NFL Week 9 'TNF' betting: Does Will Levis make Titans a hot 'dog vs. Steelers?
It's a short week for the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers as they gear up to their meeting this Thursday night, with the biggest storyline coming out of each camp being who the starting quarterback will be. And if you are planning on putting some money down on this game, you may want to be looking at that as well.
The Steelers are currently 3-point favorites at DraftKings to win Thursday's game in Pittsburgh and are favored on the money line at -155. But the quarterback leading them into battle is yet to be determined on the shortened week, and they will be hosting a Titans team who is full of confidence after winning behind rookie QB Will Levis.
Sure, wagering on a rookie quarterback can be tricky. But does Levis make Tennessee an underdog worth betting on in Week 9?
The visiting Titans are expected to roll with Levis after he threw for 238 yards with four TDs in his NFL debut, a 28-23 against the Atlanta Falcons. Even if Ryan Tannehill is healthy enough to play after being sidelined with an ankle sprain, it would seem silly to throw him back in from injury against the Steelers if Levis is capable.
Speaking of the Steelers, it's unclear if Kenny Pickett will have recovered from that in-game ribs injury in time for Thursday's game. That can't be a good sign for Men of Steel after Mitch Trubinksy finished Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars totaling 138 yards with one TD and two INTs.
Before bettors throw all of their money at Tennessee, they should know there is a reason Pittsburgh is favored ahead of Thursday's game. The Steelers are 48-32-0 lifetime against the Titans and have won their last four meetings. The Titans last defeated the Steelers in 2013, when QB Jake Locker threw for just 125 yards with no TDs but still bested Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers 16-9.
We'll see if the Titans can change recent history come Thursday. Kickoff for that game is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
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