Bills at Dolphins: Thursday Night Football Preview
After an exciting first week of the season, we’re getting right back into it with an important divisional matchup on Thursday night Football! The Buffalo Bills (1-0) head down to Miami to take on the Dolphins (1-0) in an important early-season matchup that could have long-lasting implications for the playoffs.
Both teams are coming off successful seasons that saw them make the playoffs, but each club knows that the time is now to take the next step toward title contention. The Bills won both regular season matchups which ultimately decided the division winner. With each squad having high hopes and Super Bowl aspirations, it’s sure to be a good one this week between division foes.
Keep reading for odds and our best bet right here!
Odds
- Bills vs. Dolphins spread: Miami -2.5
- Bills vs. Dolphins over/under: 48.5 points
- Bills vs. Dolphins money line: Dolphins -136, Bills +115
The Case for Buffalo
Buffalo didn’t exactly instill confidence in anyone after struggling to defeat the Arizona Cardinals last weekend – we can agree on that. But consider the comeback effort led by Josh Allen, and you see a squad that has already overcome adversity early on. For a team that has largely needed to reinvent itself at multiple positions this offseason, things could absolutely have gone south if not for Allen’s strong play.
Expect Allen and running back James Cook to continue building off their week one performances in this one. If there was ever a team with something to prove, it’s the Bills. This game is shaping up to be a slugfest and could feature a heavy dose of Cook runs and Allen scrambles to keep the Dolphins defense scrambling.
The Case for Miami
Everyone knows Miami has one of the most explosive offenses in football. The knock on them lately has been that they’re unable to defeat good teams (ex: Bills, Buffalo). That vaunted offense stacked another 400 yards in week one this year, building off a strong 2023 that saw them rank within the top 2 in several offensive categories. All those stats haven’t amounted to playoff success; something Coach Mike McDaniel is hoping to change this year.
Look for Tua Tagovailoa to lean on his playmakers in this one, just as he should. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle can both take the top off the defense and will look to do exactly that against a Bills defense that looked vulnerable in week one. Don’t sleep on the Dolphins backfield in this one, either as they boast one of the deepest units in the league. This should be a back-and-forth affair and the ‘fins will be up to the task.
Best Bet:
I love the over in this one with two offensive minded clubs still looking to find themselves a bit on both sides of the ball in this early season. Look for Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa to trade scores throughout the game with little resistance from their defenses. I expect both clubs to battle hard in Miami with the Dolphins just edging out the Bills 33-30.
