Not many people had a lot of faith in backup Malik Willis heading into Week 2 after Jordan Love injured his knee in Brazil to open the regular season. However, the Green Bay Packers (1-1) rallied behind Willis to shock the visiting Colts en route to their first win of the season. Willis will lead the offense once again this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (0-2), who are still in search of their first win. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 22nd at Nissan Stadium.
After over ten career appearances in the NFL, Malik Willis finally recorded his first touchdown in Week 2. Perhaps even more impressively, Willis completed 12 out of 14 total passing attempts and didn’t commit any inopportune turnovers for four consecutive quarters. Green Bay is hoping he can be an effective game manager once again this Sunday against a Titans squad that is currently still without a victory through their first two games.
Oddsmakers certainly aren’t expecting much scoring in this matchup, as the current game total is one of the lowest on the entire Week 3 schedule. The Packers will likely attempt to pound the ball with Josh Jacobs once again this weekend after that strategy was very effective against Indianapolis, while the Titans will try and force Green Bay to beat them through the air by stacking the box and forcing Willis to beat them with his arm.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Titans listed as 1.5-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t budged at all after early betting, as Tennessee is currently available at -1.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 38.5 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on FOX. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Green Bay Packers Shutdown Visiting Colts
The Packers defense was outstanding in Week 2, as the coaching staff knew that points would be difficult to come by on offense with a starting quarterback who had yet to throw a touchdown in his brief NFL career. Malik Willis managed the game brilliantly, finding the end zone once through the air while making mostly short, high percentage passes. RB Josh Jacobs was dominant on the ground, pounding the ball down the middle for 151 total rushing on a ridiculous 32 carries. WR Romeo Doubs also chipped in, making three catches for 62 receiving yards.
Green Bay tormented mobile Colts QB Anthony Richardson all afternoon, holding him to just a 50% completion rate and 204 yards through the air. They also forced several turnovers and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter.
Tennessee Titans Come Up A Touchdown Short Yet Again
As a whole, the Titans performed pretty well in their home opener despite falling 24-17 to the New York Jets. Tennessee jumped out to an early lead but couldn’t respond to a strong second half from Rodgers and Co., getting outscored 17-7 over the final 30 minutes of play. QB Will Levis was average at best, throwing for 192 yards and a single touchdown while also getting picked off once. RB Tony Pollard continued to lead the rushing attack for the Titans, gaining 62 yards on a game-high 17 carries.
Star wideout Calvin Ridley showed flashes of his old brilliance in Week 2 after a slow start to the year, scoring two touchdowns and racking up 77 receiving yards on just four catches. Both of the running backs also made an impact on the scoresheet through the air, as Pollard and Tyjae Spears combined for seven receptions and 51 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Tennessee couldn’t find a way to slow down veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, allowing him to throw two touchdowns. RB Breece Hall also had his way with the Titans defense, racking up well over 100 total yards and finding the end zone on one of his seven receptions.
Our Packers vs Titans NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
This matchup is pretty tough to gauge, as the sample size for Malik Willis is still incredibly small. Oddsmakers currently have the game priced as pretty much a pick’em, which makes sense considering how evenly matched these two teams are without Jordan Love starting at quarterback for Green Bay.
As long as the Packers continue to pound the ball with Josh Jacobs, their defense should do enough to slow down a pretty one dimensional Tennessee offense. Outside of Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, the Titans don’t really have a lot of game-breaking talent and will likely continue to struggle to score more than 1-2 touchdowns per game.
Game Total Betting Market Tip: Under 38.5
Although I certainly don’t mind taking the 1.5 points and rolling the dice with Green Bay, it’s tough to feel overly confident with the Packers offense on the road here in Week 3. Although Malik Willis did just enough to propel his team to victory last weekend, the offense still only scored a total of 16 points against a fairly average Indianapolis defense. They also seemed determined to keep the clock running, giving Josh Jacobs over 30 total rushing attempts.
With that in mind, I think the sharpest play in this particular game is the Under on 38.5 total points scored. Both defenses have performed pretty well to start the season, while neither team managed to score more than 17 points in Week 2. Ultimately, I think both offenses will attempt to establish the run and try to grind out an ugly victory by focusing on possession and field position over flashy, high-risk plays. Avoid what looks to be a pretty efficient spread and take the Under on 38.5 in what should be a defensive struggle.
