The Tennessee Titans‘ romp through one of the toughest schedules in the NFL continues against a San Francisco 49ers team that’s made a habit of defying logic.

The 49ers (9-4) are holding onto playoff hope in one of the NFL’s best divisions despite injuries to star players like OLB Nick Bosa, ILB Fred Warner, WR Brandon Aiyuk and DL Mykel Williams, not to mention time missed from QB Brock Purdy and TE George Kittle. The Titans (2-11) have withstood similar roster losses with injuries to top contributors like WR Calvin Ridley and CB L’Jarius Sneed, as well as trades that shipped away starters in CBs Roger McCreary and Jarvis Brownlee Jr., and OLB Dre’Mont Jones. But while the Titans are (predictably) competing for a No. 1 draft pick, the 49ers are still within striking distance of the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Such are the differences between a team trying to find its identity and a team well entrenched within one.

The question at hand is whether the Titans tapped into something transformative in the team’s Week 14 win against Cleveland, or if the Titans had a flash-in-the-pan moment of success against another struggling team. And maybe that question is secondary to whether any of it matters against a team as accustomed to success as San Francisco is in the NFL.

Here are The Tennessean’s scouting report and score prediction for Titans vs 49ers.

Titans vs 49ers: Our scouting reportTitans offense vs 49ers defense

The 49ers rank in the bottom half of the league in yards allowed per game and per play, rank in the bottom 10 in pass defense, rank in the bottom three in interception rate and rank last in sack rate… but still have the league’s eighth-best scoring defense. It’s a tough fact to reconcile. Because on the periphery, this could set up the Titans to make some plays, especially in the pass game if Cam Ward can buy time in the pocket without much of a turnover risk. But the same has been true of other teams, and the Niners’ bend-don’t-break mentality has worked pretty much all year.

Advantage: San Francisco

Titans defense vs 49ers offense

A similar story here, but one with an easier explanation. The 49ers aren’t exactly lighting up scoreboards this year offensively, ranking dead middle in the NFL in yards per play and points per game. They’re just exceptional at staying on the field. Only Green Bay is converting third downs at a higher rate, and only five teams average more first downs per game. Expect RB Christian McCaffrey’s remarkable dual-threat season to continue, with an outside shot at him going over 1,000 yards rushing or receiving in this game depending on how things progress.

Advantage: San Francisco

Titans vs 49ers betting line: NFL gambling odds, projections

The 49ers are 12.5-point favorites to win per BetMGM sportsbook. The 49ers moneyline is -1000, implying a 90.9% probability the 49ers win. The Titans’ moneyline is set at +650. The over-under points total for the game is 44.5 points.

Score prediction: 49ers 30, Titans 17

The main difference between the Titans and Niners is one team knows what it is, and the other is the Titans. Expect some of the progress to carry over from Cleveland, but not enough to upset one of the NFL’s steadiest, most secure teams. The 54-game streak without back-to-back wins continues.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.