Miami at Baltimore Week 8 NFL Odds & TNF Game Preview

Miami at Baltimore Week 8 NFL Odds & TNF Game Preview

Written by on October 25, 2017

The Miami Dolphins are onto their third different quarterback of the season, as Ryan Tannehill went down in the preseason with a blown ACL, and now Jay Cutler has fractured multiple ribs and could miss at least the next two games. That sets the stage for Matt Moore, who led the Dolphins into the playoffs at the end of last season — and who led Miami from a 28-14 halftime deficit against the New York Jets to a thrilling 31-28 victory. Baltimore’s injury woes have come at the wide receiver position, and they fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 24-16 last week, and sit a 3-4. With the NFL odds already out for this game, let’s see who’s the NFL betting pick.

Miami at Baltimore Week 8 NFL Odds & TNF Game Preview

When: Thursday, October 26, 2017, 8:25pm ET Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore TV: CBS / NFL Network / Amazon Prime Video Radio: 560 WQAM (Miami) / 97.9 FM (Baltimore) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: Baltimore -3.5, O/U 37.5

Weather Forecast

  • Clear: 14°C/57°F
  • Humidity: 53%
  • Precipitation: 2%
  • Wind: 2 mph SSW
  • Cloud Cover: 2%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Dolphins?

Matt Moore looked terrific against the Jets, throwing for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns (as well as an interception). Tailback Jay Ajayi struggled to find running room, picking up just 51 yards on 23 carries. The Ravens also have a stout running defense, so Moore will have to be able to get the ball down the field once again. That means he’ll be looking for Jarvis Landry, who leads the squad with 365 yards. Miami can only go up on offense, as they rank dead last in yards per game (261.8). Miami has played surprisingly solid defense this year. They rank #7 in the NFL in points permitted per game (18.7). They also rank #9 in yards permitted per game (308.2) and #5 in rushing yards permitted (82.3). Given the woes that the Ravens have had scoring points, the Dolphins have an excellent chance to shut down their attack. It was a Bobby McCain interception that set the Dolphins up to kick that winning field goal last week, and a key defensive play could turn the game for the Dolphins this week as well.

Why should you put your money on the Ravens?

The Ravens are struggling to move the ball — they don’t have their best speed receiver (Mike Wallace) or their best possession receiver (Jeremy Maclin) due to injuries. Quarterback Joe Flacco has had to run for his life, thanks to shody blocking from his O-line, and he got sacked five times by the Vikings last week. The Ravens’ running backs combined for just 64 yards on the day. Granted, the Vikings have a better rushing defense than the Dolphins — but not by that much, at least statistically. Are the Ravens a safe bet in Week 8? Baltimore’s defense was glad to have top defensive tackle Brandon Williams back, but they still had a hard time stopping the run. Jay Ajayi is one of the best running backs in the AFC — when he gets room to run. If the Ravens can’t control Ajayi, they will have a hard time getting off the field. Given that the Ravens permit 145.3 yards per game on the ground (dead last in the NFL), this could be a problem, and if the Dolphins can win the time of possession battle significantly, the Ravens will have a hard time winning this game. If you like the Ravens, then you see their defense reasserting itself and the offensive line doing a much better job against Miami.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This game will turn into a struggle over the line of scrimmage. I think that Jay Ajayi will find plenty of room to run against that Baltimore defense and that the Miami D-line will have plenty of chances to get to Joe Flacco. The Ravens’ defense will also play better at home, but I don’t think it will be enough. I predict that the Miami Dolphins will hold on for a hard-fought 16-13 victory and move to 5-2 in the AFC East.