When you have two legitimate Top 20 teams testing each other, it’s never inevitable.
Tennessee
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction: Odds, Best Bets, Player News, Injuries, & Stats for Week 17
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Preview:
The 3-12 Tennessee Titans are on a four-game losing streak, but they hope to snap it and avenge their early December loss when they head to Jacksonville to take on the 3-12 Jaguars.
Neither team has met expectations this season. Both have had their share of quarterback inconsistencies and injuries. In the first meeting between the two, only 16 points were scored. The Jaguars won that game, 10-6.
Since Doug Pederson took over as head coach, the Jaguars have beaten the Titans four of the last five times they have played. A win this weekend would make it the Jaguars’ second sweep in the last three seasons.
Despite both teams’ horrid seasons, they should see a little optimism as the season ends. They are both in contention for a top-five draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge.
How to Watch Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Live on Sunday:
- Date: Sunday, December 29th, 2024
- Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Site: TIAA Bank Field
- City: Jacksonville, FL
- TV/Streaming: CBS
Latest Game Odds for Titans at Jaguars – Week 17:
The latest odds as of Thursday morning courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Tennessee Titans (-110), Jacksonville Jaguars (-110)
- Spread: Titans -1
- Total: 39.5
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets:
NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) recommends betting on Calvin Ridley over 60.5 receiving yards…
Thomas: “The Titans haven’t been the best team through the air. Will Levis has struggled with consistency; he’s thrown 12 interceptions and just 12 touchdowns. However, the Jaguars love giving up big chunk plays to the wide receivers. Only two teams give up more receiving yards to wide receivers: the Vikings and the Lions.
When the two played earlier in the season, Calvin Ridley was targeted 12 times. He was able to haul in seven of those targets but fell short of the 60.5 mark. I think this week is different. He probably sees a few more deep shots with nothing to lose, which he should capitalize on.”
Titans at Jaguars Team Stats, Betting Trends:
- The Titans have failed to cover in 6 of their 8 road games this season
- The Jaguars have lost 9 of 12 games this season following a defeat
- 5 of the Titans’ last 7 games (71%) have gone over the Total
Quarterback Matchup for Titans at Jaguars:
- Titans: Will Levis – The Will Levis Experiment has not gone as planned for the Titans. He’s yet to make the big leap. This season, his 12 interceptions are more concerning than his lack of big numbers. Ball security should be a point of emphasis in the offseason as he grows to be a better quarterback.
- Jaguars: Mac Jones – Jones has been under center with Trevor Lawrence on the IR. The only win he’s had under center this season was against the Titans in Week 14.
Player News & Injuries:
Titans:
- K Nick Folk (abdomen) is questionable
- RB Tony Pollard (ankle) is questionable
- WR Tyler Boyd (foot) is questionable
- LB Kenneth Murray Jr is on the IR
Jaguars:
- TE Brenton Strange (shoulder) is questionable
- DT DaVon Hamilton (illness) is questionable
- G Brandon Scherff (knee) is questionable
- G Ezra Cleveland (knee) is questionable
- OT Walker Little (ankle) is OUT
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
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Tennessee
Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal
Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger plans to enter the transfer portal, Knox News has confirmed.
On3.com and Rivals.com were the first to report Merklinger’s decision. The transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.
Merklinger has also opted out of the Music City Bowl. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Nashville. Starter Joey Aguilar will play in the bowl game, so Merklinger was not expected to be a factor. Freshman George MacIntyre will serve as the backup.
Merklinger spent two seasons at Tennessee but barely played and failed to win the starting job. He played six games and went 19-of-33 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2024, Merklinger was a third-string freshman when Nico Iamaleava started. In 2025, he competed for the starting job but lost to transfer Joey Aguilar.
By the end of the 2025 season, Merklinger was neck and neck with freshman George MacIntyre for the backup job. And it didn’t appear that Merklinger would factor in the starting job in 2026.
Merklinger, a native of Savannah, Georgia, was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee
Seedy K’s GameCap: Tennessee
But this U of L task in Knoxville against tall favorite Tennessee sure seemed close to that heading in.
Well coached top level foe at its sold out home.
One whose strength — inside scoring and rebounding — made it a bad matchup for the Cards, whose lack of inside depth and strength has been an Achilles heel from the get go.
That the Vols were hungry and angry coming off three straight Ls made a U of L victory seem an almost impossible task.
Then we learned that back issue of Mikel Brown’s is a problem.
Cards were toast before tip.
It was all evident by halftime — actually well before then.
It just takes a peek at a couple statistics.
Tennessee led by only 7, thanks to some tough Cardinal D. And UT’s woeful FT shooting.
That inside game issue: Volunteers 28 points in the paint. Cardinals 10.
That’s right, Tennessee had more points in the paint at the break than Louisville had points total.
That lack of point guard issue: U of L had 9 FGs at intermission. Tennessee had that many assists on 15 buckets.
Louisville’s strength is depth. At least usually.
During the first 20 Tuesday, the Cards had zero points off the pine. Vols 22. (For the game, the disparity was 34-3. Khani Rooths hit a FT. Wild Man Zougris a garbage time slam.)
Another opening stanza reality that might have you feeling the need to clean your glasses.
Only three guys scored. Adrian Wooley with 12, Ryan Conwell with 11, and Sananda Fru with 4.
Louisville’s second half performance is not worth the bandwidth, my time to write about, nor your time to read.
The final, in a lopsided disappointing loss: 83-62.
There is no sugar frosting this. Against teams with major size and inside presence, Louisville has and will continue to struggle.
When your most talented player doesn’t suit up, it makes it more impossible to overcome.
Tennessee
A look at new laws proposed in Tennessee
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