to see that line move in favor of the Titans throughout the week.
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