SBR's Gary Pearson shares his Falcons vs Titans prediction for Week 2 of the NFL preseason on Friday, August 15th:
Against the spread pick: Titans -4.5 (-115 DraftKings)
"Friday night in Atlanta has all the hallmarks of a preseason game, with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris deciding not to feature Penix or Cousins. That scenario pins the responsibility on Stick's shoulders.
Not to be a stick in the mud, but having a third-string QB with four regular-season starts in five years since turning pro as the centerpiece of your offense doesn't inject much confidence.
Contrary to that condemnation, Stick enjoyed a proficient outing against Detroit, completing 15 of 18 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
However, he only put 10 points on the board, albeit in an abandoned game that had 6:19 left. Behind him on the depth chart is Emory Jones, who had five pass attempts against the Lions in his first taste of NFL action.
On the other hand, Callahan intimated that Cam Ward will run the offense for two or three series. Even if he's limited to one series and fails to put any points on the board, I have more faith in Tennessee's secondary and tertiary options.
I'm giving Brandon Allen the benefit of the doubt here, expecting a much better performance than his opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New signing Trevor Siemian replaced Tim Boyle, and despite receiving no game time last year, he's experienced enough to show some competency in a preseason tilt against mostly second-stringers."
Best bet: Under 38.5 (-115 FanDuel)
"With as much confidence in both teams' quarterback rooms - aside from Ward - as I have in anyone who believes the world is flat, I'm going all the way under for this one.
The Falcons scored 10 points in 53:41 with Stick and Jones at the helm, while the Titans came up with bupkis against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, scoring no points without Ward under center.
I'm having trouble conceiving of where 39 points will come from when the No. 1 draft pick is withdrawn after his brief cameo.
Of our best sports betting apps, FanDuel is the only one offering the higher 38.5 total. BetMGM (-105) and DraftKings (+102) offer 37.5, while Caesars (-110) and bet365 (-110) have the total set at 38."
Against the spread pick: Titans -4.5 (-115 DraftKings)
"Friday night in Atlanta has all the hallmarks of a preseason game, with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris deciding not to feature Penix or Cousins. That scenario pins the responsibility on Stick's shoulders.
Not to be a stick in the mud, but having a third-string QB with four regular-season starts in five years since turning pro as the centerpiece of your offense doesn't inject much confidence.
Contrary to that condemnation, Stick enjoyed a proficient outing against Detroit, completing 15 of 18 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
However, he only put 10 points on the board, albeit in an abandoned game that had 6:19 left. Behind him on the depth chart is Emory Jones, who had five pass attempts against the Lions in his first taste of NFL action.
On the other hand, Callahan intimated that Cam Ward will run the offense for two or three series. Even if he's limited to one series and fails to put any points on the board, I have more faith in Tennessee's secondary and tertiary options.
I'm giving Brandon Allen the benefit of the doubt here, expecting a much better performance than his opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New signing Trevor Siemian replaced Tim Boyle, and despite receiving no game time last year, he's experienced enough to show some competency in a preseason tilt against mostly second-stringers."
Best bet: Under 38.5 (-115 FanDuel)
"With as much confidence in both teams' quarterback rooms - aside from Ward - as I have in anyone who believes the world is flat, I'm going all the way under for this one.
The Falcons scored 10 points in 53:41 with Stick and Jones at the helm, while the Titans came up with bupkis against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, scoring no points without Ward under center.
I'm having trouble conceiving of where 39 points will come from when the No. 1 draft pick is withdrawn after his brief cameo.
Of our best sports betting apps, FanDuel is the only one offering the higher 38.5 total. BetMGM (-105) and DraftKings (+102) offer 37.5, while Caesars (-110) and bet365 (-110) have the total set at 38."