Jaguars vs. Titans 2016 picks and predictions: Tennesse the heavy favorite among experts

The Jacksonville Jaguars were supposed to take a step forward this season, but they’ve been one of the worst teams in football and the heat is on for head coach Gus Bradley to save his job. They have a critical division matchup with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.

Blake Bortles’ supposed breakout year in 2015 is now looking like a mirage. He’s been absolutely dreadful this season, throwing nine interceptions to just nine touchdowns and averaging just 6.6 yards per attempt, putting up a QB rating of 76.4. It’s gotten to the point where Bradley had to give Bortles the dreaded vote of confidence, although it’s highly doubtful that Chad Henne is an upgrade in any way.

As for the Titans, they’ve been kinda scuffling this year, but found a bit of momentum with a two-game winning streak before succumbing to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Marcus Mariota has been playing much better after a slow start, throwing eight touchdowns to just one interception in the past three games. DeMarco Murray is enjoying a great bounce-back season and has 633 rushing yards, the third-most in the league.

Tennessee is also playing strong defense, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game and sixth in rushing yards allowed per game. They should have little trouble stopping the Jaguars on the ground, with T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory forming a thoroughly unimpressive committee.

Not surprisingly, the Titans are heavy favorites here. They’re the pick by a 7-1 margin on ESPN, and it’s unanimous at CBS Sports. Here at SB Nation, eight writes and the OddsShark computer all pick Tennessee. Adam Stites is the only one picking Jacksonville to win.