After a 3-0 start to the season, the Miami Dolphins have gone 1-4 since. Currently with a 4-4 record, the Dolphins will look to prevent a two-game losing skid this Sunday against the visiting 3-5 New York Jets. The Dolphins are +15,000 to win the AFC Championship, while the Jets have a longer odds of +20,000 to do so.
The Jets stood pat during at the trade deadline and didn’t make any moves to help address their offense. Last week, Jets quarterback Sam Darnold completed just 14 of 29 passes for just 153 yard, though, he scored a touchdown in a 24-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on the road. Still, the lack of talent, particularly in the receiving corps was glaring in that game. Against the Bears, New York didn’t have Quincy Enunwa and Robbie Anderson due to injuries. Both are week-to-week, so bettors should monitor the pair’s status ahead of the matchup with the Miami. Darnold, however, should be able to extend plays and gain more yardage against a Miami defense that punches considerably lighter than Chicago’s. Miami opponents have the fourth-best third-down conversion percentage in the NFL with a 46.32 clip. Moreover, Miami is only 27th in the league in both scoring defense with 27.4 points allowed per contest and total defense with 408.0 total yards per contest.
The over is 4-1 in the Jets’ last five games overall.
Betting on the Miami Dolphins (4-4)
Like the Jets, Miami also had a thin receiving group in Week 8, but they did much better, thanks to the eruption of enigmatic wideout DeVante Parker, who had 134 receiving yards on six catches and nine targets in a 42-23 road loss to Houston Texans last Sunday. Parker was a favorite target by Brock Osweiler, who was playing in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill. Osweiler went 21-for-37 for 241 passing yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. The Dolphins are still unsure whether wide receiver Kenny Stills will finally return from a groin issue and if Ryan Tannehill (shoulder) can come back to regain his starting gig in Week 9, but whatever the case may be, Miami should do better on Sunday than it did in Week 8. For one, the Jets’ defense is also not something to marvel at. The ageless Frank Gore and the up-and-coming Kenyan Drake should find bigger room to run opposite New York’s defense that allowed 188 rushing yards to the Texans.
