Dolphins vs Saints Odds, Lines, Picks, and Predictions for Week 16 Monday Night Football

• Playoff hopefuls clash in New Orleans as Miami Dolphins battle the Saints
• Monday Betting Record: 1-3 ML; 4-6 ATS; 2-1 O/U; -4.63 units
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Two teams desperate for a win to stay within range of their conference playoff pictures clash Monday night.

The Miami Dolphins look for their seventh straight win when they visit the New Orleans Saints, who are coming off a stout shutout win on the road in Tampa Bay.

You can’t preview any game these days without a significant COVID loss, and the Saints were dealt the bad hand this week, as both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian are out. That leaves Ian Book the starter in this crucial clash, a QB with zero snaps taken in an NFL regular season game.

That’s distinct advantage Miami, who are 3-point road favorites, while the total is a paltry 37.5.

It all gets underway from the Caesars Superdome at 8:15pm ET. The game can be seen live on ESPN.

Dolphins vs Saints Odds

Odds as of Dec 26th at DraftKings

Miami Dolphins Outlook

It feels like the Dolphins have played two different seasons. After winning their opener, the Fins dropped seven in a row and looked like they were en route to a top-3 pick in the upcoming draft.

Incredible.

After starting the season 1-7, the @MiamiDolphins have won 6 straight to get back to .500 and are right in the middle of this playoff race! #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/iXdLMcj7Pe

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 19, 2021

Things have turned drastically though, and last week’s 31-24 win over the New York Jets gave the Dolphins their sixth straight win to draw them to 7-7 on the year and in the AFC playoff mix.

DeVante Parker with the score for the lead! pic.twitter.com/GxeqoGJhvW

— USA TODAY NFL (@usatodaynfl) December 19, 2021

How legit the Dolphins is debatable: their fun-run has coincided with the soft part of their schedule, with wins over the Jets (twice), the Giants, Panthers, Texans and a depleted Ravens’ side.

Even the last game against the Jets, Miami didn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter, needing to overcome three turnovers, including a Tua Tagovailoa pick-6 to come back and win. Tua bounced back with a TD drive to secure the win.

Brandin Echols jumps the route perfectly to tie the game with a Pick-6! @matayo_echols #TakeFlight

📺: #NYJvsMIA on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/RB4TpsjKkG

— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021

It’s likely Tagovailoa is going to need a big passing night for the Dolphins. New Orleans is one of six teams to give up less than 100 yards rushing per game on the year, but they are just 18th in pass yards allowed, giving up 240 yards per game.

New Orleans Saints Outlook

After a five-game losing skid, the Saints looked out of the playoff picture, but they’ve reeled off two in a row, the latest a 9-0 shutout over Tom Brady and the high-octane Buccaneers’ offense.

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1473011233196589062

They’ll probably need a similar defensive effort Monday night, as it’s hard to expect a lot of Book, who has one half of preseason football on his NFL resume.

He won’t be stepping into a offense we’ve come to know in New Orleans, either. The post-Drew Brees era has brought middling results and the Saints currently own the third-worst passing offense in the league, churning out a meager 194 yards a contest. They haven’t had a 300-yard passing game all season.

Sean Payton on rookie QB Ian Book: pic.twitter.com/9BgMVEnqWB

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 24, 2021

Stud receiver Michael Thomas has been out all year, giving NOLA pivots no security blanket. In fact, in their win against the Bucs, Marquez Callaway posted just the second 100-yard receiving day by a Saints receiver this season. Running back Alvin Kamara has the other.

Book will be facing a Dolphins’ defense that has given up under 185 passing yards a game during this streak, while they rank first in the NFL with 110 QB hits and sixth with 37 sacks.

Dolphins vs Saints Pick

Miami is only scoring 20.4 points per game on the year, though they have cracked the 30-point plateau in two of their last three games after going sub-30 scoring the first 11 games. It’s hard to see the Saints getting anywhere near the 22.4 points they average on the season.

COVID has also hit the Saints at several key positions besides QB, including starting linebacker and defensive captain Demario Davis, starting safety Malcolm Jenkins, all-pro tackle Ryan Ramczyk and reserve tackle Jordan Mills.

Look for the Dolphins to extend their streak to seven, against a depleted Saints squad.

Pick: Dolphins -3 (1.5 units to win 1.55 units)