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The New Year will feature this great AFC matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans. It’s time to continue our NFL odds series with a Dolphins-Titans Week 17 prediction and pick.
The Dolphins are the first team in NFL history to lose seven straight games and then win seven straight games in the same season. No team has done this before, and so it’s going to be interesting to see if they can indeed make the playoffs. Miami is surging right now, defeating everyone in their way. Tennessee will be their toughest opponent yet, however, as they are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot themselves. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leads the NFL in completion percentage at 70% which is a great sign moving forward.
For more insight on the Dolphins-Titans matchup in Week 17, listen below:
The Titans have a huge game in front of them. With a win and a Colts loss, they can clinch consecutive AFC South titles for the first time since the Houston Oilers did it in the early ’60s. Both of these teams are really good against the run and so it’s going to take a lot out of both quarterbacks to get the job done. Miami leads the NFL with 45 sacks on the season and Ryan Tannehill gets sacked probably the most out of any quarterback this year. If that can be avoided, then Tennessee will have a great chance to win the AFC South division once again.
Here is how FanDuel set the Dolphins-Titans odds for Sunday.
NFL Odds: Dolphins-Titans Odds
Miami Dolphins: +3.5 (-115)
Tennessee Titans: -3.5 (-105)
Over: 39.5 (-114)
Under: 39.5 (-106)
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Why The Dolphins Could Cover The Spread
Miami can cover this spread if they continue to do what they have been over the last eight weeks. On the offensive side, they are improving each week after starting out horribly this season. Rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle has 96 catches on the year which is the second most all-time by a rookie. He has two games to reach 102 to break Anquan Boldin’s record at 101 set in 2003. He has at least eight receptions in his last four games. That Tagovailoa-Waddle connection is very hot right now and that will need to continue if they want to cover. Tennessee contains the 13th ranked defense in the NFL and second against the run. Look for the passing game to be the top priority against the Titans.
Miami also needs to continue to get to the quarterback. They’ve been very successful this year and they face a favorable offensive line. One thing that Miami’s defense needs to keep in mind, is that Tannehill leads the league with 13 game-winning drives since 2019. If the game is close, Tennessee finds a way to win the game. Miami will need to make sure that their lead is safe or put themselves in a position to win the game with their offense.
Why The Titans Could Cover The Spread
Tannehill will be playing the Dolphins for the first time since Miami traded him away. This will be a big game for him and one I’m sure he wants to win badly. There is a lot at stake in this game and he has a ton of motivation to win it. Tannehill and the Titans are coming off a huge come-from-behind win against the San Francisco 49ers last Thursday night. It was once again another game-winning drive for Tannehill and the offense seems to be figuring things out without Derrick Henry. Tannehill’s play will be the reason why they cover the spread or not. Receiver A.J Brown is coming off a monster game and so that connection will need to be on point. Brown will likely be covered by pro bowl corner Xavier Howard.
The Titans’ defense desperately needs to shut down Waddle. If they let him continue to rack up catches then Miami will slowly drive down the field on a consistent basis. Tennessee’s defense contains three players that have at least 7.5 sacks led by Harold Landry III with 11. If they can get to Tagovailoa and force turnovers, then they shouldn’t have a problem covering this spread.
Final Dolphins-Titans Prediction & Pick
Miami is on a mission right now and they are very hard to beat. But it’s even harder to keep a winning streak up and I think this is where it ends. I’m taking the Titans to cover this spread and win in a close battle. Both defenses will likely force a turnover to make it a little more exciting, but I think both offenses play well in their biggest game of the season. Miami is 8-6-1 and Tennessee is 9-6 against the spread this season.
Final Dolphins-Titans Prediction & Pick: Titans -3.5 (-105) and Over: 39.5 (-114)