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After Being Blown Out in Week 1, Dolphins Open as 16.5-Point Underdogs in Week 2 vs Patriots

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NFL Football

Updated Mar 26, 2020 · 7:05 AM PDT

Dolphins first-year head coach Brian Flores on the sideline
After getting destroyed in their Week 1 loss to Baltimore, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and his team have to prepare for the Patriots in Week 2. Photo from @SunSentinel (Twitter)
  • Dolphins take historic Week 1 beating at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens
  • Miami hosts defending Super Bowl Champion-Patriots next week
  • Should you be wagering on the Dolphins (and the boatload of points they are being given) against the spread?

Is it possible to be a beleaguered NFL head coach after just one career game?

If your one career game was at the helm of the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, the answer for Brian Flores is: yes.

He had better muster up his best “Nobody believes in us!” speech on the pronto, because the Fins host the Patriots in Week 2. And as you might imagine while examining the Patriots vs Dolphins full odds, there is a Grand Canyon-esque point spread the sportsbooks in Vegas are daring you to jump on.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Team Spread
New England Patriots -16.5  (-115)
Miami Dolphins +16.5 (-105)

*Odds from 10/09/19

This could be the highest line you will see across sportsbooks all season. Not only do the Patriots have no chill, they are also trying to work mercurial wide receiver Antonio Brown into what is now arguably the most potent receiving corps in the NFL.

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Considering the Patriots’ penchant for showing no mercy, is there any reason you should be taking Miami and the 16.5 points?

Dolphins Showed No Life in Week 1

It’s one thing to lose, but it’s another to lose and turn Lamar Jackson into a wealthy man’s Tom Brady-Joe Montana-Peyton Manning hybrid. Jackson threw six TD passes across his seven regular season starts last season. On Sunday, he tossed four by halftime. Miami’s 42-10 halftime deficit is the largest in a Week 1 game in NFL history.

In all, they surrendered over 600 yards of total offense to the Ravens.  Jackson finished the game a tidy 17-for-20 passing for 324 yards and five TD strikes.

As bad as the secondary was, the rush defense wasn’t much better. The Dolphins let running back Mark Ingram get off to quite a start with his new club, rushing for 107 yards and two scores of his own.

Led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the offense was on par with the defense. The team rushed for a total of 21 yards, and Fitzpatrick – playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL – was under siege all afternoon. He was sacked three times and pressured on another dozen occasions. In the run game, the line generated zero push, surrendering six tackles for losses.

The tear-down came in pieces all offseason, including moving on from QB Ryan Tannehill and then dealing left tackle Laremy Tunsil, but there’s been plenty of action to make this situation pretty grim.

The loss did not sit well with many of the players, who reportedly are not interested in being part of the tank.

Is There Any Reason to Take the Points?

There are two things that trouble me in trusting this bet: I try to avoid most bets within a division, because anything can (and does) happen. At home, the Dolphins have beaten Tom Brady and company the last two times New England has come south, including a game that may have been the best finish in 2018.

That being said, we just watched Brady, at age 42, go over the top consistently with the long ball to bury the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a good team, and they run a strong program … and they looked lost against this attack. The Dolphins entered the year expected to be the worst team in the NFL, and looked every bit the part in Week 1.

Brady finished the night 24-for-36 for 341 yards, three TD, and no interceptions. No receiver went over 100 yards, but the quintet of Phillip Dorsett, Josh Gordon, Julian Edelman, James White and Rex Burkhead all had between three and six catches and 41 to 95 yards.

I can’t even imagine how badly Antonio Brown wants to show out in his first action since dominating the summer like he was an NBA player.

I expect that the horrendous Dolphins’ outing will keep bettors leaning toward the Patriots, and that may force Vegas to keep giving the Fins more points later in the week, to give you more incentive.

I’d recommend a stay away – you never know with these divisional games. But if you’re inclined to take the points, you may get more later in the week.

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