America isn’t the only country that loves pigskin action. The New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins treat the fans in England as they play this coming Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium. The two are heading in opposite directions early into the season; the Jets have already won two games, while the Dolphins have lost their last two. Can Miami break its losing streak in a crucial divisional showdown?
Line: New York Jets (-2.5) at Miami Dolphins (+2.5); total: 41.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the New York Jets
The New York Jets were limping in their Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Without starting running back Chris Ivory (who sat the game out due to a quad injury), the Jets failed to get much going on the ground. They had just 47 yards rushing on 16 carries for a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. To offset the loss of Ivory, though, New York decided to go guns blazing with their passing instead.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 35 of 58 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had three costly interceptions. The receiving corps also had its own injury woes, as wide receiver ErickDecker was inactive on Sunday after injuring his knee in a victory against the Colts last week. With Decker gone, 13 of Fitzpatrick’s passes went to receivers who had not caught a pass until Week 3.
Jeremy Kerley was one such receiver, finishing with six catches and a score. Brandon Marshall once again led the receiving corps with 109 yards and a TD himself. Having a quality receiver in Marshall — and possibly having Decker back — could help the Jets exploit a Miami defense that allowed three receiving touchdowns in Week 3.
While the Jets could go off through the air, they could prevent Miami from doing the same with their elite secondary. New York’s corners are absolutely deadly in Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis. The Jets have allowed just 191.7 yards passing per game, good for fourth in the league. They also have four interceptions across the secondary courtesy of cornerbacks Calvin Pryor and Revis along with safeties Marcus Gilchrist and Marcus Williams.
The Jets could also deliver some big and timely hits, which have resulted in giving them the most forced fumbles in the league (seven). Even better, they recovered all of those fumbles they caused.
New York is 3-0 ATS in its last three games against the Dolphins.
Betting on the Miami Dolphins
After an upset to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, the Miami Dolphins were given a chance to sink or swim in their season home opener against the Buffalo Bills. Well, they sank. The Dolphins were trounced 41-14, as Ryan Tannehill threw for 297 yards with two touchdowns and three costly interceptions. He’ll have to be very wary of the Jets’ defense, which has a knack for picking off opposing quarterbacks.
Miami did have a bright spot in their big loss to the Bills, though. Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has emerged as one of Tannehill’s go-to targets. Matthews had six receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, marking his second consecutive 100-yard game. He now has three touchdown receptions this season as well.
Having a solid No. 2 receiver in Matthews should help spread the Jets’ defense, especially with No. 1 Jarvis Landry most likely stranded on Revis Island. And if the Dolphins struggle with their passing, they could pound the ball with two running backs in Jonas Gray and Lamar Miller instead. Gray was relatively solid in his Dolphins debut by rushing for 49 yards on nine carries, while Miller had 38 yards on seven carries.
Considering the Dolphins had to play catch-up for the entire contest, the two running backs couldn’t get enough touches. But they should get their chance against a Jets defense that seems vulnerable against the run. New York has allowed 106.7 yards rushing per game (16th in the league), with the team surprisingly giving up 123 yards and a score to the Eagles in Week 3.
On the other side of the ball, Miami was expected to have a much improved pass rush with the offseason signing of defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. Yet, they’re tied for last in the league with just one sack this season. Suh has yet to record a sack this year, and this is after he led the Detroit Lions with 8.5 sacks in 2014. The pass rush won’t have it easy against the Jets, as New York has allowed just two sacks this season — second-least in the league.
The Dolphins are 3-1 SU/ATS in their last four October games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Jets pile even more misery on Miami in a closely-contested victory. Create a betting account now and get the best football action right from the comfort of your homes.
