NFL picks and predictions, Titans vs. Ravens 2014: Baltimore a heavy favorite at home

The Ravens are the heavy favorites at home over a fading Titans squad looking to turn its season around.

Nov 8, 2014, 1:00 PM UTC

Rob Carr

The Baltimore Ravens need a win in the worst way after their 43-23 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Tennessee Titans could be a good pick-me-up when they head to Baltimore looking to turn their season around after a 2-6 start.

Tennessee has lost six of its past seven games and has looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL. They've turned to rookie Zach Mettenberger as their new starting quarterback after Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst were ineffective. In his first NFL start against the Houston Texans, Mettenberger completed 27-of-41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.

The 2014 sixth-round NFL draft pick will be facing a Ravens defense that just surrendered six touchdown passes to Ben Roethlisberger. Baltimore enters this game at 5-4 and in last place in the super-competitive AFC North. Every team in that division has at least five wins, something no other NFL division can claim.

Needless to say, this is the kind of game Baltimore can’t afford to lose if it even wants to remain in the discussion for a spot in the playoffs. After a 3-1 start this year, the Ravens have lost three of their past five games, but all of those losses came on the road. The Ravens are 3-1 in the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium, while the Titans are just 1-3 on the road.

This game will likely be won and lost in the trenches, as Baltimore sports the No. 10 rushing offense and No. 6 run defense. On the other side, Tennessee has had trouble running the ball and stopping the run. It ranks No. 20 in rushing offense and No. 28 in run defense.

So what are the experts saying about this game?

The CBS Sports crew gave the edge to Baltimore by an 8-0 margin. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco is going with the home team, 30-17, giving the following explanation:

The Ravens are back home after losing consecutive road games, while the Titans are coming off a bye. This will be Zach Mettenberger's first road start. This is a tough place to make it. The Ravens defense regroups after last week's debacle.

As for the SB Nation staff, it largely favored the Ravens by an 8-0 margin.