San Francisco 49ers Face Ultimate Test in Week 13 vs. Surging Miami Dolphins

Dan Favale
By , Updated on: Apr 9, 2024 08:00 PM
San Francisco 49ers Face Ultimate Test in Week 13 vs. Surging Miami Dolphins

Is there a better matchup on tap for Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season than the scheduled battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins? We're going to say "no."

Both the Dolphins and Niners are working on extensive winning streaks. San Francisco has won four in a row. Miami, meanwhile, has rattled off five straight—and they remain undefeated with Tua Tagovailoa under center. Naturally, both teams have seen their odds to win the Super Bowl skyrocket over their respective stretches, making this game a perfect litmus test for either side.

What's more, the Dolphins and Niners are seemingly perfect counterparts. Miami is winning by virtue of a dominant offense. San Francisco is grinding out victories with a suffocating defense. Who will emerge with bragging rights after they meet on Sunday, December 4, at 4:05 p.m EST. As you can see from the latest NFL online betting odds courtesy of BetOnline, the Niners are the consensus answer:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
San Francisco 49ers-188+158Miami Dolphins

Keep double-checking these 49ers vs. Dolphins betting odds right up until you submit your wager. Our online NFL betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, November 29, which gives linemakers plenty of time to make adjustments. And believe us when we say this line will move—most likely during the 11th hour. That's always the case when two potential Super Bowl contenders meet for a midseason showdown.

To ensure you have the most up to date football betting odds, we recommend signing up with a site that appears in our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. This catalog of information is loaded top to bottom with the best online NFL betting sites in 2022, and we've got the lowdown on every single one of them.

Back to the questions at hand: Are the Niners favored to beat the Dolphins solely because they're playing in San Francisco? Or have these Niners actually separated themselves enough to be deemed the best in the NFC? We will seek to find the answers while dropping our 49ers vs. Dolphins predictions for the moneyline, point spread and over/under

This Matchup Between the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers is Truly Too Close to Call

Miami vs. San Francisco may very well be a snapshot of the league's best offense vs. the league's best defense. Oddsmakers have favored the Niners, and it's not hard to see why. Not only are they playing at home, but their defense has been absolutely unreal. San Francisco is fifth in interceptions and third in net yards allowed per passing attempt. They have some cracks within their rushing defense, but they still get enough stops up front to limit the damage. This is not a team accustomed to giving up big plays, whether it's through the air or on the ground.

The Dolphins will test that mettle more than any other team the Niners have faced. There isn't a better offense at generating yards through the air or after the catch. Not surprisingly, Miami is first in net yards per passing attempt, thanks in large part to the stellar development of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

For as dominant as the Niners defense has been, we question whether they can hold up against the constant downfield pressure the Dolphins offense champions. As we noted above, San Francisco has been feasting mostly on inferior offenses. The last elite team they faced was the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, and they let up 44 points in a loss.

Miami poses a similar threat, albeit one with a weaker rushing attack. If the Niners do shut down their passing offense, they don't have many counters. We're just not sure why we should expect San Francisco to do that. Every defense under the sun is spread impossibly thin by having to cover Waddle and Hill, and this says nothing of the rock-solid situational play they must guard against from tight end Mike Gesicki.

San Francisco will of course make Miami uncomfortable. Much like the Chiefs, though, the Dolphins do not have an offense you simply stop. And given how much the Niners have struggled to put points on the board in certain situations even after trading for Christian McCaffrey, we're inclined to forecast an upset.

OSB Prediction: Miami Dolphins (+158)

Miami Dolphins To beat the San Francisco 49ers
+158
BetOnline

Oddsmakers Aren't Making the Dolphins vs. 49ers Point Spread Easy on You

Here are the latest NFL point spread betting odds for 49ers vs. Dolphins in Week 13: 

  • San Francisco 49ers, -3.5 (-110)
  • Miami Dolphins, +3.5 (-110)

If the Dolphins moneyline is too much of a risk for you to stomach, we suggest taking a look at their point spread. Even if they lose, the Dolphins should be able to keep things close. Their spotty passing defense isn't a huge issue against the mediocre stylings of San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and they have the talent necessary in their front seven to make life difficult on Christian McCaffrey.

Let's also not forget the Niners just mustered 13 points in a win over the wildly middling New Orleans Saints. We can't count on their offense scoring enough to put adequate distance between themselves and the Dolphins.

OSB Prediction: Miami Dolphins, +3.5

Miami Dolphins To cover the point spread against the San Francisco 49ers
-110
BetOnline

You Need the Niners Offense to Have Turned a Corner for the San Francisco-Miami Over to Hit

Below you can the latest NFL over/under betting odds for Dolphins vs. 49ers in Week 13:

  • Over 46.5 (-110)
  • Under 46.5 (-110)

Going with the over is tempting. We have seen the Niners run up 30-plus-point totals a couple of times since acquiring McCaffrey. But their quarterback play is ultimately too inconsistent to bank on that being the normal.

While the Dolphins offense is good enough to shoulder the lion's share of this score, we can't just assume they'll churn out their usual 30-plus points against the Niners defense. The under is our pick, and we actually feel pretty confident in it.

OSB Prediction: Under 46.5 (-110)

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your 2022 NFL betting:

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan Favale leverages over 12 years of sports journalism expertise in his role as New York staff writer. He provides in-depth analysis across the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, tennis, NASCAR, college basketball, and sports betting. Dan co-hosts the popular Hardwood Knocks NBA podc...

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