Dolphins vs Commanders Picks, Odds & Lineups (Aug 14)

• The Miami Dolphins are 3.5-point road favorites vs the Washington Commanders
• Miami pivot Malik Willis is expected to start the Week 1 preseason opener
• See below for the Dolphins vs Commanders picks, odds and lineups

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They’ve practiced hard against each other the past week, now the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders take that matchup under the lights in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

Both teams are seeking a path back to respectability but on different trajectories. Miami has brought it back down to the studs in rebuild mode, reflected in the worst odds to make the NFL playoffs in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Commanders are hoping a healthy Jayden Daniels can lift them back up to a contender in the NFC.

Action gets underway Friday at 7pm ET from Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, with local broadcasters CBS Miami and WUSA9 carrying the coverage.

Read below as I share my Dolphins vs Commanders picks, odds and lineups for this one.

Dolphins vs Commanders Picks

• Dolphins -3.5 (+100 at bet365)

Perhaps the most important player in this game will be newly-minted Dolphins starting QB Malik Willis.

Gone is the Mike McDaniel – Tua Tagovailoa combo after a rough 7-10 campaign. New head coach Jeff Hafley will try to turn the program around with the the 2022 3rd-round pick Willis, who has just six career NFL starts to his name.

To his credit, he’s been impressive in limited film. In three starts the last two seasons with Green Bay, he’s completed 78.7% of his passes with a QB rating of 134.6.

😮‍💨😮‍💨 @malikwillis @Caedeezy pic.twitter.com/B1CRHlvbEt

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 10, 2026

Getting him reps will be the most important task for the Dolphins in the preseason, and a motivated Willis should be enough to take on a Commanders’ side that won’t be showcasing too many of its frontline players Friday (more on that below).

We’ll see exactly how he can raise the floor of this offense, as there are no holdovers from the pass-catcher group that registered at least 350 yards receiving last year.

That likely means QB Jayden Daniels will stay neatly uniformed on the sideline, as keeping the Washington QB1 healthy all season is priority number one. The books have him in the mix in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds, checking in at +650.

Veteran Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman will likely split reps in the opener for Washington.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has traditionally done little to show out in the preseason, as his teams are a combined 7-19-1 against the spread through stints in Atlanta and DC.

This one might not be a great watch, but look for Miami to do enough to eke out a cover.

Dolphins vs Commanders Odds

Odds as of August 14th from bet365. Click here for a bet365 Sportsbook promo code to bet on for NFL this season.

Miami has been pegged as a -170 favorite to win outright, but taking them on the spread offers a more lucrative +100 payout, if they can win by at least four points.

The Commanders, meanwhile, find themselves as +145 underdogs on the moneyline. They are getting points on the spread, and that comes with some juice, with the payout at -120 odds if Washington covers.

The total is set at 36.5 points, with both ends of the betting spectrum offering -110 odds.

You’ll need a magnifying glass to find Miami’s Super Bowl odds, as they’re the NFL’s worst at +50000, with Washington up a rung at +6600.

MIA Dolphins and WAS Commanders Lineup Notables

Miami is expected to play most of their players that area healthy, while Washington will likely rest their more notable players.

Check below for the players expected to play tonight that are worth keeping an eye on.

Miami Dolphins

• Malik Willis (QB): There is a chance that Miami lucked into its starter of the future. But the team might be so bad that it might not matter. Still, Willis is one of the most intriguing players to watch this year.
• Jalen Reagor (WR): The receiving room is bereft of impact players. This might be the former first round pick’s last chance to show that he can be a viable pass-catcher in this league.
• Kaydn Proctor (LG): The 12th pick of the draft has shown agility and athleticism during camp. We’ll see how he holds up in real game action.
• Chris Johnson (CB): Miami’s other first round pick, Johnson is already penciled in as a starting nickelback.

Washington Commanders

• Kaytron Allen (RB): Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White won’t play, while Jeremy McNichols is dealing with a quad injury, leaving the bruising 6th round rookie plenty of reps to make an impression.
• Sonny Styles (LB): The seventh overall pick in the 2026 draft is expected to play, and we get to see how Quinn will try and deploy the versatile talent.
• Jaden Bradley (WR): An undrafted rookie out of UNLV, he should be competing for targets behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs.
• Joshua Josephs (EDGE): The fifth round pick could add more depth to that already formidable Washington front seven.