The Miami Dolphins come into this 2023 season with a ton of momentum and high expectations. They had some great offseason acquisitions like trading for the best cornerback in the league Jalen Ramsay to solidify their pass defense. They will be key in a division that now boasts two top-10 quarterbacks in Josh Allen and newly signed Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets.

The Dolphins have the recipe to make a legitimate run in 2023 not only to win the AFC East but to also win the Super Bowl. It’s going to boil down to Tua Tagovailoa being able to stay healthy for an entire season. While he is a great quarterback but being injury prone is what has been holding the Dolphins back from being one of the premier teams in the entire NFL.

Here are the NFL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds

Over 9.5 wins: -102

Under 9.5 wins: -120

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Why the Dolphins Can Win 9.5 Games 

The Miami Dolphins have a good chance of hitting the over on their win total of 9.5 games in 2023. They have a strong defense that should be even better in 2023, and their second-year head coach Mike McDaniel is settling in and is ready to take over the AFC East.

On defense, the Dolphins return all of their key players from last season, including Xavien Howard and Jerome Baker and added the best cornerback in the league Jalen Ramsay. These players are all Pro Bowl caliber, and they should be able to keep the Dolphins in most games.

On offense, the Dolphins have quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who’s coming into his own and is ready to make that leap as long as he is able to remain healthy all season long. He has benefited a lot from McDaniel’s offensive schemes, as well as having the best wide receiver tandem in the league with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins have a tough schedule in 2023, but they also have some winnable games. They play in the AFC East, which is one of the toughest divisions in football. They also have to play the NFC East, which is another tough division. However, the Dolphins also have some home games against the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, which should be winnable games.

Why the Dolphins Can Not Win 9.5 Games

On offense, the Dolphins have quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who has shown flashes of potential, but he has also been inconsistent. It is always a question of whether or not Tagovailoa will be healthy enough for the Dolphins to contend this season and to want to win a lot of games.

The Dolphins’ schedule is one of the toughest in the NFL having to go against two of the premier teams this season in the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets and you also can’t count a Bill Belichek-coached New England Patriots team. They also have to play the NFC East, which consists of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys which are two of the best teams in the NFC, and the Giants, Commanders games will not be easy either.

Final Miami Dolphins Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick

The Miami Dolphins have all the potential in the world to be legitimate contenders in not just the AFC East but in the entire NFL. The Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa will need to do what he can to keep himself healthy, that will be the key to their success this season. If he is able to keep himself off the injury report and play a full season the sky is the limit for this Dolphins team. With the stars that they possess and the firepower they have on both sides of the ball, the Dolphins should hit over this total win total as they surge towards playoff birth and a run to the Superbowl.

Final Miami Dolphins Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Over 9.5 Wins (-110)