Titans-Jaguars upset watch? Our scouting report, score prediction

The NFL's most "Thursday Night Football" of rivalries is back.

The Tennessee Titans (1-10) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 30 (noon CT, CBS). That, regrettably, means a Sunday afternoon time slot for the matchup so often associated with Thursday night "color rushes" and the kind of beautifully ugly football that can come only from the AFC South. Cast off as lovable afterthoughts by a national media that almost never sets its sights on Nashville or Jacksonville, these games make sense as an offering for a paid streaming service, and those moments only made the rivalry more special.

But in the present, the Titans are back in the NFL's basement, languishing through a six-game losing streak, and a losing streak at Nissan Stadium that has lasted more than a full year. And the Jaguars are . . . good? At 7-4, with wins over Kansas City, San Francisco and the L.A. Chargers, first-year coach Liam Coen has the Jags humming. They are only one game back of the division-leading Colts, and have two matchups coming up against them.

The big lesson of the Titans-Jags rivalry, though, is never look ahead to the rest of the schedule. The Titans have shown progress in recent weeks, and rookie quarterback Cam Ward just played the best game of his pro career. Just like when the Titans spoiled the Jaguars' playoff hopes in 2023, and the Jaguars spoiled the Titans' playoff hopes in 2022, no one should be surprised if this one gets weird.

Here are The Tennessean's scouting report and score prediction for Titans vs Jaguars.

Titans vs Jaguars scouting report, score prediction

Titans' offense vs Jaguars' defense

Get ready for another one-dimensional Titans game. The Jaguars own the NFL's No. 1 rush defense, allowing just 83.8 yards per game. Reaching that number would be a minor miracle for the Titans, who have been held below 70 each of the past two weeks. The Jaguars' high-paid pass rush, meanwhile, ranks middle-of-the-pack in pressure rate and near the bottom of the league in sack rate. Jacksonville's AFC-leading 13 interceptions have helped keep the pass defense level, but even that's a bit of a mirage; the Jaguars intercepted 10 passes in their first five games, followed by three in the past six.

The Titans' offense is still, by most metrics, the NFL's worst. Give Jacksonville the edge, but keep an eye on a Titans passing attack that's getting better week after week against a Jacksonville unit that's not great on third downs, not great in the red zone and looked less than stellar against mediocre passing attacks from Las Vegas and Arizona.

Titans' defense vs Jaguars' offense

Jacksonville's do-just-enough-to-win approach should be enough against a Titans defense that has been hot and cold this season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off a three-interception game, and in the past four weeks, the Jags have had to withstand two overtime games and a blown 19-point lead. If the Titans pass rush can play the way it did against the Chargers and Texans, this can be a game. But if Lawrence stays in rhythm and the Titans' knack for allowing big plays recurs, it probably won't.

Again, give the Jaguars the slight edge.

Titans vs Jaguars betting odds

The Jaguars are 6.5-point favorites to win, per BetMGM. The Jacksonville moneyline is -350, with the Tennessee moneyline set at +280. The over-under points total is 42.

Score prediction: Jaguars 31, Titans 23

This is the first game in a while where a Titans upset might make sense. But until such an upset occurs, hopes can't be all that high. Ward keeps improving, but the Jags just have more firepower.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Can Titans put Jaguars on upset watch? Scouting report, prediction