Dolphins vs Bills Betting Odds Preview: Injury-Plagued Rivals Rematch

Bills Heavily Favored Over the Reeling Dolphins

At one point, the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins looked like world-beaters. Fast forward to now and the outlook for both teams is one of concern thanks to injuries. Both the Bills and Dolphins have been whittled down by injuries, namely to their defenses. But their offenses have also been gasping. Buffalo is favored by 8.5 points on the Dolphins vs Bills betting odds with the totals set at 42.

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Miami’s Sputtering Offense, A Concern

Miami can fill a trailer with injured players and while most of them belong on defense, the offense is the one that is most noticeably struggling. The Dolphins have been limited to a total of 34 points in its last two games. Tua Tagovailoa, who was in the MVP discussions, played his worst pair of games. He’s produced as many turnovers as touchdowns (3) and completed only 45.9 percent of his passes.

That’s not ideal for Miami as the Dolphins are just 1-5 when they fail to hit the 20-point mark. After all, their defense is allowing 24 points a game.

“It really just goes back to the details of how we play our offense and we’re not all dialed in with that,” Tagovailoa said following their 23-17 loss to the Chargers. “So, we have to go back to the drawing board, figure this out, and got to keep from losing. I mean, it sucks.”

With their unfocused offense, Miami is the largest it’s been as an underdog (+280) since Week 10 against Baltimore last season. The Dolphins won that game, which began their resurgence. Miami is 5-4 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog beginning that week. It is the third-largest underdog on the NFL point spreads Week 15.

“You really, really can’t hide in these situations. You find out who you are working with and who you are dealing with,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said in regard to Miami’s two-game skid. “I know what they’ll find out from me and I am excited about what I’ll find out from them.”

Miami’s path to the playoffs will be through its division and Green Bay. It is no easy task and they begin with steep Dolphins vs Bills betting odds. But the silver lining is Buffalo’s hurt secondary and how Miami can return to its prolific ways. A return to form for Miami could be the springboard it needs to make a push into the playoffs.

Bills’ Offense Dialing it Back

Miami is not the only team with an offense that needs some fine-tuning. The Bills managed just 232 total yards of offense against the Jets. Josh Allen passed for only 130 yards. Credit goes to the Jets as they are effective at neutralizing most of what Buffalo does. But the Bills’ struggles also exposed a few things such as their lack of options in the middle of the field.

While Isaiah McKenzie played some big games for Buffalo, he’s been inconsistent. This prompted the Bills to bring back an old friend: Cole Beasley. The 33-year-old unretired and will sign with the Bills’ practice squad alongside another returning receiver: John Brown. The two should quickly join the main squad thanks to Josh Allen per a report from WIVB-TV.

“Beasley will sign to the Practice Squad. I was just told this is all Josh Allen. He’s specifically asked for Brown & Beasley,” Louie Del Rio, a sports reporter for WIVB-TV tweeted. “The NFL team was approached about the move. Not one nfl player in the locker room opposed.”

There is a good chance both Brown and Beasley play for Buffalo against the Dolphins. That impacts the Dolphins vs Bills betting odds depending on how effective they are. Beasley, in particular, was one of Allen’s favorite targets. In three seasons with Buffalo, he averaged five catches on seven targets for 53 yards per game.

Beasley should fit into the slot receiver position where McKenzie was while Brown will be Davis’s backup at left wide receiver. Since both are already familiar with most of the playbook, they may just produce decent NFL stats.

With both Miami and Buffalo needing to get things going, this Week 15 matchup may be an offensive showcase for both teams. Either that or it will be another defensive spotlight similar to their Week 3 matchup.
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