Bills Will Beat Dolphins In Miami

Bills vs. Dolphins, 8:20 ET

If this was a playoff game, I'd probably be sitting in front of the television salivating. My wife would need to come in with a bib and wipe away my excitement like I am a baby or something. These are two of my favorite teams in the NFL and they both have explosive offenses. How should we bet the Bills as they take on the Dolphins?

It is week 18 so who knows who will play or how long. Most of the reports indicate that teams are being a little secretive with matchups. The Bills still need to win to officially clinch a spot in the playoffs. A loss might not send them home, but it is always better to be in control of your own destiny. This has been a very strange season for the Bills with Josh Allen racking up interception after interception. They fired their offensive coordinator and went to a more balanced approach. I think that move makes a ton of sense, but I still think they rely on Allen to do too much for the offense and he isn't quite good enough to do everything for them. Sure, he has almost 4,000 passing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, but I think the rushing touchdowns need to go to James Cook more often. They don't utilize the run game enough. Against the Dolphins, they might find some success on the ground. Miami only allows 95.1 yards per game to opponents running games, but a lot of that is because teams have to throw to keep up with the pace.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 19: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins scores a touchdown during the first quarter in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Bryan Cereijo/Getty Images)

For Miami, a division win is at stake here. They've already clinched a playoff spot but they can't get the #1 seed overall. The division is important not only for bragging rights, but they would get a home game and they have been significantly better at home. This season they have an 11-5 record and are 7-1 at home, so getting as many playoff games at home as possible is an important goal still. I have some concerns about the Dolphins though as they really haven't beaten anyone of substance this season. They lost to Buffalo in Buffalo - by 28. They lost to the Chiefs in Germany by a touchdown. They lost to the Titans in comical fashion at home. And, last week, they were annihilated by the Ravens in Baltimore. I certainly don't expect the Bills to come in and manhandle the Dolphins like they did early in the year, but the Buffalo defense has looked better lately and I think that coincided with Allen playing better football and not turning the ball over.

Miami still hasn't really accomplished a big signature win before the playoffs. Can they go into it without beating anyone of substance? I guess they can. Sure they beat Dallas, but Dallas was on the road and they are terrible on the road. I have to back the Bills in a game that is more important to them and they are finally playing good football. Take the Bills -3 in this one.

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