SNF: Dolphins vs Chargers Betting Preview & Prediction
Dolphins Lack of Running Game Exposed against Niners
Our Dolphins vs Chargers betting preview begins with a quick look at week 14 spreads which shows Miami as a 3 1/2 -point road favorite. The Fins trail the Buffalo Bills by one game in the AFC East. NFL team stats expose Los Angeles as a team that can’t run the ball (84.7 per game) and gives up just under 26 points a game, a difficult combination to put your money behind. With plenty of football to go, the Chargers are on the outside of the playoff picture.
Game Information
Miami Dolphins (8-4) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
Date, time (TV):
Location: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Streaming: NBC
Dolphins Focused on Ending Playoff Drought
Mike McDaniel is trying to do something that hasn’t been done in Miami since Jimmy Johnson was roaming the sidelines, be a consistent playoff participant. Since 2001, Miami has never played in back-to-back postseasons and managed to find their way into the playoffs just twice in that span.
Much of that success has come from the emergence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who may be the conductor of the most dangerous Dolphins offense since Dan Marino was slinging the ball around to Mark Duper and Irving Fryar.
The Dolphin’s offense is ranked fourth in the NFL, their highest ranking since 1994 when they owned the top-ranked offense. That success hasn’t always translated into a winner for bettors with Miami supporting a 6-6 ATS record. If they finish in the black this NFL season, it will be the fourth straight year Miami has been a profitable team to wager on.
Only Buffalo and Green Bay have been more profitable since 2019-20. Like many of those early teams, Miami’s inability to run the ball was exposed last week against San Francisco when they ran for just 33 yards. Let’s continue our Dolphins vs Chargers betting preview by diving deeper into the home team.
Chargers Going Against History
Los Angeles is still out of the playoff picture with multiple teams to climb over. This week they’ll have to buck a trend that has seen the Chargers lose 12 of their last 16 games against the Dolphins since 1995. Except for a 3-10 record against the New England Patriots, no team has given the Chargers more problems than the Dolphins.
Tua appears to have figured out how to find success in the NFL, but his 2020 draft mate, Justin Herbert, is still trying to push his team to the same level, but the future looks good for the former Oregon Ducks star. Los Angeles is just 6-6, but has covered 7 of 12 games this season and is on track to have its best year against the spread since Herbert became landed in LA.
The Chargers have covered three of the four games they were underdogs in this season, a fact that isn’t surprising to bettors because the Chargers have been a reliable dog since 2012 with a record of 42-32 (57%). We continue our Dolphins vs Chargers betting preview by diving into some trends and angles that will help us cash a ticket in this one.
Bettors Slamming Money Down on Dolphins
Over the Summer, the Chargers were a 5 ½-point favorite in a few books, but things have changed. Miami opened as a 1 ½-point favorite earlier in the week and at no point in the week have the Dolphins received less than 60% of the tickets wagered despite the line getting pushed up to -3 ½.
The total has been more of an adventure with 52.5 the likely number at kickoff as it was to start the betting. The number dipped to a consensus of 51 1/2 for a short time Thursday, but that was bet back up to 52.5 within a few hours.
Dolphins received less than 60% of the tickets wagered despite the line getting pushed up to -3 ½. The total has been more of an adventure with 52.5 the likely number at kickoff as it was to start the betting.
To conclude our Dolphins vs Chargers betting preview we recommend putting your money behind the Chargers at 3.5 with the juice being a little more than -110 at some spots. We anticipate the Chargers committing to the running game as they have in the past after a less-than-average performance on the ground. Anticipate the Dolphins still smarting after the thrashing the 49ers handed them last week.
| Last Updated: 12/9/2022 | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spread: | Dolphins -3.5 |
| Total: | 52.5 |
| Moneyline: | Dolphins -180, Chargers +150 |
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