The Dallas Cowboys (2-7) match up against the Miami Dolphins (4-5) at Sun Life Stadium this week. Miami has had a subpar season, but has shown signs of life lately, winning three of its last five. The game will begin Sunday, Nov 22 at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.
Miami prevailed in a close one over the Eagles 20-19 last week. Reshad Jones led the way for the Miami defense in the win, registering seven tackles, one sack, and one interception. Dallas didn’t have the same success as Miami, getting beat by the Buccaneers 10-6. Jeff Heath led the way for the Dallas defense, totaling two tackles and two interceptions.
Miami is a small one-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 46 points.
The Dolphins enter the game with a current record of 4-5 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Dolphins have records of 3-2 for both SU and ATS. The Dolphins have seen an uptick in scoring recently, averaging 25 points during the last five games. They average 21.2 points per game on the season. The Dolphins, who are averaging 129.6 yards on the ground over those last five games, have improved upon their season rushing average of 102.8 yards. Miami has a particularly strong return game. The team has averaged 144.7 return yards each home game, the most in the NFL.
As for their opponent, the Cowboys have a record of 2-7 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, Dallas has a record of 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS. The Dolphins have struggled to stop their opponents’ running games. The Cowboys will look to find weaknesses in a run defense that ranks 31st in the NFL with 135.6 rushing yards allowed per game. The Cowboys give up 18.2 points per road game and have a top-five ranked defense. The Cowboys need to capitalize on opportunities against the lackluster pass protection of Miami, which ranks 26th in the league in sacks allowed with three per home game. The Cowboys could take advantage of Miami’s reputation as a slow starter on defense. The Dolphins are dead last in the NFL in first-quarter points allowed with an average of eight. Dallas has an average time of possession of 34:38 this season, ranking second in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia, ATS Winner – Mia, O/U – Over
Notes
Miami is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami’s last 12 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami’s last 5 games at home.
Miami is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Miami is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami’s last 8 games when playing Dallas.
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas.
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami.
Dallas is 1-2 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Miami is 2-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
This season, Miami is 3-0 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
The Dallas pass defense is ranked 13th in the league, while the Miami passing attack is ranked only 17th. The Cowboys’ passing game is ranked just 26th, compared to the 20th-ranked pass defense of the Dolphins.
