Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Preview (12/19/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Preview (12/19/21)

This Sunday, December 19th, the Tennessee Titans travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers at noon EST. The Titans lead their AFC South division with a 9-4 record entering Week 15. They’re coming off of a shutout win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and are looking to add another win under their belt. The Steelers dropped to last place in their AFC North division following a detrimental loss against the Minnesota Vikings. Their record going into this week is 6-6-1, which leaves them one game behind division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are desperate for a win this week if they want to keep their playoff chances alive. This game is a pretty even matchup and has excellent potential to be an exciting game.

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds

The matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers is projected to be a close one. Both teams have offsetting skills and weaknesses that make them very equal opponents. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives a narrow confidence projection for the Titans victory of 51.6% probability. The Steelers are given a 48% confidence rating which will make this game come down to big, influential plays.

The spread of this matchup is very close as well. The Titans have a spread of -1 (+100), and the Steelers have +1 (-120). The moneyline is placed for the Titans at -105 and -115 for the Steelers. The Titans are 8-5 against the spread and have a record of easily hitting the over when they play road games. The Steelers are 5-8 against the spread and find most of their success in the over bet. Both teams are going to have to play strategically and take risks with big shots downfield to stump each other. Since they are so evenly matched, this matchup will yield victory to the team that has the most accuracy and a better defensive strategy. I believe the Titans have a better chance of pulling success from this game since the Steelers have been very shaky in their game-time performances recently.

My Prediction: Titans Win 28-21, Under 43.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/19/21
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
TV Coverage: CBS

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Live Stream

Where can you watch Titans vs. Steelers 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 Titans vs. Steelers Free Online Now.

Tennessee Titans Analysis

The Tennessee Titans are one of the most aggressive teams in the league. The 9-4 AFC South leaders have a top-five rush defense, even with their top rusher Derrick Henry on the injured reserve list. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has found his groove with the Tennessee team leading them to be a great playoff contender. Tannehill has thrown for 2,965 yards and 14 touchdowns so far this season. He averages just shy of 230 passing yards per game but can increase his yardage if the game comes down to the wire. Tannehill will have to be very aware of his surroundings while being in the pocket to escape the merciless TJ Watt. The Pittsburgh defense has the second-most sacks in the league and can easily blow by the Titans’ offensive line to stop Tannehill in his tracks.

The team is still missing their top receiver and running back this week. Derrick Henry has been out since Week 8 with a foot injury that required surgery. Within the eight games, he was able to play, and he racked up 937 rushing yards, which is still the fourth-most yards in the league. Henry has the potential to return in Week 18 if his injury heals properly. The Titans are also missing AJ Brown, their top receiver. Brown is responsible for 615 receiving yards for the Titans, as well as three touchdowns. Brown has been on injured reserve since Week 11 against the Texans after sustaining a chest injury. Other receivers Julio Jones, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Chester Rogers, will have to make space against the Steelers defense to be active targets for Tannehill.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had difficulty rushing the ball all year. The Titan’s impressive rush defense might deter the team from relying on rush attempts and force the Steelers to throw the ball. The Titans have a mid-tier pass defense, but they’re going to have to play good coverage and prevent pass interference calls if they want to beat Pittsburgh’s receivers downfield. It can be an easier stop for the Tennessee defense if the defensive line can make Ben Roethlisberger scramble.

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

Pittsburgh Steelers Analysis

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a very unpredictable team all year. They’ve been able to pull out wins against top teams such as the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens but have struggled against underwhelming teams like tying with the Detroit Lions. Pittsburgh is desperate to win against the Titans to allow for mobility in their AFC North division. They slipped into last place after their 36-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and the success of other division teams. They’re one game behind, and scoring this victory could give the team a spark to continue to move them forward.

The Steelers’ veteran quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is questionable going into Sunday’s matchup. He has had an ongoing issue with his right shoulder throughout the season. Roethlisberger had a limited practice on Thursday but is expected to make a healthy return to be the starter on Sunday. Entering Week 15, Roethlisberger has thrown for 3,066 yards and has thrown seven interruptions. He averages 255.5 passing yards per game and has made clutch throws to help save games. Ben has been in the NFL for 18 seasons, with his contract expiring with the Steelers after this season. Ben will want to make his last year one of his most memorable, so keep an eye out for some big throws downfield as he nears the end of his career.

Offensively, the Steelers mainly look for the pass option. They have the third-most pass attempts in the league this season. When the ball is in the air, Roethlisberger is usually targeting Diontae Johnson. Johnson has 81 receptions for 990 yards this year. He averages around 12.2 yards per reception and makes many influential third-down conversations. Johnson has the agility to make the Titans defense tense up and get dusted on his quick routes. As long as Johnson keeps his routes clean and finds the appropriate space from defenders, he will be a very big asset to Pittsburgh’s offense this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart

QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB1: Najee Harris
RB2: Benny Snell Jr.
WR1: Diontae Johnson
WR2: Chase Claypool
WR3: James Washington
TE1: Pat Freiermuth

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Daily Fantasy Picks

Diontae Johnson would be a great starter as the first week of fantasy football playoffs begin. Johnson averages 18.4 points per game and has significant booms throughout the season. Diontae has a high of 30.5 points that he achieved against the Ravens two weeks ago. The Titans don’t have the strongest pass defense, so Diontae Johnson will be a considerable threat on the field.

If you have the Steelers’ defense on your fantasy team, you might want to keep them on the bench for another week. The defense has struggled to obtain points throughout the season, even with the powerful TJ Watt sacking quarterbacks 16 times this season. The defense received -4 points last week against Minnesota and only averages 3.8 points per game. You’d be better off picking up a different defense for this matchup series.