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Week two of the NFL Preseason continues as the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans face. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Dolphins-Texans preseason prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The preseason opener for the Dolphins was a little bit of a disaster. While the Dolphins did manage 217 yards of offense, turnovers were their undoing. Mike White threw an interception, while Skylar Thompson threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Both will look to rebound this week, as they are fighting to be the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. Still, there were some positives. The offensive line, which was a question last year, looked good, as they had 168 yards on the ground. Rookie De'Von Achane, who has looked good in practice, got the majority of backfield reps and ran ten times but for just 25 yards. Meanwhile, Myles Gaskin ran for 57 yards on just seven attempts. The defense was solid as well. They held the Falcons to 227 yards and just 3-12 on third down in the game.
Meanwhile, the Texans come in off a victory over the Patriots. CJ Stroud played sparingly in the game, throwing an interception. It took the offense a while to get going as well. They did finally find the endzone in the second quarter. Tank Dell took in a six-yard pass from Davis Mills for the touchdown and the lead going into half for the Texans. Case Keenum would also throw a touchdown pass in the game, as the Texans scored three times in the game for the win. The defense was solid for the Texans. They held the Patriots to just 164 yards of offense in the game, while holding them to 3-12 on third down.
Here are the Dolphins-Texans Preseason NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Dolphins-Texans Odds
Miami Dolphins: +2.5 (-115)
Houston Texans: -2.5 (-105)
Over: 38.5 (-105)
Under: 38.5 (-115)
How to Watch Dolphins vs. Texans
TV: NFL Network
Stream: FuboTV, NFL+
Time: 4:00 PM ET/ 1:00 PM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dolphins Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
The Dolphins sat 31 players in their first preseason game, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jeff Wilson, and Raheem Mostert. If these guys play in this one, it would be in a limited fashion. Tua spent a lot of last year battling injuries, and the Dolphins may want to protect their quarterback. The Dolphins did invest in some depth on the offensive line this offseason, bringing in Dan Feeney and Kendall Lamm as free-agent signings. Still, both of those players are more depth-level players, not starters. If the line cannot hold up, Tua could get hurt again, which makes the performance of the backup quarterbacks all the more important.
It was Skylar Thompson who took over for Tua last year when he got hurt. The Dolphins ended up losing their playoff game, and at times, Thompson looked overmatched. To help fix that, the Dolphins brought in Mike White. If Tua does not go or is in for just a series, White could get some reps with starting-level players. He was not great in his first appearance for the Dolphins. He completed just nine of 14 passes while throwing an interception and having just 85 yards. Meanwhile, Thompson turned over the ball a ton. Both will be looking for better performances in this one.
Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert may also get some limited reps in this game, but while the Dolphins did flirt with Dalvin Cook, they decided to keep with what they had on the roster at running back. That seemed to work in the first game. Myles Gaskin looked solid in the game, and De'Von Achane had moments. Achane struggled going up the middle in the game. It needs to be seen if that was a function of poor offensive line play, or that he did not have the power to go up the middle. Regardless, the run will be the focus for the Dolphins again in this one. They need to know they can run the ball well to help Tua be protected this year.
Why The Texans Could Cover The Spread
This will be a big game for many skill position players on the Texans' offense. A lot of the better defensive backs and linebackers for the Dolphins may start the game, so it could be a good test for young players to show their chops. It will start with CJ Stroud. He should get another few drives in this game. In his first game, he went two for four with an interception while also running for six yards. There was nothing spectacular from him in the game, but he needs to get comfortable with the speed of the game if the Texans are going to improve on an offense that averaged just 17 points per game last year.
This could also be a big game for players such as Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and John Metchie. Collins and Metchie are currently listed as starters for this offense. Last year Collins was limited to ten games and just 37 receptions. With the Texans looking to replace Brandin Cooks and Chris Moore, who were the top two receivers, Collins needs to show he can do that. Metchie missed all of last year, and will also need to step up. Tank Dell had a great first game of the pre-season. He had five receptions for 65 yards in his first action and will be looking to jump up into a starting role on this offense this year.
Meanwhile, the Texans' defense struggled last year. They allowed 24.7 points per game last year while allowing 379.5 yards per game. That ranked them 30th in the NFL. The Texans invested in defense in the offseason. They traded up to draft Will Anderson, and while he got some time in the first game, he could get more here. They also brought in Denzel Perryman and Cory Littleton to help at linebacker, while adding Jimmy Ward at safety. After a solid first week in the preseason, it will be worth watching if they can keep it going.
Final Dolphins-Texans Prediction & Pick
While the Dolphins did not look good in their first preseason game, they did show a solid running game. Houston will be looking to get young players as many reps as possible to make sure they are ready for the season. A lot of the depth for the Dolphins is more veteran-focused. That will help them in this game. The Dolphins are going to run the ball effectively again. If they can limit turnover, they will get upset in this one.
Final Dolphins-Texans Prediction & Pick: Dolphins +2.5 (-115)
