The Dolphins’ final game of the season will be meaningful ... just not for them. The New England Patriots enter the regular season finale with a chance to secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and face a Miami club that failed to beat the Colts, who were playing with their third-string quarterback.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Miami Dolphins N/A
New England Patriots N/A
Over/Under N/A
ODDS ANALYSIS
Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill got banged up in Sunday’s loss and was limping noticeably after the game. Coach Dan Campbell stated Tannehill would play if he is able to, we just don’t know if he can. The line and total have yet to hit the board until more news surfaces.
KEY INJURIES
Sebastian Vollmer – Was carted off with a leg injury on the game’s first series Sunday and didn’t return. His replacement, LaAdrian Waddle, sustained a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter and he didn’t return. Tom Brady was hit on the two plays after Waddle exited and could face constant pressure behind a patchwork offensive line.
Ryan Tannehill – Miami’s starting quarterback was beat up Sunday, getting sacked six times and hit countless others. A leg injury suffered in the first half against the Colts has him listed as day-to-day ahead of the regular season finale. Matt Moore, who has thrown and completed one pass this season, would start if Tannehill is unable.
KEY MISMATCH
One of the most admirable traits of Bill Belichick’s best New England teams is that they persevere throughout adversity and give themselves a chance to win despite sometimes crippling personnel losses. The 2015 team certainly has that quality. In one respect, Sunday’s overtime loss to the Jets was a bitter disappointment because the game was there for the taking. But it’s the type of game that reminds us why the Pats are viewed as a Super Bowl contender in the AFC. The 12-3 Patriots control their playoff positioning. A win over Miami clinches the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage. They already have a much-needed first-round bye. They were facing a desperate Jets team fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Pats entered without their top two receivers, top two running backs and top two safeties. Several offensive linemen are battling injuries and a playmaking linebacker was clearly not 100 percent. Yet they were right there at the end, with a chance to win the game. They almost always are.
KEY STAT
29.3 – Miami’s third-down conversion percentage. The Dolphins are 30th in the NFL at extending drives on third down and face the Patriots defense which allows opponents to convert just 36.5 percent of the time on third down.
BETTING ANGLE
The Patriots will travel to South Florida on Thursday, two days earlier than normal, in advance of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins. It wasn’t a difficult decision for several reasons. The Pats home field will host the NHL’s Winter Classic on Friday. There is plenty of activity around the event, presenting a possible distraction for the team’s preparation. Belichick wanted to get his players away from all the activity so they can focus on what they have to do. And that’s beat the Dolphins to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The conditions are also quite different, and the team will have a practice day in Florida to get ready. “It sets up to give us the best chance to prepare,” Belichick said. Besides, who wouldn’t want to spend a few extra days in South Beach?
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Dolphins had a golden opportunity to get a win last weekend against a beaten up Colts squad playing a third-string quarterback. It didn’t work out for them. And they really haven’t given us much reason to think they can turn things around against an equally beaten up Pats team that has its No. 1 quarterback playing. As long as Brady is under center for New England they have a chance. They nearly pulled one off against the Jets last week, coming back from a 17-3 deficit against a desperate team. The Pats lost a few more offensive linemen during that game, which probably had something to do with them electing to kickoff to start overtime. Brady never touched the ball and the Jets escaped. Now the Patriots have a week to get prepped, fill in the holes, and claim the top spot in the AFC playoffs. Don’t think they’ll let a chance against a team that has cashed it in slip by.
New England 27, Miami 16
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