MIAMI vs BUFFALO
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: BUFFALO , MIAMI

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as -5 point favorites versus the MIAMI, while the game’s total is sitting at 42.

Miami needs a win in Sunday’s regular-season finale at Buffalo to guarantee its first postseason berth since 2016.

The Dolphins (10-5) can also get into the playoffs with one loss by either the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts or Baltimore Ravens.

The Bills (12-3) have already clinched their first division title since 1995, but a win would lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Miami will be without starting linebacker Elandon Roberts, who suffered a knee injury in last week’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Wide receiver/punt returner Jakeem Grant, who suffered an ankle injury against the Raiders, is expected miss the Buffalo game. Three other key Dolphins are questionable: receiver DeVante Parker (hamstring), guard Solomon Kindley (knee) and defensive end Shaq Lawson (shoulder).

For Buffalo, wide receiver Cole Beasley is doubtful due to a knee injury. He ranks second on the team in receptions (82) and receiving yards (967) and has four touchdowns this season.

If Beasley sits, that could open the way for rookie Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie to get more targets. Starting receiver John Brown (COVID-19 protocol) is already on injured reserve.

At quarterback, the Dolphins will again start rookie Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched in the fourth quarter against the Raiders and replaced by veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even though Fitzpatrick led Miami to victory, Dolphins coach Brian Flores said he is sticking with Tagovailoa as his No. 1.

“Tua has brought us a spark in many other games, but people forget that because they just remember the last thing,” Flores said. “I think Tua has played fairly well. People can disagree. We will agree to disagree in that case.”

Tagovailoa is 6-2 in eight starts this season and has done a good job of avoiding turnovers. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is an impressive 10-2. He is also completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 161.4 yards per game.

At times, however, Tagovailoa has been indecisive, which has led to 19 sacks (sack rate of 7.6 percent).

Fitzpatrick has been sacked 14 times with a sack rate of 5.0 percent, which is a sign that the 38-year-old veteran knows where he wants to go with the ball and gets rid of it quickly.

Overall, Fitzpatrick is completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 232.3 yards per game for 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His interception rate is much higher than Tagovailoa’s (3.0 to 0.9).

Fitzpatrick, who has never made the playoffs in his 16-year NFL career, is 4-3 as a starter this season.

For Buffalo, wide receiver Stefon Diggs is the reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week after catching nine passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns in Monday’s 38-9 road victory against the New England Patriots.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen has 34 touchdown passes this season, breaking Jim Kelly’s previous franchise record. Allen also has eight 300-yard games, which broke the previous team record set by Drew Bledsoe.

So far this season, Allen has passed for 4,320 yards at a completion rate of 69.1 percent.

“The records, this and that, it’s cool,” Allen said. “But the plan is to get us to 13-3 to give us a chance in the playoffs. The records don’t mean much if we can’t get it done.”

That quote ought to answer anyone who doubts the Bills will be playing to win on Sunday.

And a motivated Bills team is dangerous, especially with Diggs, who has already set a franchise record this season with a league-leading 1,459 receiving yards. Diggs, who also leads the NFL with 120 receptions, credits Allen.

“We have a young quarterback who’s balling,” Diggs said.

Buffalo’s top two running backs — Devin Singletary and Zack Moss — both have South Florida roots, and they have combined to rush for 1,153 yards and six TDs this season.

Allen is also a major threat to run, with 418 yards and eight touchdowns. But he has to be wary of turnovers — he has nine interceptions and nine total fumbles (six lost) this season.

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MIAMI vs LAS VEGAS
When: 12/26/2020 8:15 PM
Where:

TV: 8:15 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: LAS VEGAS , MIAMI

Oddsmakers currently have the LAS VEGAS listed as 3 point favorites versus the MIAMI, while the game’s total is sitting at 48.

The Miami Dolphins head into the final two weeks of the regular season occupying the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. But as far as coach Brian Flores is concerned, his team must approach Saturday night’s game at Las Vegas with a playoff mentality.

“Our playoff is this week against the Raiders,” Flores said. “We’re in a one-game season.”

The Dolphins and eighth-seed Baltimore are both 9-5 heading into this weekend’s action but the Ravens, who host the New York Giants (5-9) before finishing up at Cincinnati (3-10-1), on paper have a big edge in the remaining schedule. After playing Las Vegas (7-7), which mathematically still has a very slim chance at making the playoffs, Miami must travel to Buffalo (11-3), which has already clinched the AFC East crown.

“It’s good to kind of (go) through that and realize we’re still playing meaningful football,” Flores said.

The Dolphins, who will spend their Christmas Day flying across the country to Las Vegas, eliminated the New England Patriots from the playoff race with a 22-12 victory on Sunday. Undrafted free agent Salvon Ahmed led the way, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown, as Miami, despite starting six rookies on offense, rushed for 250 yards, breaking the 200-yard mark on the ground in a game for the first time since Dec. 24, 2016 at Buffalo, when it ran for 261 yards.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went 20-of-26 passing for 145 yards and an interception and also rushed for two touchdowns to improve to 5-2 as a starter. The fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Alabama is completing 63.5 percent of his passes in his starts to go with nine touchdown passes and two interceptions.

Depending on how things go in practice this week, Tagovailoa could be matched up against his fellow Honolulu St. Louis High School alum, Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Mariota took over in relief for Derek Carr, who suffered a groin injury late in the first quarter in Thursday night’s 30-27 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He went 17-of-28 passing for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception before leaving. He also rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, with eight of his runs accounting for first downs.

“I think that would be awesome seeing Marcus (play) because me and (linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill), we’re both from Hawaii,” Tagovailoa said when asked by reporters after Sunday’s win about the possibility of a potential all-Hawaii quarterback battle. “Marcus is from Hawaii. Me and Marcus went to the same high school. I think that (would) be something pretty cool, something special.”

However, Carr alternated snaps with Mariota in practice on Tuesday and said he’s “doing everything in his power” to try and play on Saturday night.

“We’ll see how it goes this week,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “He’s chomping at the bit to play. We’ll do what we think is right for Derek and this team.”

Carr pulled up and grabbed the inside of his left leg while trying to scramble around right end, hopping out of the bounds and heading straight to the locker room.

“I went to sprint for the end zone and it just went,” he said of his groin.

The loss to the Chargers was the fourth in the last five games for Las Vegas, which ends the regular season at Denver. The Raiders are just 5-13 (.278 percent) in December-January games since the start of 2017. Only the Carolina Panthers (4-12) have a worse mark during that span.

Three defensive starters — safety Johnathan Abram, linebacker Nicholas Morrow and cornerback Damon Arnette — who sat out the loss to the Chargers with concussions were limited in practice on Tuesday, while defensive end Clelin Ferrell (shoulder) remained out. Safety Erik Harris joined defensive back Daryl Worley, cornerback Isaiah Johnson and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III on the COVID-19 list while linebacker Tanner Muse was shifted to injured reserve.

Miami guard Solomon Kindley, carted off with a knee injury in Sunday’s win, did not suffer any structural damage and could play Saturday. Kindley, a rookie who has started 13 games, was the only Dolphin to sit out Tuesday’s practice.

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The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality was established five years ago to promote unity and combat systemic racism. RISE says it has helped 12,000 students, athletes, coaches, and staff at all levels to help champion social justice and improve race relations.

Ross has now committed $30 million to RISE.

“Growing up in Detroit, I saw firsthand what racism did to tear apart our community, destroy lives and further inequality,” Ross said in a statement. “I started RISE based on the belief that our nation must address the scourge of racism directly to achieve true unity. Now more than ever, our mission and the need for this work is clear.”

RISE says that over the next four years it will continue to work with such organizations as NASCAR, PGA of America, the United States Tennis Association, USA Track, and Field. the National Lacrosse League and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

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MIAMI vs NEW ENGLAND
When: 9/13/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -6.5
PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND , MIAMI

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ENGLAND listed as -6.5 point favorites versus the MIAMI, while the game’s total is sitting at 43.5.

The post MIAMI vs. NEW ENGLAND 9/13/2020 NFL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

The former University of Wyoming star was part of a formidable backfield that included his best friend, Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka. They earned the nicknames Butch and Sundance, inspired by the popular 1969 movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Kiick (“Butch”) made the American Football League All-Star team in his first two seasons and played on Miami’s back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams in 1972-73. Kiick had two touchdowns for the ’72 Dolphins in the AFC championship game, and also scored in the Super Bowl victory that capped their 17-0 season under Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula.

Shula died May 4 at age 90.

Kiick lived in an assisted living home in recent years. Allie Kiick said that because of the coronavirus, visitors weren’t being allowed in his room.

“I miss my dad,” she wrote Thursday on Twitter. “It’s pretty hard when you’re sitting on the outside of the glass and can’t do anything to cheer him up. He’s lost the spark in his eyes as anyone would in this situation.”

In his NFL heyday, Kiick and the speedier Mercury Morris split playing time with the Dolphins during the 1972-73 seasons, which gave Shula a potent one-two punch at halfback but sometimes led to second-guessing by fans.

“Kiick and Mercury Morris both contributed,” Shula said. “Every Monday there was a controversy, but the bottom line wasn’t bad.”

Csonka compounded the challenge for opponents. He and Kiick met at an all-star game the summer they joined the Dolphins, and as running mates they roomed together, partied together and briefly held out together seeking better contracts.

In 1975, Kiick, Csonka and future Hall of Famer Paul Warfield left the Dolphins for the WFL. The package was a watershed worth nearly $4 million over three years for the three players, who played for the Memphis Southmen.

But the WFL folded, and Kiick returned to the NFL for his final two seasons, playing for Denver and Washington.

James Forrest Kiick was born Aug. 9, 1946, in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. He led Wyoming in rushing three years in a row and was inducted into their athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

Miami drafted Kiick in the fifth round in 1968. He became a starter as a rookie and led the AFL in touchdowns rushing in 1969 with nine.

He had his best season statistically for Miami’s 1971 Super Bowl team, when he rushed for 738 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry, both career highs.

Kiick also was an excellent blocker and a threat as a receiver. He had 233 career receptions for 2,302 yards.

Following retirement, Kiick worked as a private investigator for the Broward County public defender’s office.

“He is the best dad I could have ever asked for, and will forever be a legend and my hero,” Allie Kiick wrote on Twitter after his death. She’s professional tennis player who has been ranked in the top 150 on the women’s tour.

Jim Kiick’s father, George, played fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940 and 1945.

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NEW ENGLAND vs MIAMI
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Patriots -18.5.
O/U: 48.5
PREDICTION: Patriots 30, Dolphins 13

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as 18.5 point favorites versus the NEW ENGLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 48.5.

Coach Bill Belichick is a master of making sure the New England Patriots brush aside outside distractions, but that single-mindedness could be put to the test this week. Questions abound over whether All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, acquired before last week’s season opener, will be in the lineup Sunday when the reigning Super Bowl champions visit the Miami Dolphins.

Brown’s abrupt release by Oakland and subsequent signing with the Patriots was a shocking development, but the plot thickened this week when a woman filed a lawsuit charging him with rape and sexual assault. “It’s not a distraction,” New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore said. “That’s one thing about this team — we focus on our next opponent, and that’s Miami. We don’t let outside stuff distract us.” While the Patriots dismantled Pittsburgh 33-3 in their opener, Miami was embarrassed in a 59-10 mauling at Baltimore in the head coaching debut of former New England assistant Brian Flores. The Dolphins, however, have won two of the past three meetings against the Patriots and are 10-7 against future Hall of Famer Tom Brady in Miami.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (1-0): Brown, who forced an offseason trade from Pittsburgh to Oakland after six straight seasons with at least 101 catches, was ineligible to play in last week’s opener but Brady looked fine with the cast at hand, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns passes. Starting running back Sony Michel, who rushed for 169 yards in two meetings versus Miami last season, managed only 14 on 15 carries last week, but backups Rex Burkhead and James White combined for 70 yards rushing while adding five receptions apiece. Julian Edelman had six catches for 83 yards and Phillip Dorsett hauled in a pair of scoring passes, while the defense limited the Steelers to 32 yards rushing.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (0-1): In the wake of the last week’s humbling loss, in which Miami set franchise records for points and total yards (643) allowed, media reports swirled that multiple players spoke to their agents and expressed a desire to be traded. “It’s never good to be embarrassed like that, especially at this level,” said veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished 14 of 29 for 185 yards with a touchdown and interception in his Dolphins debut. “What we talked about: Nobody is going to feel sorry for you and your situation.” Miami will try to establish its ground game behind Kenyan Drake, who ran the final 52 yards on a lateral in last season’s stunning win over the Patriots.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Brady can tie George Blanda (209) for the second-most regular-season wins in NFL history, behind only Adam Vinatieri (215).

2. Dolphins CB Xavien Howard picked off Brady twice in the last meeting.

3. Edelman has 24 receptions and two TDs in his last three versus Miami.

PREDICTION: Patriots 30, Dolphins 13

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BALTIMORE vs MIAMI
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Ravens -6.5.
O/U: 38.5
PREDICTION: Ravens 20, Dolphins 13

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as 4.5 point favorites versus the BALTIMORE, while the game’s total is sitting at 37.

The Baltimore Ravens are committed to moving forward behind quarterback Lamar Jackson and plan on competing for an AFC North title and another run deep into the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins, who host the Ravens in the season opener on Sunday, look like a team fully in rebuilding mode after bringing in a new coach and getting very active on the trade market.

Baltimore spent its offseason rebuilding its offense to suit the talents of Jackson and imported Mark Ingram from New Orleans to take on some of the rushing duties, but Jackson is still expected to pull the ball down and run often. “Hopefully that it’s the best offense they’ve ever seen,” Jackson told reporters when asked what people will think of the new offense. “That’s what I’m going for.” The Dolphins traded away star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and leading tackler Kiko Alonso in the latest round of trades toward the end of camp, leading to question about the team’s intentions for the season. “It’s always important to win. I’ve always believed that,” first-year head coach Brian Flores told reporters in reference to tanking questions. “I think to take any other approach, that’s just not how you coach the game. That’s not how you play the game. To take any other approach is disrespectful to the game, so it’s very important.”

ABOUT THE RAVENS (2018: 10-6, FIRST IN AFC NORTH): Baltimore is convinced that Ingram, 29, has plenty left in the tank after splitting carries for years with the Saints. “He’s a proven back in the National Football League,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters. “He seems very healthy. (There is) not a lot of wear and tear on Mark. He’s a downhill, physical runner. He fits our style.” Ingram will run between the tackles while Jackson takes off around the outside and goes after Michael Vick’s record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,039).

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (2018: 7-9, SECOND IN AFC EAST): Miami traded for former first-round pick Josh Rosen in the offseason, but veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick won the battle in camp and will get the start on Sunday, becoming the first quarterback to start for eight different teams. “You know it is (rewarding),” Fitzpatrick told reporters. “It’s something that’s never been done before. Just in terms of who I am and the career I’ve had and the different places I’ve been, this means a lot to me. I think being able to do it here with a younger group where it’s going to rely so much on communication and I’ve got to make sure I’m at my best on every single play, whether it’s during the play or before at the line of scrimmage.” Running back Kenyan Drake survived the team’s offseason purge and is expected to take on a bigger role in the offense after averaging 4.5 yards per rush in 2018.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ravens CB Brandon Carr (hip) is questionable for Sunday.

2. Dolphins CB Xavien Howard tied for the league lead with seven interceptions last season.

3. Baltimore beat Miami by a combined 78-6 in the last two meetings – 2016 and 2017.

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS vs MIAMI DOLPHINS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 9, 2018
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 7
PREDICTION: MIAMI , NEW ENGLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as 7 point favorites versus the NEW ENGLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.

The New England Patriots are in the midst of an unprecedented run of success within the AFC East and can clinch their 10th consecutive division title with a victory at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots trail Kansas City by one game for the best record in the AFC but they have struggled in Miami with four losses in their last five visits.

New England quarterback Tom Brady has won 12 of his last 13 against AFC East opponents, but he has a losing record (7-9) against the Dolphins in Miami, including a 27-20 setback a year ago. “I think the climate plays some role and they always seem to play well when they play us down there,” Brady said. “We’re going up against a good opponent that plays us very well at home. We play them very well at home. It is just one of those series where it is kind of like that.” The Dolphins have dropped six of nine since opening the season with three wins in a row, a swoon that started with a 38-7 mauling at New England in Week 4. Still, Miami is among a cluster of four teams with 6-6 records that trail Baltimore by one game for the final playoff berth in the conference.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -7.5. O/U: 47

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (9-3): Brady threw for 311 yards with a touchdown and an interception in last week’s 24-10 win over Minnesota, but he has had some clunkers on the road this season and failed to throw a scoring pass in two of his last three away from home. Running back James White has been an integral part of the passing game with team highs in catches (74), yards (659) and receiving touchdowns (6). Running back Sony Michel has rushed for more than 100 yards three times during his rookie season, including 112 on a season-high 25 carries in the drubbing of the Dolphins in Week 4. The Patriots have only 19.0 sacks and have struggled against the pass but they are tied for ninth with 21.6 points allowed.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (6-6): Ryan Tannehill made his second start since missing five games with a shoulder injury and threw for three touchdowns in last week’s 21-17 win over Buffalo despite mustering only 137 yards passing. Miami is one of five teams averaging fewer than 200 yards passing but leading receiver Danny Amendola, who played the previous five seasons with the Patriots, is on track to return to the lineup after sitting out last week’s matchup. Frank Gore leads the ground game with 616 yards rushed but he failed to get 10 carries for the first time in nine games and was limited to 21 yards against Buffalo. The Dolphins will be without star cornerback Xavien Howard, the NFL leader with seven interceptions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. New England can become the first team to make 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

2. Tannehill has won his last eight starts at home.

3. Brady is tied with Peyton Manning for the most career touchdowns (playoffs included) with 579.

PREDICTION: Patriots 23, Dolphins 20

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NY JETS vs MIAMI DOLPHINS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: MIAMI , NY JETS

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as -3 point favorites versus the NY JETS, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

The Miami Dolphins have answered a sterling start to the season with four double-digit losses in their last five outings to cloud their visions of grasping a third postseason berth since 2008. The Dolphins bid to turn the page as they begin the second half of their season on Sunday versus the New York Jets, against whom they’ve won four of their last five encounters.

With Ryan Tannehill (shoulder) sidelined for a third straight game, Brock Osweiler completed just 56.8 percent of his passes with one interception in a 42-23 loss at Houston on Thursday. Miami has fared better a home, however, posting a 3-1 mark while its lone win on the road came at MetLife Stadium, courtesy of a 20-12 victory over New York on Sept. 16. Rookie Sam Darnold tossed a pair of interceptions in that contest, but has been picked off five times in his last four and threw for a career-low 153 yards in Sunday’s 24-10 setback in Chicago. “(It’s) very frustrating,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said of his team losing two straight and residing at 3-5 for the third straight year. “… We got to put our heads down and we got to correct this and we got to try to come out and win some ballgames. The season is not over. … You don’t like where you are, but we dug ourselves this hole, we have to dig ourselves out.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Dolphins -3. O/U: 43.5

ABOUT THE JETS (3-5): Wideouts Quincy Enunwa (team-leading 22 catches) and Robby Anderson (club-best 314 receiving yards) missed practice on Thursday and are in line to sit out their respective third and second straight games due to ankle injuries. A depleted passing attack hasn’t done any favors to New York’s rushing game, which has been stuck in neutral with a league-worst 2.8 yards per carry over the last three contests heading into a meeting with Miami, against which it amassed just 42 yards on 19 attempts in Week 2. Isaiah Crowell rushed for 35 yards in that contest and has followed a 219-yard performance versus Denver that earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors with 94 yards on 37 carries over the last three games.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (4-4): Like New York, Miami is also dealing with injuries to its wideouts, although former first-round pick DeVante Parker stepped up in the absence of the injured Kenny Stills (groin) and Albert Wilson (hip, injured reserve) with six catches for a career-high 134 yards versus the Texans. “I already know who I am as a player. I still got the talent,” said the 25-year-old Parker, who missed five of the team’s first seven games of the season. Parker was inactive in the first encounter versus the Jets, but gashed the club with eight receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown on Sept. 24, 2017.

EXTRA POINTS

1. New York S Jamal Adams has recorded a sack in each of his last three games versus Miami.

2. Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake, who found the end zone in the previous meeting with the Jets, has three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) over his last two contests overall.

3. Miami (334.3) and New York (314.1) are ranked 27th and 29th, respectively, in average yards per game on offense.

PREDICTION: Dolphins 24, Jets 16

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DETROIT LIONS vs MIAMI DOLPHINS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: MIAMI , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as 3 point favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.5.

Golden Tate took issue with Albert Wilson’s claim that he’s the league’s best receiver in terms of gaining yards after the catch, saying that six games is not a big enough sample size. The two wide receivers aim to settle it on the field on Sunday as Tate and the Detroit Lions attempt to prevent the Miami Dolphins from jumping out to their first 4-0 start at home since 2000.

Wilson’s initial claim came on the heels of a six-catch, career-high 155-yard, two-touchdown performance as Miami snapped a two-game skid with a 31-28 overtime win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The 26-year-old captured AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts and even received some praise from Tate, who then countered that Wilson has 147 career catches while he has recorded at least 90 in each of the last four seasons with Detroit. Matthew Stafford has been on the other end of those throws, and the former top overall pick has thrown for nine touchdowns against one interception in his last four games leading into the team’s bye. Stafford might find the going a bit tough versus an opportunistic Dolphins defense that has an NFL-best 11 interceptions, led by Xavien Howard (three).

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Lions -3. O/U: 46.5

ABOUT THE LIONS (2-3): Tate, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. comprise one of the most productive receiving corps in the league, as Detroit boasts two wideouts in the top 10 in yards (Golladay, Tate), the top 20 in yards per catch (Golladay, Jones) and the top 15 in yards after catch (Tate, Golladay). “I think talent, depth, look at the stats that we’re putting up,” Tate said. “We’re a good group. Honestly, I think it starts with our run game. Our run game has been better and it’s opening up for us.” Kerryon Johnson could take credit for that with 251 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in his last three games, and the rookie could be in for a bigger role against Miami with fellow running back Theo Riddick sitting out practice on Thursday due to a knee injury.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (4-2): After being named the surprise starter 90 minutes before game time last week, Brock Osweiler officially got the nod to face the Lions on Wednesday after he stepped up and threw for a career-high 380 pass yards with three touchdowns against the Bears. “It’s something that I’ve been wanting for a lot of years,” the 27-year-old Osweiler told the Sun-Sentinel said. “I believe in coach Gase, his system, and who he is as a person and a coach. And I saw that firsthand for a lot of years in Denver, and I saw what it’s like to be able to play for a coach like that.” Osweiler would be wise to lean on his running game, with the ageless Frank Gore rolling up 101 yards last week and averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season heading into a meeting with Detroit’s 30th-ranked rush defense that is hemorrhaging 145.8 yards per contest.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Miami LB Kiko Alonso ranks second in the NFL with 61 tackles, with 11 coming last week to go along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

2. Detroit G T.J. Lang is trending toward returning on Sunday after being sidelined since last month with a concussion.

3. Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake rushed 13 times for 57 yards last week after carrying the ball 14 times for 52 yards in the previous three games combined.

PREDICTION: Lions 24, Dolphins 19

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