49ers-Titans picks and predictions: Favored status is bringing a lot of optimism

The San Francisco 49ers are back home for the first of two straight games against the AFC South. They face the Tennessee Titans this weekend, and then host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. The 49ers have won three of their last four, and these final three games will provide a solid challenge to evaluate the roster for 2018.

The 49ers enter the Titans game as a two-point favorite, marking the first time this season they have been favored. It says something that it is coming against an 8-5 Titans team that currently has the best record among AFC wild card teams. The Titans are coming off a road loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and there are some questions about their playoff bona fides. They could still grab one of those spots given the general mediocrity for the wild card berths, but Marcus Mariota’s struggles have them a question mark for now.

I took a look around the media for picks and predictions, and there are a lot of people picking the 49ers to win this game. The insertion of Jimmy Garoppolo in the starting lineup has changed how fans and media are viewing the 49ers. The offense has looked improved these past two weeks, and this season is turning into a tale of BJG and AJG: Before and After Jimmy Garoppolo was inserted into the starting lineup. AJG comes with a whole lot of optimism about the 49ers.

Here are some picks and predictions from around the media.

SB Nation: 4 out of 8
Bleeding Green Nation: 7 out of 7
ESPN: 10 out of 10
CBS Sports: 7 out of 8
USA Today: 2 out of 5
Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times: Titans cover
Elliott Harrison, NFL.com: 49ers 26, Titans 20
Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer: 49ers 23, Titans 20
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 49ers 23, Titans 19
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: 49ers 23, Titans 20
Pro Football Talk: MDS 49ers 28-21, Florio Titans 23-16