The New England Patriots picked up their second win of the season in Week 8, but it came at a cost as rookie quarterback Drake Maye suffered a head injury in the game and his status was up in the air.

Luckily, the Patriots will play the 1-6 Tennessee Titans on Sunday, which is a very winnable matchup. Tennessee lost 52 points to the Detroit Lions in Week 8 and has struggled with both Will Levis and Mason Rudolph this season.

Oddsmakers have the Titans as the favorite in this matchup, which is a sign they expect Maye to sit and Jacoby Brissett to start for New England.

Still, does this mean we should bet on the 1-6 Titans?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch, and my best bet for this matchup.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Patriots Injury Report

Titans Injury Report

New England Patriots

Hunter Henry: Regardless of who is under center in Week 9, Hunter Henry should have a big role in the passing game. The veteran tight end has at least three catches and 41 receiving yards in each of his last three games and is up to 32 catches for 358 yards in 2024. With so much uncertainty in New England’s receiving room, Henry is a steady player. Consider the propeller market.

Tennessee Titans

Calvin Ridley: After a few weeks, Calvin Ridley had a monster game in Week 8, catching 10 of 15 targets for 143 yards. Ridley had been caught just five times in the previous four weeks. Will the Titans continue to rely on him against New England?

Regardless of who is under center on either team, I can’t get behind the Titans as the favorite this season.

Not only are Tennessee 0-2 as the favorites for the 2024 season, but they have only closed the spread once overall this season.

New England traded away a key piece of its defense in Josh Uche before the deadline, but showed last week that he can compete by beating the New York Jets.

While Maye being healthy will raise the stakes even higher for the Pats in this game, I still like to give them more than a shot on Sunday.

New England’s offense performed quite well when Brissett took over in Week 8, holding teams like New York, Miami, Cincinnati and Seattle to decent point totals in 2024.

I’ll be rooting for the Patriots to at least make it into this matchup of the AFC’s bottom-dwellers.

Pick: Patriots +3.5 (-112)

Rates are updated periodically and may change.

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