NFL Sunday Preview: Rams at Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams are set to square off in what should be a particularly good match-up between two playoff hungry teams.
The Rams (5-2), sitting in a loaded division, have to hope that they beat the rest of the NFC, with Seattle running away with the NFC West.
As for Miami, the team sits at 3-3 and one game out of first place in the AFC East. And for an offense that's already averaging 27.6 points per game, adding a talent like Tua Tagovailoa should inject new life into Chan Gailey's offense.
There's plenty to like on both sides of the football, and this match-up could shape up to be one of the better games of the weekend. With that said, here are three prop bets I like for the Dolphins-Rams Week 8 match-up.
Over/Under Full Time – Under 46 @ -114
This one was difficult.
Yes, the Dolphins offense was averaging 26.7 points per game with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. And while I ultimately think that will look much different long term, Tua Tagovailoa is bound to struggle in his first NFL debut.
And whether that’s rookie nerves or the fact he’s facing one of the best defenses in football, you be the judge. Miami’s defense is also no slouch and, when fully healthy, has been playing top-10 football.
I may eat my words, but I see this game being more like the old-school, ground, and pound slug fests our parents were accustomed to.
Total Team Points First Half – Dolphins OVER 9.5 @ -135
If there’s one thing that has been consistent over the last several weeks, is how quickly Chan Gailey’s offense has been able to get off to a fast start. Besides the New England game in Week 1 and the loss to Seattle, the Dolphins have 10+ points in the first half of every game this season. I don’t think this will be any different, especially with an extra week to prepare, and the team is excited about the change to Tagovailoa.
This game is going to show what both teams are. And if Miami wants to have any chance at beating the Rams, they will need to score 10+ in the first half.
Spread Full Time – Dolphins +3.5 @ -112
The Dolphins have been playing some really good football. And with a full week to prepare and Los Angeles traveling on a short week, this game is the perfect recipe for an upset. Maybe Tua Tagovailoa won’t be able to one-up the Los Angeles Rams, and that’s okay. But I think this game will go right down to the wire. I have the Dolphins winning this game, but at worst, I feel confident they will cover the +3.5 spread.
-- by JH Finnegan
