San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans Matchup Preview (12/23/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans Matchup Preview (12/23/21)

The San Francisco 49ers (8-6) travels to Nashville to open week 16 against the Tennessee Titans (9-5).  The 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-13 at home in week 15.  The 49ers are 28-7 when leading at halftime since 2017; they led the Falcons 17-10 at the half. The Titans lost on the road in week 15 to the Steelers 19-13; after allowing 16 second half points to Pittsburgh.  In their last five games Tennessee is averaging 16.4 points per game; they’ve scored 13 points in three of those games.  

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans Betting Odds

San Francisco is a 3.5-point road favorite over Tennessee.  The 49ers have won five of their last six games, scoring at least 30 points in four of those games.  The Titans have lost three of their last four games after previously winning six games in a row.  San Francisco is scoring 25.7 points per game on the road this season.  Tennessee is averaging 22.1 point per game at home in 2021.

My Prediction: The 49ers offensive weapons including Deebo Samuel and George Kittle and Nick Bosa on the defensive side of the ball will be too much for the Titans to overcome, even at home.  I like the 49ers to cover and win 23-17 but going under 43.5 points.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/23/21
Time: 8:15 PM ET
Location: Nissan Stadium, TN
TV Coverage: NFL NET

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans Live Stream

Where can you watch 49ers vs. Titans online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch 49ers vs. Titans Free Online Now.

San Francisco 49ers Analysis

This season, San Francisco is averaging 366.6 yards of total offense per game, while scoring 25.7 points per game, ranking them 13^th in the NFL.  

Jimmy Garoppolo was 18-35 for 235, one touchdown and a 123.7 passer rating in the victory over the Falcons.  The San Francisco quarterback has a 90 plus passer rating in eight straight games per NFL.com.   In his fifth season has a 49er, Garoppolo has thrown for 3,172 yards, 18 touchdowns, eight interceptions while completing 67.4% of his passes with a QBR of 54.  He is averaging 8.5 passing yards per attempt which leads the league.  Per PFF, Garoppolo has an 86.5 grade since week 8, first among quarterbacks.

In the win against Atlanta in week 15, Deebo Samuel had four catches for 60 yards and on the ground, he had 29 yards with a touchdown.   The third-year pro has seven rushing touchdowns on the season; no other wide receiver in the Super Bowl era has had more than four in a season.  Samuel is the first wide receiver in the Super Bowl era with at least one rushing touchdown in five straight games played per NFL.com.  On the receiving side of the equation, he leads the team in receiving yards with 1,088 (sixth in the NFL), averaging 17.8 yards per reception.  He also has 61 catches for eight touchdowns in 2021.  Samuel is one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL and Tennessee must be aware of where he is on the field.

Besides Travis Kelce, George Kittle is arguably the best tight end in the NFL.  In the victory over Atlanta, he had 6 catches for 93 yards: averaging 15.5 yards per reception.  The tight end from Iowa leads the team in receptions this season with 63.  Additionally, he has 850 receiving yards and six touchdowns.  Per ESPN and Field Yates, in Kittle’s last three games he has 28 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns.  His 425 yards over a three-game span are tied for the most ever by a tight end in NFL history.

The San Francisco rushing game is averaging 126.6 yards per game, ranking them seventh in the NFL.  Jeff Wilson ran for 110 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown in the win vs. the Falcons in week 14.  On the season he has rushed for 249 and averaging 41.5 rushing yards per game.  

On the defensive side the 49ers are allowing 321.8 total yards of offense to their opponents, ranking them fifth in the NFL.  They’re allowing 22.4 points per game, ranking them 17^th in the league.  Nick Bosa is having a monster season with 15 sacks (tied for second in the league), 18 tackles for loss and 29 quarterback hits.  He has at least one sack in six straight games.  Bosa is currently listed as +1600 to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB1: Elijah Mitchell
RB2: Jeff Wilson Jr.
WR1: Deebo Samuel
WR2: Brandon Aiyuk
WR3: Jauan Jennings
TE1: George Kittle
TE2: Ross Dwelley

Tennessee Titans Analysis

In 2021, the Titans are averaging 345.1 yards of total offense per game, while scoring 24.1 points per game, ranking them 15^th in the NFL.  The Titans have at least three giveaways in a game five times this season; three such games in the previous two seasons.  

In the defeat to the Steelers in week 15, Ryan Tannehill simply did not play well.  He completed 23 passes for 153 yards, one interception, one rushing touchdown with a passer rating of 68.9.  In his third season as a Titan, he has 18 rushing touchdowns and has rushed for a least seven touchdowns in two straight seasons.  In 2021, Tannehill has thrown for 3,118 yards, 14 touchdowns with a 66.2 completion percentage and an 83.4 quarterback rating.  He’s the fifth quarterback in team history with at least 3,000 yards passing in two straight seasons.  The nine-year pro has thrown 14 interceptions this season; he had 12 interceptions in his first two seasons as the Titans starter.  

The Tennessee rushing attack is averaging 142.3 yards per game ranking them fifth in the league.  In the loss to the Steelers, D’Onta Foreman ran for 108 yards on 22 attempts: averaging 4.9 yards per carry. In his last three games, he has rushed for 264 yards: averaging 88 yards per game.  Dontrell Hilliard has rushed for 193 yards in the Titans last three games.  Tennessee’s rushing game is finally starting to show some life after struggling for weeks after the injury to Derrick Henry.  

Defensively the Titans are allowing 329.2 total yards of offense to their opponents and allowing 22.1 points per game, ranking them 12^th in the league.  Harold Landry leads Tennessee with 11 sacks.  He has 13 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.  Jeffrey Simmons is second on the team in sacks with 7.5.  The defensive tackle has 11 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits.  The Tennessee defense has 13 interceptions overall.  Safety Kevin Byard leads the team with five interceptions.

Tennessee Titans Depth Chart

QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB1: Dontrell Hilliard
RB2: D’Onta Foreman
WR1: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
WR2: Chester Rogers
WR3: Dez Fitzpatrick
TE1: Geoff Swaim

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans Daily Fantasy Picks

Brandon Aiyuk had one reception in the victory over Atlanta in week 14, but it was for 36 yards.  On the season, the speedy Aiyuk has 42 receptions, averaging 13.9 yards per reception.  In his last five games, the second-year pro is averaging 65.8 receiving yards per game and has been targeted 31 times. 

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has started six games this season.  In the loss to Pittsburgh in week 15, he averaged eight yards a reception, but came up short of the first down marker on a fourth down catch late in the game.  He has 32 receptions for 360 yards and three touchdowns: averaging 11.3 yards a reception in 2021.  With Julio Jones and A.J. Brown battling injuries and in and out of the lineup, Westbrook-Ikhine could see the ball more.