The New England Patriots have overcome those early-season jitters and look like their usual juggernaut selves, rolling toward a bye in the playoffs and (unless Pittsburgh has something to say about it) another Super Bowl berth. The latest stop on their tour takes place in prime time on Monday night, as they visit the swirling vortex known as the Miami Dolphins. Somehow, the Dolphins have won five games despite having Jay Cutler (most of the time) at quarterback. The Patriots won the first meeting between these AFC East foes, 35-17, back on November 26. Can the Dolphins pull out another crazy win, or will the Patriots take care of business? Read our NFL odds preview before you put down your money on this contest.
Monday Night Football: Patriots vs. Dolphins NFL Odds & Week 14 Pick
When: Monday, December 11, 2017, 8:25pm ET Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami TV: ESPN Radio: 98.5 FM (New England) / 560 WQAM (Miami) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: New England (-10.5), O/U 47.5Thursday practice report, Duron Harmon talks the Dolphins offense & more of today’s #Patriots news in 60 seconds: pic.twitter.com/EevqewwtJ0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 7, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 15°C/59°F
- Humidity: 58%
- Precipitation: 1%
- Wind: 5 mph NNW
- Cloud Cover: 1%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why should you bet on the Patriots?
New England can seal up their ninth consecutive AFC East crown with a win on Monday (or with a Buffalo loss or tie), and they are showing no signs of slowing down. That bad loss to Kansas City in Week One and that home loss to Carolina seem like distant memories as the Patriots have shored up what was a dreadful defense. It is true that New England will be without the services of tight end Rob Gronkowski, who got a one-game suspension for his cheap shot of Buffalo cornerback Tre’Davious White in last week’s game. The scary part about New England right now is that they don’t need Tom Brady to be amazing to win. They did need him to carry them early in the season, but he wasn’t all that great against the Bills, and the Patriots rolled to a win anyway. Brady went 21 for 30 for 258 yards against Buffalo, but had no touchdown passes and had a rare interception (by White on the play that led to that cheap shot from Gronk). It was running back Rex Burkhead who found the end zone twice in the third period to salt away the win. The Bills have a better defense than the Dolphins do, so things could get ugly in a hurry down on South Beach.Why should you put your money on the Dolphins?
The Miami Dolphins rolled to a 35-9 win over Denver last week. The Broncos have simply fallen off the map since a dominant start to the season. Trevor Siemian, who looked like a solid game manager early on, is now a turnover machine, as he threw three interceptions. The Dolphins’ defense looked like pure gold as they also picked up not one but two safeties and returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown. The aggressive persona of Ndamukong Suh seems to have spread to much of the rest of the defense, and they simply poured it on Denver. But what about that Miami offense? Jay Cutler did throw for two touchdowns, but he also threw a pair of interceptions. Kenyan Drake was the real story, carrying the ball for 120 yards on 23 attempts, including a 42-yard touchdown run in the third period. This was his first 100+ yard game in his career, which is nearing the end of its second season. He has gotten more carries thanks to the departure of Jay Ajayi via trade. Can he find running room against the Patriots?Latest NFL Odds Trends
- New England is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
- New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New England’s last 8 games
- Miami is 1-4-2 ATS in its last 7 games
- Miami is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami’s last 5 games
