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It's a battle of Florida as the Miami Dolphins head north to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in some preseason action. We're at Raymond James Stadium, sharing our NFL odds series and making a Dolphins-Buccaneers prediction and pick.
The Bucs lost 20-7 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their last preseason tilt. Kyle Trask went 12 for 17 with 108 yards passing and one touchdown. Sean Tucker rushed four times for 32 yards. Meanwhile, fourth-round draft pick Bucky Irving rushed six times for 26 yards. Cody Thompson had five receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, no one else produced more than 33 yards.
The Buccaneers went 2 for 11 on third-down conversions. They also rushed for only 76 yards and passed for only 131 yards. Tampa Bay also allowed three sacks. Yet, they had five sacks on defense and forced one turnover.
The Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 13-6. Tua Tagovailoa exploded in his one series, going 5 for 5 with 51 yards passing and one touchdown. Then, the backups did battle. Mike White went 11 for 20 with 116 yards passing but took three sacks. Likewise, Skylar Thompson went 8 for 15 with 61 yards passing.
Chris Brooks rushed five times for 63 yards. Meanwhile, the starting running backs got some work. De'Von Achane rushed twice for 10 yards, while Raheem Mostert rushed five times for just seven yards.
The Dolphins went 4 for 15 on third-down conversions and 2 for 2 on fourth. Also, they had just 86 rushing yards. The Fins also turned the ball over twice and allowed four sacks.
Here are the NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Dolphins-Buccaneers Odds
Miami Dolphins: +3 (-110)
Moneyline: +135
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -3 (-110)
Moneyline: -160
Over: 37.5 (-115)
Under: 37.5 (-105)
How to Watch Dolphins vs. Buccaneers Preseason
Time: 7:31 PM ET/4:31 PM PT
TV: ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Click Here for free trial)
Why The Dolphins Could Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
The Dolphins are looking to cement final spots while ensuring their starters play clean football. After his excellent series, it is uncertain if Tagovailoa will play in this one. Instead, we will likely see the battle between the backups and see who emerges as the guy behind Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins must establish clear protection. Unfortunately, their offensive line had leaks, and they will need to tweak that if they hope to succeed. The Fins also must do better on fourth and pass efficiently. Finally, they must keep the defensive pressure up.
Tyreek Hill will not play in this preseason battle as he is dealing with a minor injury. Because of this, expect the Dolphins to be a little cautious with him and others who are regular starters because they want everyone to be ready for the regular-season opener against the Jaguars.
The Dolphins will cover the spread if they can establish a ground game and run the ball efficiently. To do this, they need to protect the quarterback and keep the defense honest.
Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Buccaneers are the favorites to win the NFC South this season despite the challenges from the Atlanta Falcons. But there is still work to do, and they need to clean some things up.
The Bucs must win the ball better. Their current plan is for Rashid White to be their running back, but they need someone to spell him. Ultimately, they would like Irving to be that guy, but that remains to be seen right now. For now, the Bucs need him to show that he has earned the role.
Baker Mayfield is the starting quarterback. However, Trask needs to establish himself and prove why he deserves the backup quarterback spot, and so far, he has not done that.
The defense is strong and seems to have excellent depth. Moreover, all three units appear poised to make strides this season and make stops. Tampa Bay hopes to cement some starters and roster spots on this side of the ball and look for more growth as they face a unit that can still provide a threat, even with backups.
The Buccaneers will cover the spread if they establish a ground game and run the ball well. Then, they need to keep applying the pressure on defense.
Final Dolphins-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick
This would be a close game, even in the regular season. But for some reason, we can see the Bucs benefitting from this one. If the Fins started their starters, they might cover right away. But they seemingly want to play this game out and stay healthy. The Dolphins are trying to stay healthy. The Bucs still have many players fighting for roster spots. Therefore, we can give the Bucs an edge in this one, with them covering the spread at home.
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Final Dolphins-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -3 (-110)
