Miami at Cincinnati Week 4 Betting Pick & Prediction

Well, that’s the thing about luck and the NFL, it has a way of working in mysterious of ways. The Miami Dolphins, with the game tied and facing the possibility of a home upset at the hands of rookie quarterback Cody Kessler and the lowly Cleveland Browns, got a lucky break as the visitors missed a late field goal that could have potentially won the contest. This sent the game to overtime, and the Dolphins took care of business in a 30-24 victory. The Cincinnati Bengals, who played against the defending Super Bowls Champs Denver, weren’t as lucky as the Dolphins, suffering a 29-17 home loss, thanks to a suffocating Denver defense and a big game by first-year starter Trevor Siemian at quarterback. With both Miami and Cincinnati at 1-2 on the season, there will be pressure for both teams to get back to the .500 mark and play catch up with the rest of the league. Which team will have the honors of claiming the win when the two franchises clash in Thursday’s NFL odds?

Miami at Cincinnati Week 4 Betting Pick, Prediction & TV Info

A look back at our previous appearances on #TNF https://t.co/SXB7At5cRQ

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 27, 2016

When: Thursday, Sept. 29, 8:30 PM ET Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati TV: NFL Network Stream: NFL.com Radio: Miami / Cincinnati Opening NFL Lines: Bengals -7 (44.5)

Why Bet on Miami?

Apparently, some interesting stats mentioned at CBS Sports earlier this week indicate that Cincy is 2-6 SU in primetime games since 2014 and Bengals QB Andy Dalton is just 4-10 SU overall in his career during primetime games. These stats, and the fact that the Dolphins have won their last three straight meetings against Cincinnati dating back to 2010, portend that the Dolphins could be cashing in victoriously this Thursday. Not to forget, the Dolphins had a strong show against New England barely two weeks ago, and that was after they came oh-so- close to upsetting the Seahawks in Seattle. That being said, Ryan Tannehill and his offense will need to step up, while the defense must find a cure for its laxity towards the end of games, if the Dolphins are to upend the Bengals.

Why Bet on Cincinnati?

It has been a frustrating start to the season for Dalton and the Bengals who– after winning nine straight games at the start of 2015– have won just one of their first two games. To their defense, though, the Jets, Steelers and Broncos have not been the easiest of opponents. Still, after seeing how the Steelers were manhandled by the rookie-led Eagles last week, there is really no excuse for Cincy to continue struggling in its big games. In order for a turnaround to be witnessed, Dalton must be ready to go all out for the win rather than playing conservatively and overworking his running backs. The same goes for Cincinnati’s O-line that has offered little-to-no-help to the QB, hence putting too much pressure on his shoulders. Defensively, it’s not case of lacking talent but rather the unit not playing up to the potential that we saw last season. Simply put, with a bit of some clean up on both sides of the ball and everyone doing his job dutifully, there’s no reason the Bengals should be troubled by the transitioning Dolphins, who are still trying to establish their best starters and are just 1-6 SU in their last 7 road games.

Expert NFL Picks and Predictions

Historically-speaking, this game is not looking good for Dalton and the Bengals, given their awful numbers in the past series meetings against Miami. But speaking from the perspective of talent, it’s a no-brainer that the Bengals have the upper hand. And with due respect observed, the Dolphins are still far from the level of Pittsburgh and Denver, whether we are talking offense or defense. With everything considered, I’d therefore expect nothing other than a Cincinnati win, as the total most likely goes over in a rather open-ended encounter. Final Predicted Score: Cincinnati 31, Miami Dolphins 18 Writer’s Pick: Cincinnati (-7)