A battle for the Sunshine State will be on full display this weekend as the Miami Dolphins will tussle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa. Join us for our NFL preseason odds series, where our Dolphins-Buccaneers prediction and pick will be revealed.

With the hope of the continued progressions around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins decided to build around their field general in the offseason. While Tua has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the NFL, Miami still believes in his authentic leadership style and skilled attributes to lead the Dolphins back to the promised land. With a young offensive mind in Mike McDaniel serving as the 14th head coach in Dolphins history, can this new-look Miami bunch turn some heads come fall time?

For 40 days, the Buccaneers had slipped into irrelevancy and were without a franchise-altering quarterback heading into 2022. Yes, it finally seemed like the now 45-year-old Tom Brady was finally deciding to hang up the cleats after winning seven Super Bowls, but less than two months later, the grandpa himself had announced that he was in fact returning for a 23rd season. With Brady back at the helm, does Tampa Bay have what it takes to stand alone at the peak of pro football greatness yet again?

Here are the Dolphins-Buccaneers NFL preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Preseason Odds: Dolphins-Buccaneers Odds

Miami Dolphins: -1.5 (-110)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +1.5(-110)

Over: 31.5 (-105)

Under: 31.5 (-115)

Why The Dolphins Could Cover The Spread

A sneaky pick to creep into the playoff picture out in the AFC, Miami will certainly have their work cut out for them in a super competitive conference. With more talent in the “Magic City” for the first time in a long time, Miami's main goal in 2022 should be to find their identity on offense.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing first-year coach Mike McDaniel, who comes from humble beginnings as an offensive assistant for many years before making the jump to offensive coordinator last season with the Vikings. Many experts and analysts from around the league believe that McDaniel has what it takes to be the next brilliant and young offensive mind that the NFL has to offer. With the blockbuster trade to acquire speedy wideout Tyreek Hill from Kansas City this offseason to pair up with the promising Jaylen Waddle at the other receiver position, the Dolphins are making it clear that scoring points will translate into winning football games.

Alas, the Dolphins will most likely be sitting many of their star playmakers for their opening preseason game against the Bucs, but by no means does this mean that they won't be able to cover the spread in Tampa. With Tua sidelined, Miami will turn to Denver's starter from a year ago Teddy “Two Gloves” Bridgewater, who still remains one of the top backup quarterbacks in pro football. Bridgewater has never been the type of guy to air it out, so expect the Dolphins to pound the rock with a combination of Sony Michel, Myles Gaskin, and Raheem Mostert to start.

In addition, CB Xavien Howard and OLB Melvin Ingram have been ruled out for the opener, so expect some youngsters to make a name for themselves when the defense is on the field.

Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread

While it may have been the perfect publicity stunt by Brady, the Bucs were still forced to undergo some changes. Head coach Bruce Arians would soon leave the team shortly after and former Jets coach Todd Bowles now steps into the main role after serving as the Bucs' defensive coordinator from 2019-2021.

Remarkably, Tom Brady is on the verge of having two hall-of-fame careers with the Patriots and Buccaneers. The stats speak for themselves, as Brady has connected on 83 touchdown passes and has accumulated 9,949 yards in only two seasons with Tampa Bay. Plus, he helped deliver the Bucs their first Super Bowl in two decades. There was a time when names like Montana, Marino, Manning, and Favre all were considered to be the “GOAT”, but what Brady is doing at the ripe age of 45 is something that the National Football League has never seen before.

Unfortunately, it appears that Brady's partner-in-crime in tight end Rob Gronkowski has finally decided to call it quits, so replacing his production in 2022 will be important. While he was far from being his prime self back in his heydays in New England, Gronk's sheer size alone drew an abundant amount of mismatches schematically.

In order to cover the spread against the Dolphins in this one, Tampa Bay will have to rely on backup QBs Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask to move the ball efficiently without turning the ball over.

Final Dolphins-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick

Preseason games are always tough to pick, but it would be wise to put your trust in Teddy Two Gloves to play it safe to not give the ball away in the crucial moments of this one. Miami takes care of business and moves to 1-0 in preseason play.

Final Dolphins-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick: Dolphins -1.5 (-110)