The Miami Dolphins needed a miracle to defeat the New England Patriots last week. Will they be able to pull off another upset win this weekend, this time against the Minnesota Vikings, who are looking to avoid suffering a third loss in a row? The Dolphins are +10,000 to win the AFC title this season. The Vikings, on the other hand are +2,800 to top the NFC.
There are few better ways to get a shot in the arm in the NFL than by beating the New England Patriots. And that’s exactly what the Dolphins did last week, when they shocked the defending AFC champs in a 34-33 win at home, thanks to late-game lateral now dubbed as the “Miami Miracle.” But the miracle the Dolphins are now after is a playoff ticket, which they could inch closer to getting by taking down the struggling Vikings this weekend. That likely depends on how well quarterback Ryan Tannehill will play. Tannehill was effective against the Pats, passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-19 completions. The backfield, however, may be the key for Miami this weekend, considering how big the ground attack played in the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Vikings last Monday, when Russell Wilson and company collected 214 rushing yards on 42 carries. That means more focus on Miami tailback Frank Gore, who led the team last week with 92 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The Dolphins are 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings (6-6-1)
How bad were the Vikings in their 21-7 loss to Seattle at home? So bad, they had to fire offensive coordinator John DeFilippo after that debacle. The Vikings went just 2-of-10 on third downs and 0-of-2 on fourth down. In addition to those, Minnesota was 1-of-2 in the red zone. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was a big letdown in that game, especially when considering how much money Minnesota shoveled into his bank account just to make him the team’s quarterback. Cousins only had 208 passing yards and a touchdown on 20-of-33 completions. Maybe it was DeFilippo’s playcalling that stunted the team’s offensive potential in that game, and the Vikings better hope that was the case, as they look to get better on that end of the field against a Miami team that does not have an imposing defense. The Dolphins are only 26th in the league with 25.6 points allowed per game and 29th with 400.5 total yards surrendered per contest. Those are the numbers that should inspire optimism for the Vikings.
The Vikings are 2-0 ATS in their last two games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Minnesota puts Miami in its place with a 28-20 win.
