New coach Dan Campbell breathed some life into the Dolphins with a rout of Tennessee in his NFL coaching debut. It was only one win, snapping a three-game slide that cost Joe Philbin his job, but Miami looked like the team many thought they would be. To build on that victory, the Dolphins will have to knock off Houston, a team they’ve never beaten.
ODDS
Miami opened as a 5.5-point favorite with the number quickly wagered to -4. The total hit the board at 43 and spiked to 44.5. Over bettors have made some coin on the Texans. Houston has exceeded the final total four times with a push in its six games.
KEY INJURIES
Kareem Jackson – Departed last week’s game with an ankle injury and has been ruled out for this Sunday. His absence leaves the Texans’ secondary thin after starting safety Lonnie Ballentine was placed on injured reserve after a gruesome knee injury in the same game.
Brice McCain – Skipped practice this week to recover from a knee injury suffered in last Sunday’s game. The injury was diagnosed as a sprain, which is good news for the Dolphins, though it may cost him a game. He’s likely to be replaced by a combination of Jamar Taylor, Bobby McCain and Zack Bowman.
KEY MISMATCH
It’s impossible to ignore the historic pace that Houston receiver DeAndre Hopkins is on with arguably the worst quarterback arrangement in the NFL. Some of his production has come with the Texans in deep deficits, but he still leads the league in receiving yards by a wide margin with 726. Hopkins is well beyond the pace Calvin Johnson set in 2012 on his way to breaking Jerry Rice’s 16-game yardage record. Through six games of that season, Johnson had 592 yards. Hopkins had 10 catches for 148 yards in last week’s win over Jacksonville, becoming the first player in NFL history with nine or more catches and 145 or more receiving yards in three consecutive games. He’s also been a reliable third down option for whoever’s throwing the ball, hauling in 15 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns on such downs. Hopkins has been targeted 90 times, more than any receiver through six games since 1991, according to the NFL.
KEY STAT
7.0 – Miami’s league-low quarterback sack total. And it took the Dolphins six sacks against Tennessee last week to get there. Houston has allowed just 10 sacks on the season.
BETTING ANGLE
Miami’s coaching change helped – at least for one week. Stuck in a three-game losing streak and dealing with the firing of Philbin, the Dolphins hardly looked like the frustrated and disinterested group that was present prior to last week’s 38-10 romp over Tennessee. But the Dolphins have no reason to get complacent. Since 2000 there have been 25 in-season coaching changes, but only four times has that new coach won his first two games. It’s been nearly a year since Miami won consecutive games, they have yet to win at home this season, and the Dolphins are 0-7 against Houston. Things won’t get any easier after this contest with three straight road games on the docket.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Dolphins got a kick start from their new coach and ran over and through the Titans in last week’s 38-10 win. A defensive line that was counted on to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks came through with six sacks after collecting just one through the first four games. The run game exploded for 180 yards behind 113 from Lamar Miller and quarterback Ryan Tannehill was efficient. All in all, it was the kind of game we expected to see from this club. Now the Dolphins just need to keep it going and there is no reason to think they can’t. The Texans stopped their own slide with a win over the Jags last week and quarterback du jour Brian Hoyer, who Jacksonville turned into an All Pro for one game, has regained the trust of his coach to take over the starting role once again. But hey, there are still 10 games left for that to change. While the Dolphins may be emerging from their slumber, laying 5.5-points makes them a risky play.
Miami 26, Houston 24
The NFL odds for this Sunday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Dolphins were pegged as 5.5-point chalk while the total opened at 43. 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 Houston Texans versus the Miami Dolphins will commence Sunday, October 25, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Sun Life Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
