Bengals

Dolphins

Week 4 in the NFL sees the Dolphins travel to Ohio to face the reigning AFC champions, the Bengals. Will it be Tua time, or will Joe Cool defend his home turf and walk away with a win? And how will the NFL betting odds call it?

The Dolphins have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, with Tyreek Hill making the switch to Florida to join other new additions, Chase Edmunds and Cedrick Wilson. They had already invested first-round draft capital on wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, so there are plenty of weapons for QB Tua to exploit. Add in a new coach and offensive guru, Mike McDaniel, and there is legitimate optimism that this could be one of the best attacks in the league.

The Bengals made a fairytale run last season, coming up agonizingly short in the Super Bowl and being left to rue a missed opportunity. Do they have what it takes to get back to the big game one season later? They certainly tried to address their deficiencies on the offensive line, signing guard Alex Cappa and taking La’el Collins in free agency. If they give Joe Burrow more time to throw, then expect a big season for both Joe Cool and receivers Jamarr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Miami leads the all-time head-to-head between these two AFC teams 18-7. They met once in the playoffs all the way back in 1973, when the Dolphins triumphed on the way to a second successive championship. The last meeting was in 2020, when the Florida team also won triumphing over a Burrow-less Bengals 19-7.

If you’re betting on NFL games, how will this one play out? It looks like an offensive showdown, so back a high-scoring game with the Bengals to win and continue their journey to being an AFC heavyweight.