Despite making the playoffs last season, the Miami Dolphins find themselves behind 10 other teams in terms of betting odds to win the AFC. The next-closest longshot in terms of teams that made the postseason last year are the Houston Texans at 12-1. Yes, Miami overachieved by going 10-6 despite having a negative point differential, but head coach Adam Gase is seen as a guru for a reason. This offense should be better in its second year under Gase.
AFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
New England Patriots +190
Pittsburgh Steelers +675
Oakland Raiders +700
Kansas City Chiefs +1000
Houston Texans +1200
Denver Broncos +1300
Indianapolis Colts +1500
Baltimore Ravens +1700
Tennessee Titans +2000
Cincinnati Bengals +2300
Miami Dolphins +2500
Los Angeles Chargers +3500
Jacksonville Jaguars +3500
Buffalo Bills +4500
Cleveland Browns +15000
New York Jets +15000
Key Players for Winning the AFC
Ryan Tannehill – You can make an argument that the Dolphins should be given a better chance to win the conference just because it knows what it has in Ryan Tannehill. Whereas teams like Kansas City, Houston, and Denver have major concerns surrounding the position, Miami knows that Tannehill is an average to above-average quarterback that won’t kill the team with mistakes. There are signs that he might be primed for his best season yet too. In his first season under Gase, he completed a higher percentage of his passes than he ever had before and averaged a half-yard more per pass attempt than his previous career high.
Jay Ajayi – Only one running back ran for more yards in the AFC than Ajayi did last season. However, he was mostly feast or famine. He cracked the 200-yard mark three times, but couldn’t get over 80 yards on the ground in 12 games last season. Consistency will be the key if the Dolphins are to challenge the cream of the crop in the AFC.
Laremy Tunsil – Along those lines, the Dolphins need Laremy Tunsil to have a big year. Tunsil would have likely been the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft if Tennessee had decided to hold on to the selection, but saw his stock tank after a former confidant actively sabotaged him on draft night. There’s no denying Tunsil’s talent though. Miami is moving him to left tackle this season and Gase expects big things from him.
Ndamukong Suh – Forget Suh’s crazy antics and propensity to push the envelope with his play. When he is focused, there are few defensive linemen that can affect a game like Suh. The five-time Pro Bowler looked a lot better in his second season in Miami after a mediocre 2015 campaign. There aren’t many interior defensive linemen that can play both the run and pass as well as he does. Many opponents don’t want to risk Suh wrecking their quarterback, so they double team him in order to keep him occupied. That frees up room for Cameron Wake and the other defensive linemen to pick up sacks.
Lawrence Timmons – Miami completely revamped its linebacking corps this offseason and the centerpiece of that unit now is Timmons. Timmons was a constant presence in the middle for a decade up in Pittsburgh and will bring that workmanlike mentality to Miami. He has been incredibly durable over his 10-year career, playing in 158 of a possible 160 regular season games and has not let age slow him down. His numbers last year were in line with his career averages and he won’t let the allure of South Beach get to him. He is one of the best coverage linebackers in the game today and a big reason why Miami signed him is to stop Rob Gronkowski. Timmons will be flanked by two talented individuals, allowing him plenty of space to roam. Kiko Alonso is a sure tackler on one side, while rookie Raekwon McMillan is extremely talented on the other. This unit will be much better than it was in 2017.
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