Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins Preview
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
When: Sunday, September 10, 2017, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5) vs. Miami Dolphins (+2.5); total: 42.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-140)
Jameis Winston and the Bucs have been a favorite choice of some as their sleepers to break into the postseason this season. While they’re far from being a Super Bowl contender, the playoffs seem to be a reasonable target for Tampa Bay, which finished with a 9-7 record last season.
And why not? The Bucs have done a great job of surrounding Winston with more weapons over the offseason by signing deep-threat DeSean Jackson and drafting Alabama product and tight end O.J. Howard.
Winston led the Bucs’ passing offense last season, as he had 4,090 passing yards with 28 touchdowns. He had 18 interceptions, however, so clearly being more accurate is something he’s working on this prior to the next season. That shouldn’t change the fact, though, that Winston will still be throwing to talented folks downfield, particularly the pair of wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Cameron Brate, who were No. 1 and No.2 last season in receiving yards, respectively.
Running back Doug Martin is suspended for the first three games of the season, but Tampa Bay shouldn’t run less against Dolphins. In fact, they should be pounding the ball more to Jacquizz Rodgers and the backfield, as Miami had the second-worst defense against the run last season.
Betting on the Miami Dolphins (+120)
The Jay Cutler era is set to officially begin in South Beach, and whether that’s going to be a bad thing or not for the Fins, we are about to find that one out.
As what you’ve already heard, Cutler, he of not great cardiovascular shape, takes over the starting quarterback role temporarily vacated by the injured Ryan Tannehill. Cutler won’t have a shortage of talented targets to throw at with the likes of Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker forming a dangerous trio down the field.
The offense won’t have to be shouldered mostly by Cutler and the passing game, as the Dolphins possess a deadly running attack built on the legs of Jay Ajayi, who broke out last season by compiling 1,272 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. With Ajayi propelling the ground attack, Miami was able to rank 14th in the league with 110.4 rushing yards per contest.
The Dolphins exhausted three picks in the recent draft on defensive pieces they are hoping to help them stop the bleeding on the defensive side of the ball.
While the defense has yet to see whether it has actually improved, Cutler and company will have to keep their defense on the sidelines as long as they possibly could against Tampa Bay. Miami was 29th last season in total defense with 381.7 total yards allowed per contest.
Writer’s Prediction
Miami (+2.5) wins, 31-28.
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