NFL Teams Betting - Tennessee Titans - AFC South

The Titans are in Year Two of their rebuilding plan under head coach Mike Munchak, and this could be the first year of the Jake Locker era under center. Locker redshirted for much of his rookie season while learning from veteran Matt Hasselbeck and will battle for the starting gig in training camp. Tennessee also will need greater contributions from running back Chris Johnson and its top receiver, Kenny Britt. Johnson struggled last season after signing his new contract, while Britt tore his ACL and was lost for the season during a Week 3 victory over Denver. Britt's health is a question mark and he is facing potential discipline after an offseason arrest.

Peyton Manning’s Tennessee homecoming parade has been cancelled, and Vince Young is on his second team since being booed off the stage in Music City following the 2010 season. It is up to either Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker to win the Super Bowl that has eluded 89-year-old owner Bud Adams, who founded the Houston Oilers (and co-founded the AFL) in 1960.

Second-year coach Mike Munchak will have an open competition to determine the Titans’ starting quarterback. Entering his 14th season, the 36-year-old Hasselbeck is an above-average passer who can beat bad teams and keep it close against superior competition — which, in a mediocre AFC South, may be all Tennessee needs to do to sneak into the playoffs with a wild card berth. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Locker heads into his second season with the type of big league arm (MLB’s Angels own his rights until 2015), mobility and moxie not seen in Nashville since Steve ­McNair’s co-MVP, Super Bowl runner-up heyday.

With the Colts starting No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck (a Pac-10 rival of Locker) and the Jaguars turning their team over to Blaine Gabbert (a 2011 draft classmate of Locker), now is a perfect time to go with the young gun — who threw for 542 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 99.4 rating, along with a highlight-reel diving score on the ground, in limited action (66 pass attempts) as a rookie. The loser of the Locker-Hasselbeck showdown will be arguably the best backup in the league.