The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons both made some major moves in the offseason and hope to become playoff contenders in 2016. That won’t become evident until a few months down the road, but they will get their dress rehearsal in Week 3 of the preseason. The game is being played at a neutral location in Orlando, so neither side will have the home field advantage. The expectations are a touch higher for the Falcons in the season so they could come into this game as a slight favorite, although there isn’t a line yet for this contest in NFL wagering.
This Week 3 preseason matchup will be held on Thursday, August 25th, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The Dolphins don’t have a winning season since back in 2008, when they went 11-5 and won the AFC East. The team made several moves in the offseason, but it’s hard to say if they will be a net negative or positive during the regular season. This will be a good test, especially for a revamped defense which must slow down a good Falcons offense. The Falcons have struggled the past two seasons but have more recent success, and may be able to pull out this win.
Quarterback Rotation
The Falcons’ starting quarterback is Matt Ryan. He had a down year in 2015 but has talent, and could put up some big numbers in this contest. He was 6-of-11 for 78 yards in the team’s second preseason game last week, a 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. Ryan should get a solid amount of work as he tunes up for the regular season, and will test the Dolphins defense. His main target will again be Julio Jones, one of the best receivers in the league, while new signee Mohamed Sanu will get extensive action.
Atlanta has veteran Matt Schaub as one of the backups, as he finished last week completing 8-of-12 passes for 78 yards. Schaub isn’t a great player but is capable of making some plays. Matt Simms and Sean Renfree are the other quarterbacks on the roster, but with Ryan likely to play the most, there won’t be a ton of playing time for the others in this one.
The Dolphins are led by Ryan Tannehill, who had a good game in a 41-14 defeat at the hands of the Cowboys in the second week of the preseason. Tannehill was 12-of-20 for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He will get a chance to build upon that and could find more success against a Falcons defense that is still rebuilding.
Miami’s backup quarterback, Matt Moore, suffered a concussion against the Cowboys and isn’t likely to play. The players who will get the work behind Tannehill will be Zac Dysert and Brandon Doughty, who have limited experience in the NFL.
Coaching History
Falcons coach Dan Quinn is 4-2 in his career in the preseason. In his first season in 2015, Quinn split his four meeting. This season the Falcons have gone 2-0, but a win in the third game would be the most impressive as it is known as the closest thing to a regular season game.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase is in his inaugural season as head coach. Gase has split his first two games, winning his opener 27-10 over the Giants before falling to the Cowboys.
Free ATS Pick
The Dolphins were diced up by Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott last week in a 41-14 loss. Matt Ryan is a more established signal-caller than him, and if the trend continues, there could be a lot points put up by the Falcons’ offense.
Miami may not be far behind, because even though Tannehill isn’t a great quarterback, he may find success against a subpar Falcons pass-rush. Running back Arian Foster hopes to put together a nice preseason game to show he is fully healed from a torn Achilles suffered last year. The total points mark is something to watch and the ‘over’ could be the right play in NFL betting.
NFL Odds: Falcons 27, Dolphins 20
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