Both the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins entered this NFL season with very high hopes of a solid playoff run, but the two teams have been nowhere near their lofty preseason expectations after 15 weeks of play.
And although their meeting this coming Sunday certainly isn’t the most attractive choice from Week 16’s lot, a lot of fans and bettors alike will be tuning in to see if the Colts can still make a late push for a playoff spot.
Let’s take a closer look at this fairly compelling matchup below. Then, head on over to our previews for the Giants vs. Vikings and Redskins vs. Eagles matches to be on top of some of the week’s more intriguing showdowns.
[sc:Football ]Indianapolis Colts vs. Miami Dolphins Preview
Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens
When: Sunday, December 27, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
[sc:NFL240banner ]An ugly 16-10 win by the Houston Texans on Sunday sent the Indianapolis Colts to an even uglier predicament late into this season. Not only did the Colts lose at home to the Texans for the first time in 13 years, they also fell one crucial game behind their division rivals in the race for the AFC South title and – ultimately – a playoff berth.
Matt Hasselbeck’s elderly wizardry has certainly worn off during Indianapolis’ current three-game slide. The 40-year-old QB finished Sunday’s game by going 17-for-30 for just 147 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. Hasselbeck has now thrown less than 19 pass completions in each of his team’s past three losses after going undefeated in his first four contests starting in place of Andrew Luck.
But it wasn’t just Hasselbeck’s performance that was dismal that afternoon. The Colts team as a whole only mustered up 50 rushing yards on 19 carries, with Frank Gore sadly averaging just 2.8 yards per carry in that contest with his 16 touches.
Clearly, the Colts’ passing game is not working out anymore with its backup quarterback. If they lean on the running game instead this coming Sunday, they might just find themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt. The Dolphins are actually the third-worst team in the league against the run with 133.2 rushing yards allowed per game.
Indy has got to avoid falling into a trap against equally disappointing Miami at all costs, because for the last seven games that the Colts have faced an AFC East opponent, they lost all of those meetings and managed to cover the spread on just one occasion.
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Betting on the Miami Dolphins (5-9)
Call it goodwill or sheer ineptitude; the Miami Dolphins certainly gave San Diego fans one heck of a last hurrah by falling to the Chargers on Sunday, 30-14. The Chargers have likely played their last home game at Qualcomm Stadium that afternoon given their management’s plans of moving the club to much more lucrative Los Angeles.
And let’s not be fooled by that seemingly respectable final score. San Diego was really up 23-0 by halftime, with Miami gaining just 77 yards of offense in the first half.
Even quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s numbers from that game are more like illusions than actual substance. Going 20-for-34 without a pick is relatively not that bad at all, but getting just 216 yards and not a single touchdown out of that performance pretty much sums up the Dolphins’ offensive struggles throughout this season.
And must we also bring up the fact that the team’s two TDs came from the ground game in garbage time and in spite of stumbling around for just 44 rushing yards on 19 carries all afternoon?
Miami’s sputtering offense is the product of its own failure to extend drives when it matters the most. In Sunday’s loss, the Dolphins had just half as many first downs as San Diego’s 26, and they also went a dismal 2-of-14 on third downs. And for the season in general, the team is third-worst in the league in total first downs, and second worst in third down completions with a pathetic 29.6-percent clip.
Don’t even think that heading back to sunny Florida will do the ‘Fins much good either. They are 3-6 over their last nine home games with an even worse 1-8 record against the spread.
Writer’s Prediction
The Colts win a big one on the road, 23-16, to stay alive in their chase for the division crown.
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