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September 17 update: The Titans announced on Thursday that up to 7,000 fans (10 percent of capacity) will be allowed in the stadium starting October 4th in the team’s Week 4 home against the Steelers. The organization will allow 12.5 percent of capacity for Week 5 vs. the Bills and 15 percent of capacity for Week 6 vs. the Texans. The team is then home again in Week 9 and at that point for the remainder of the season, current CDC guidelines will allow for 21 percent of capacity, which is approximately 14,500 fans. There will be no fans in attendance for the team’s Week 2 home opener against the Jaguars.
The NFL hopes to open its 2020 season on time, but some or all of their teams can expect to be playing home games without fans in the stadium. Each locale is implementing different rules, and on Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans announced that they won’t allow fans at games in September.
Luckily for the Titans, they only have one home game in September. Tennessee will play its home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 20. Fans could be allowed back at games as early as October if it is deemed safe amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Titans as 10.5-point favorites ahead of their home opener. Home field advantage is typically deemed to be worth 2.5 to 3 points, so oddsmakers still likely see them as north of a touchdown favorite on a neutral field. The money line is -590 in the Titans’ favor. Tennessee’s second home game will be against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that’s set to get Ben Roethlisberger back under center on October 4. The odds haven’t been posted yet, but this should be a more challenging matchup for the Titans.
DK Sportsbook oddsmaker Johnny Avello said he would cut home field advantage in half with no fans in the stands. There is still benefit of knowing your home stadium and locker room, and not having to travel, so you still get some boost playing at home. But, it will not be nearly what it would be if there were fans in the stands.
Tennessee was 4-4 at home and 5-3 on the road in 2019. It can do better than last year’s 0-2 start at Nissan Stadium now that Ryan Tannehill is the full-time starter. How the Titans perform on their own turf this time around remains to be seen.
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