NFL Betting Preview: Miami Dolphins Vs. New England Patriots

• The New England Patriots are (-175) favorites to beat the Miami Dolphins (+150) on Sunday.
• New England is only favored by a -3.0 spread.
• Rookie QB Mac Jones will be starting for the Patriots, making his official NFL debut.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The NFL Week 1 matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots is gearing up to be a game filled with storylines.

The Dolphins and Patriots are both in the AFC East, QB Tua Tagovailoa for Miami and QB Mac Jones both played for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Jones is a rookie QB starting in his first-ever NFL game yet sportsbooks still have the Patriots as the favorites to win.

The spread is set at -3.0 so NFL betting sites do not see a huge discrepancy in talent between the rosters.

AFC East Rivalry

This is an important matchup for both teams as they aim to get a leg up in the AFC East. The Dolphins were second in the division last season, finishing 10-6 while the Patriots finished 7-9 and were third. Sportsbooks are clearly impressed by New England’s improvement with how they’ve set the odds for this matchup.

The Dolphins are running their first full season with Tua as the starting QB. Miami’s offseason saw the additions of WRs Jaylen Waddle, Kai Locksley, and Robert Foster. The team also strengthened their offensive line by signing OL D.J. Fluker and OT Timon Parris.

Tua finished last season with a QBR of 44.8, throwing for 11 TDs and 5 INT in the 9 games he started, going 6-3-0.

The offseason additions aim to improve the young QB this year as he has more offensive weapons as well as more protection. Additionally, the Dolphins kept their solid defense from last season mainly intact. Miami was a Top 15 defense for most of last season.

The Dolphins are a solid pick for longshot betting fans looking to cash in on underdogs. Especially with the Patriots running an unproven rookie in Mac Jones as their starter.

COVID-19 and players opting out could be viewed as the primary factors as to why the Patriots struggled in their first year without Tom Brady. Mac Jones is coming in with a full Patriots roster and the confidence of winning the starting job from veteran Cam Newton.

Jones shined in the three preseason games he played in. The rookie stud threw for 13/19, 13/19, and 10/14. He also showed distance and a solid read of defenses in that small amount of time on the field.

A rookie is still a rookie, however, and Tua at least has some NFL experience. Underdog sports bettors should definitely feel confident taking the Dolphins to win in this matchup based on experience alone.

Margin Of Victory Odds

Sports bettors can find great odds wagering on the winning margin at regulated sports betting sites, with long odds available for predicting how much a given team will win by.

Gamblers who are confident in the favorite Patriots may want to lean in on them taking the win between 1-6 points. If bettors are looking at the spread that is set at -3.0, they would net (+320) returns whether the Patriots cover or not just as long as the game is a close one.

This is an overall better wager with better odds if the Dolphins can keep the game close. However, the risk is that if the Patriots blow out the Dolphins which is a real possibility with the rivalry between these two teams.

However the same goes for fans of the underdog wager looking to take Miami for the win. Taking the Dolphins by 1-6 points at (+375) or even 7-12 points at (+650) would net far bigger returns than the (+150) moneyline. Of course, there is an increased risk but with that comes the potential for larger payouts.

Kickoff is on Sunday at 4:25 PM EST. Fans can catch this game on the CBS Network.

News tags: AFC East | Alabama Crimson Tide | Bill Belichick | Boston | Cam Newton | Foxborough | Jaylen Waddle | Mac Jones | Massachusetts | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | NFL | Tua Tagovailoa