The New England Patriots are, according to the NFL betting spread, 16½-point favorites against the Miami Dolphins, and rightfully so, what with the gap between the two teams remaining as large as ever. That is to say, all’s right with the world, even if Tom Brady missed practiced on Wednesday with an Achilles injury, leaving (shudder) Brian Hoyer as the only QB on the field. People who bet on NFL, though, need not fear; Brady is still expected to play against the Dolphins.
PFW scouts the matchup before Sunday's AFC East game: https://t.co/tLufUghiv3 pic.twitter.com/baaLL1M6Qh
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 23, 2017
- Date: Sunday, 26th November
- Time: 1:05 PM
- Venue: Gillette Stadium
- Online sportsbook American football betting odds:
Dolphins +16½ (-110) 47 (-115) +947
Patriots -16½ (-110) 47 (-105) -1700
Amending Amendola
“I always prepare like I’m going to play; you have to be ready whether you’re the starter or backup,” Hoyer said. “You never know when you might get thrust into that action.” In Hoyer’s case, mind you, it’s best to have him and not need him, but his words strangely apply to a player who is actually, you know, necessary; namely, wide receiver Danny Amendola, who ranks second in the league among slot receivers in targets per routes run, even though he has played just 43.57% of snaps this season. “Danny’s made a lot of plays for us,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s an outstanding player. He’s got tremendous hands, concentration, toughness, (a) very smart, instinctive player, knows how to run routes, knows where to go on zone coverages, how to get open, how to find space, how to do the right thing for the pattern, do the right thing for the quarterback.” Amendola himself would like to “expand my role and be out there every play,” but why fix that which is not broken? The Pats are 8-0 SU in their last eight times hosting the Dolphins, but the NFL betting spread is another matter entirely.
It’s the size of the dog in the fight
The Dolphins will be the biggest underdogs to face the Pats yet this season, and while Miami is 0-4 SU and 0-3-1 in their last four games and 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five against New England, the 16½-point may just be a bit too much. After all, the Pats have won all seven games in which they have been favored by 17 or more points in the last 10 seasons, but have covered in just two of them. Moreover, New England is 9-10 ATS in their last 19 games as a double-digit fave. On the other hand, the Fins 3-1 ATS in the four games they have been double-digit underdogs in the past two seasons. Head coach Adam Gase will go to the Jay Cutler well once more, but then, it’s not like Matt Moore, better than Cutler as he is, has shown any indication that he could pull off an upset of this magnitude. The Dolphins are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 divisional games, 1-4 ATS playing a team with a winning record, and 0-3-2 ATS in their last five overall, while the Patriots are 6-0 ATS playing a team with a losing record, 13-4 ATS in their last 17 AFC games, and 22-7 against the NFL betting spread in their last 29 overall.