The Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins NFL betting season-opener should have been the continuation of the latter’s comeback season. Last year the Dolphins posted a winning record and returned to the postseason for the first time since 2008. This year Miami expected to make a deeper than the AFC Wild Card round in the playoffs, but a slew of injuries has fans who enjoy betting on NFL wondering whether the Dolphins will even make the postseason.
- Date: Sunday, 10th September
- Time: 1:05 PM
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Sportsbook odds:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1½ (-115) 46 (-110) -130
Miami Dolphins +1½ (-105) 46 (-110) +110
You have reached the winter of our discontent
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, cornerback Tony Lippett, and left guard Ted Larsen are all out for most if not all of the season. ESPN Staff Writer James Walker projected the Dolphins to win nine games back in April, but has since redacted that to seven wins with Miami falling short of the playoffs.
Injuries, rugged schedule will keep Dolphins out of playoffs https://t.co/ChZhZlJjj0"-A lot of Miami fans disagreed.
— James Walker (@JamesWalkerNFL) August 31, 2017
Walker’s prediction for Week 1 is that running back Jay Ayaji will bring the Dolphins close to victory but the Bucs will force veteran signal-caller Jay Cutler “to win the opener through the air, and it is too early to expect that of the new quarterback.” On defense, Miami signed linebackers Lawrence Timmons from Pittsburgh, defensive ends Charles Harris from Missouri and William Hayes from the Los Angeles Rams, and drafted defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor, in order to try and improve a run defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2016. The Dolphins have the fifth-toughest schedule in the league.
The Dolphins are 5-1 straight-up and 4-1-1 against the spread in their last six home games. The NFL betting total has gone over in their last five games at home.
It’s Jameis, not Jameisn’t
The Bucs defense is nothing to write home about, either. Tampa Bay ranked 22nd in run defense last season, allowing 1,875 total yards on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry. In other words, Ajayi could have a field day with them. On offense, though, starting quarterback Jameis Winston had the fifth-most passing yards of any quarterback in the league in the preseason (495) and completed 68.1% of his passes, connecting on 47 of 69 attempts. Meanwhile wide receiver Chris Godwin had seven receptions for 100 yards during the preseason, and running back Peyton Barber led rushing in the preseason with 92 yards on 28 carries. Which comes to how Tampa’s depth at running back, also including the top three of Doug Martin, Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims. And speaking of the preseason, the Bucs starred on HBO’s Hard Knocks, but the School of Hard Knocks is just about to really begin when the Buccaneers taken on the Phins.
The Bucs are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games versus the Dolphins. The NFL betting total has gone over in five of the Buccaneers’ last six meeting with Miami.