Perfection without cheating (maybe) is one the line tonight as the New England Patriots (6-0) take on the suddenly hot Miami Dolphins (3-3) in an AFC East match up.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview information.
First my pick and the line from today’s Thursday Night Match Up.
The game: Miami at New England (-8)
The Pick: I’d love to pick the Dolphins in this game and I can easily see how they could go into Foxboro and beat the Patriots, but until they actually do it, I have to go with the Pats. Patriots 27, Dolphins 23
And here are the Power Rankings for each team.
1. New England Patriots – (6-0) This is the seventh power rankings poll I’ve put together and the Patriots have been at the top of every one. Damn, I am sick of seeing them there. Can Dan Campbell and the Dolphins do anything about it? Last week: No. 1
18. Miami Dolphins – (3-3) After their recent performances, it may seem unfair to just move the Dolphins up just two spots. Beat the Patriots and I’ll fix it. Trust me. Last week: No. 20
And here’s the info from our GMS Preview.
Hoping to extend their undefeated record, the New England Patriots (6-0) take on the Miami Dolphins (3-3). The NFL’s second-leading passer, Tom Brady (2,054 yards, 16 TDs), will be a player to watch in this game. It will air Thursday, Oct 29 at 8:25 p.m. ET on CBS and NFLN.
This week marks the first meeting of the season for New England and Miami. These two AFC East rivals split their matchups last season. Chandler Jones led the Patriots defensive effort in the last meeting, recording four tackles and 1.5 sacks. Kelvin Sheppard led the defensive effort for Miami, recording seven tackles.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 51 points and the Dolphins are a big seven-point underdog.
Sitting at 6-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1-2 Against The Spread (ATS), the Patriots will look to improve heading into Week 8. New England’s offense is averaging 420.8 total yards over the last five games. Turning to the Patriots defense, there are several areas to keep an eye on. Miami will have to keep New England from hitting their quarterback. The Patriots average the fourth-most sacks in the league with 3.5 per game. In the first quarter, New England strikes early, putting up 6.2 points in the first 15 minutes. On average, the Dolphins are given 8.5 flags each game, one of the worst rates in the league. Similar errors could benefit the Patriots in this week’s game.
Across the field, the Dolphins head into Week 8 with records of 3-3 for both ATS and SU. Over their last five games, the Dolphins have a SU and ATS record of 2-3. There’s a good chance that Miami will rely on its passing attack against a defense that allows 283 passing yards per home game, ranking 26th in the league. Moving on to the Miami defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Patriots. New England’s unreliable run game at home could cost them a shot at victory over the Dolphins. The Patriots average 73.7 rushing yards per home game, 32nd in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – NE, ATS Winner – NE, O/U – Over
That’s it. All of America is rooting against the Patriots. The Dolphins have decided to play legitimate football. Let’s watch it together. The game is on CBS and the NFL Network at 8:25 p.m.
