New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins Pick & Prediction, Sun Jan 09 04:25 PM
Jimmy Liu
Two AFC East teams face off to close the season on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots are 10-6 and tied for the No.1 spot in the AFC East. With the playoffs kicking off soon, good positioning is important. A win over the Dolphins and a Bills loss could hand the division to the Patriots. Regardless, the Patriots will have a spot in the playoffs under rookie QB Mac Jones.
The Miami Dolphins can deal a shot to New England’s morale with a win on Sunday. Last week, they had a must-win game and lost handily to the Titans 34-3. With the season coming to a close, ending it on a high note could help. We’ll have to keep an eye on the injury list in this one as a few players on both sides are out. First, let’s take a look at the betting lines in this matchup.
Patriots vs. Dolphins Odds (Spread, Total and Moneyline)
TV: CBS
MONEY LINE: Patriots (-280) vs. Dolphins (+235)
SPREAD: Patriots -6.5 (-112) vs. Dolphins +6.5 (-108)
GAME TOTAL: Over 40 (-110) vs. Under 40 (-110)
Patriots vs. Dolphins Preview, Trends and Stats
The Patriots have a lot going for them this season, but we do have one big question. Considering the fact that they’ve got a playoff spot, will they rest any players? We know a division title is important to them, but will they risk more injuries? Nothing has been decided yet, so we’ll operate as if it’s business as usual.
The Patriots have the best defense in the entire NFL, allowing an average of 16.9 points per game. The Miami Dolphins have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, which was apparent in their game against Tennessee. The Patriots can use this defense to control the pace of the game and limit Tua’s mobility outside of the pocket. It’s a plan that worked for the Titans.
If you don’t remember, the first game of the year for the Dolphins was against New England. The Dolphins won that game 17-16, but from there, it went downhill. To be fair, the Dolphins were plagued with injuries the entire year. However, their biggest issue is that Tua doesn’t have enough weapons. If they were to add a few more to the lineup, he’d be better off.
This week they’re going against another great defense after a tough loss. The beatdown they received by the Titans was hard to watch for Dolphin fans. They need to focus on getting Tua outside the pocket where he becomes a bigger threat. If they can’t protect the pocket, at least give Tua an escape route. They could also rush the ball more to stop the Patriots from blitzing.
Patriots vs. Dolphins Picks
Patriots 24 - Dolphins 13
The New England Patriots come into this game as 6.5-point favorites. That isn’t much for the Patriots to cover, especially after seeing what their offense did against Jacksonville. They put up 50 points on Jacksonville while only allowing 10. They’re 10-6 against the spread this season, so we’ve got to roll with the Patriots.
There are no signs that they’re resting players this week, which means they’re going for the title. Miami doesn’t have enough weapons on offense to beat the Patriots’ defense. On defense, the Miami Dolphins allow 21.8 points per game, 16th in the NFL. The smart bet here is taking Bill Belichick and the Patriots over the Dolphins.
EXTRA POINTS
1. New England is 8-2 SU in their last ten games.
2. The New England Patriots are 8-2 ATS in their last ten games.
3. The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last nine games.
Best Bet: New England Patriots -6.5
New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins Recap DEC 20TH 2020
Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown scored a touchdown in his New England Patriots debut, leading his new team to a 43-0 rout over the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Miami, which made just two first downs through the first three quarters, was led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 11 of 21 passes for 89 yards and three interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
Stephon Gilmore (54 yards) and Jamie Collins (69 yards) returned those interceptions for touchdowns. Collins added a second interception off Josh Rosen, who finished 7 of 18 for 97 yards.
The Patriots (2-0) and Dolphins (0-2) are AFC East rivals but are also at opposite ends of the NFL spectrum. The Patriots have won three of the past five Super Bowls. The Dolphins have been outscored 102-10 through two weeks.
Former Patriots assistant Brian Flores, who now runs the Dolphins, has yet to win a game as a head coach.
Brown, a Miami native, finished with four catches for 56 yards and one run for 5 yards.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passed for two touchdown passes and also had a 1-yard TD run. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 264 yards.
New England running back Sony Michel -- who is also a South Florida native -- ran 21 times for a game-high 85 yards and one touchdown. However, he lost one fumble.
The Patriots prevailed despite a shaky performance by Stephen Gostkowski, who missed two extra points and a 48-yard field-goal attempt. He did not miss a kick of any kind in Week 1.
New England scored on its first possession, traveling 60 yards in 10 plays. Brown caught three passes for 36 yards on the drive and also drew a defensive-holding penalty, and Michel's 1-yard run capped the march.
The Patriots went up 13-0 on Brady's 20-yard touchdown pass to Brown, who got away with a slight shove of Dolphins cornerback Jomal Wiltz, formerly of the Patriots. After making the contested catch, Brown dove into the end zone stands, where he was greeted by fans.
New England opened the third-quarter scoring on Gostkowski's 28-yard field goal, and the Patriots went up 23-0 later in the period as Brady scored on a quarterback sneak.
The Patriots started the fourth quarter with those two interception returns, and the rout was on from there.
--Field Level Media
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