2020 NFL Win Total Plays - AFC South
The 2020 NFL season is still expected to start on time, which is September 10th. Let’s all hope that it plays out as expected. Let’s hope that it begins on time and that they are able to play out the entire season. The NFL Schedule was released a couple of months ago and so I have been going over the Win Totals for each team, by division. Today I will tackle the AFC South and below you can find the other win total previews I have done so far.
All Win Totals & Odds Are Courtesy Of Betonline.ag
Houston Texans
Win Total - Over 7.5 (-110), Under 7.5 (-120)
The Houston Texans went 10-6 last year and then beat Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs. In their next game, they faced Kansas city on the road and had a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, but ended up losing the game 51-31. That will still and I’m not sure that the Texans will be able to recover this year, the offense lost one of the best WRs in the game when DeAndre Hopkins was traded to Arizona for RB David Johnson. It was a horrible deal for the Texans and while they did sign Randall Cobb, the WR corps is thin. The ground game will struggle as David Johnson is clearly not the back he once was. Houston still has DeShaun Watson but without Hopkins and no running game, the offense will be average at best. The defense struggled last year but they did use their first two picks in the draft on that side of the ball. Still, the defense is getting old and will only be average at best this year. The home slate includes games against Baltimore, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Green Bay, New England, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Tennessee. There are some very tough games on that slate and I feel they will go 4-4 at home, at best. On the road, the Texans have games against the Chiefs, Steelers, Titans, Jags, Browns, Lions, Bears, and Colts. That is not an easy road slate for a team that is rebuilding. Three wins at best for the Texans on the road. Look for Houston to take a few steps back this year and produce no more than seven wins. Prediction: Houston Under 7.5 (-110)
Indianapolis Colts
Win Total - Over 9 (-135), Under 9 (+105)
The Indianapolis Colts had a 7-9 record a year ago and they did so with less than average play at the QB spot. That should change this year as they have added Philip Rivers, from the Los Angeles Chargers. They finally have a QB again and the experience of Rivers should help this team. The Colts did not have a first-round pick but they have two picks in the first nine picks of the 2nd round. Tey chose WR Michael Pittman and RB Jonathan Taylor with those two picks. Indy still has Marlon Mack (RB) and TY Hilton (WR), so this offense should be far better than last year’s group that was 25th in total yards and 16th in scoring. The defense was in the middle of the pack last year but it should be better this season. The reason that the Colts didn’t have a first-round pick this year was that they traded it to San Francisco in exchange for defensive stalwart DeForest Buckner. They also used their 3rd pick to take DB Julian Blackmon. I will look for an improved defense this year. This is an improved team and the schedule is not extremely daunting. They get three of their toughest non-division opponents at home in Green Bay, Baltimore, and Minnesota while having winnable road games against Houston, Jacksonville, Chicago, Detroit, and Las Vegas. The Colts should be able to reach at least 10 wins this year. Prediction: Indianapolis Over 9 (-135)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Win Total - Over 4.5 (-120), Under 4.5 (-110)
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a rough 6-10 season a year ago and it will not get better for them this year. This is a rebuilding team that is still about two years away from contending for a playoff spot. Gardner Minshew took over the QB job last year and he showed some promise with 21 TDs and just six INTs. He won’t have a full training camp to get ready but playing 15 games last year will help. Leonard Fopurnette has the ground game all set and DJ Clark had over 1000 yards receiving last year but that is about it for the offense. The Jags did add WR Laviska Shenault Jr. in the 2nd round and he could make a splash. The defense is where the Jags really look to improve as they used six of their first eight picks on that side of the ball. The secondary got a boost with the drafting of DB CJ Henderson in the first round, while also in the first round, they took LB K'Lavon Chaisson. I will look for the defense to be improved. Jacksonville has home games against Indy, Miami, Detroit, Houston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Tennessee, and Chicago. That is not exactly murderer’s row, but still, we should see no more than three wins against that slate. On the road, they must face the Titans, Bengals, Texans, Chargers, Packers, Vikings, Ravens, and Colts. It is very hard to see more than one win against that group. The Bengals may be their only shot for a win on the road and whoever wins that game should avoid having the worst record in the league. Prediction: Jacksonville Under 4.5 (-110)
Tennessee Titans
Win Total - Over 8.5 (-135), Under 8.5 (+105)
The Tennessee Titans went just 9-7 through the regular season but it was enough to land them in the postseason. Once there, the Titans took full advantage of their opportunity by making it all the way to the AFC Title game, before falling to the Chiefs by a score of 35-24. Can the Titans pull another stunner? We shall see. Ryan Tannehill had a solid season and that allowed the Titans to get rid of Marcus Mariota in the offseason. He had 22 TDs and just six INts on the year and will look to have another good season this year. The running game is all set with Derrick Henry, who led the league with 1540 yards rushing last year. The wide receiver corps is solid but not great with AJ Brown and Corey Davis. The defense could use some more help but they did use a 2nd round pick on CB Kristian Fulton from LSU. Losing Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey will hurt. Now we will get to the schedule. The Titans get the Jags, Steelers, Bills, Texans, Bears, Colts, Browns, and Lions at home. There are some potholes there, like the Bills, Colts, Steelers & Browns. They should be able to put up five wins against that slate. On the road, the Titans must face the Broncos, Vikings, Bengals, Ravens, Colts, Jaguars, Packers, and Texans. I can not find more than three wins against that slate and we also note that four of their final six games are on the road. The Titans will not surprise anyone this year. They are an 8-8 team at best. Prediction: Tennessee Under 8.5 (+105)
