It’s time for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins to stop worrying about the Patriots and pay attention to their own AFC East rivalry, which renews Sunday in Miami’s home opener. The Bills look to pick up the pieces following an embarrassing loss to New England last week and improve on a dismal record in division road games when they visit Miami. The Bills have lost 10 of their last 14 roadies against division foes, but two of those wins came in South Florida.
ODDS
The Dolphins opened as a 2.5-point favorite for their first home game with the total at 43.5. The line was wagered to -3 and the total fell to 42.5. Miami has beaten a Rex Ryan-coached team in eight of the last 13 meetings while going 7-6 ATS. While the offenses haven’t been great, neither has the D, giving some value to the over in this one.
KEY INJURIES
Aaron Williams – Was taken by ambulance to an area hospital last week leaving his availability in question. He suffered a neck injury while trying to make a diving stop of Pats receiver Julian Edelman. He was released from the hospital that night and was wearing a neck brace at Bills camp this week. Coach Rex Ryan said it would be a “stretch” for him to play this week.
Branden Albert – Remains sidelined with a hamstring issue suffered last week in Jacksonville. He hasn’t been ruled out, but his inactivity makes it seem like a long shot that he’ll be ready to go on Sunday. Jason Fox would likely start at left tackle in his place.
Dion Sims – Remains in the league’s concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the opener at Washington. He’s returned to practice but hasn’t been cleared by the league yet. Miami’s other tight end Jordan Cameron has a groin strain and is likely to play Sunday.
KEY MISMATCH
Buffalo tried to rush Tom Brady with only four defensive linemen last week and were burned for 466 passing yards and three touchdowns, while New England largely ignored its ground game. Miami has been quick to abandon the run game as well, and although Ryan Tannehill isn’t going to be confused for Brady anytime soon, Buffalo’s secondary is vulnerable when the pass rush doesn’t get home. Tannehill appears to be coming into his own in his fourth year. He threw for 359 yards in last week’s loss and has completed 66.7 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions in two games. The Bills rank next to last in the NFL in pass defense surrendering 346 yards per game. Tannehill finished last week’s game with a gimpy wheel and his blind-side protection is concerning, so expect short drop-backs and underneath routes early to loosen the defense and get the ball out of his hands.
KEY STAT
25 – Buffalo’s NFL-high penalties through two games. Improved discipline would help the Bills avoid dropping their first two division games. They were flagged 14 times last week that resulted in 140 yards.
BETTING ANGLE
Did the Dolphins buy themselves a $114 million headache? Big money defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh came over in free agency with the expectation he would help transform Miami’s defensive line into the baddest in the AFC. That plan has failed so far and rumors surfaced about Suh’s freelancing along the D-line. Though coach Joe Philbin and Suh deny the rumors, they came from somewhere, and likely due to the lack of production on the front line. Suh’s three tackles and zero sacks are not what the Dolphins envisioned when opening the checkbook and he should be motivated to break out against an inconsistent Bills offensive line.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Bills were torn apart by New England last week and it’ll take some doing to build that suddenly fragile team back up. The defense that coach Rex Ryan tabbed as one of the best has been anything but, completely exposed by the Pats methodical offensive approach, and offensively, there’s been little in the run game as LeSean McCoy deals with a hamstring problem and the offensive line continues to have breakdowns. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has shown promise, but he’s also prone to making mistakes young players make. Sure he’s been around the league a few years now, but he’s only started two games. The Dolphins haven’t played a complete game yet and may have been caught looking past Jacksonville to this one. They will be focused in their home opener against a divisional opponent and will make a statement.
Miami 27, Buffalo 20
The NFL odds for this Sunday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Dolphins were pegged as 2.5-point chalk while the total opened at 43.5. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The contest pitting the Buffalo Bills versus the Miami Dolphins will commence Sunday, September 27, 2015, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Sun Life Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
