Is the matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots the most anticipated NFL showdown in Week 2? Anecdotally speaking, probably not. But when these two teams take the field on Sunday, September 17, at 8:20 p.m. eastern standard time, on the Gillette Stadium field in Foxborough, Massachusetts, you better believe the rest of the league will be watching. The stakes are that, let’s say, curious.
Before we go any further, though, here’s a look at the latest NFL online betting odds ahead of Sunday night’s affair:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | -136 | +116 | New England Patriots |
Always remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots betting odds are accurate as of Tuesday, September 12. That gives the best online sportsbooks in the United States plenty of time to make changes between now and opening kickoff.
And to be sure, we could envision material movement on these lines. The Dolphins are working off an impressive victory in Week 1 over the Los Angeles Chargers. But questions remain about their defense after they surrendered 31 points. The Patriots, meanwhile, are coming off a 25-20 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Can we really penalize them for putting up a real but failed fight against the reigning NFC champions?
Oddsmakers have planted their flag. The Dolphins are slight favorites. And honestly, that’s impressive. Picking up two consecutive road victories to open the 2023 NFL season in an incredibly steep order. But is Miami actually up to it?
Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa have the Miami Dolphins Offense Looking Like an NFL-Best Force Entering Week 2
If you’re going to trust in the Dolphins, it has to be all about their offense. The triple threat of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle might be the best one-two-three punch in the entire league. This, in fact, is a trio that should routinely lead Miami to 30-plus outings like we saw in Week 1.
Battling New England’s defense will pose a harder test than what they faced in Los Angeles week. The Patriots front seven knows how to generate consistent pressure and are especially adept at limiting how far quarterbacks are able to throw the ball. Of course, all defenses might be completely without answers for Hill. As ESPN Insider Dan Graziano wrote on Monday, Tyreek Hill already belongs in the MVP discussion:
“The center of it all [on Sunday] was Hill, who hauled in 11 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Career game? Nah. It's the third time in Hill's career he has reached the 215-yard mark in a single game (his career high is 269). This was his high number as a Dolphin, though, and Miami needed every last yard to help quarterback Tua Tagovailoa outduel Justin Herbert in an instant-classic matchup of the No. 5 and No. 6 picks from the 2020 draft…Hill is an alien sent from outer space to help make coach Mike McDaniel look like a genius and Tagovailoa thrive as an NFL quarterback. He was uncoverable on Sunday, and again, this isn't the first or even the second time he has put up these kinds of numbers. He's the first player in NFL history to record three separate games with 10-plus catches, 200-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdowns.”
Maybe New England’s physicality in the middle of the field and in the secondary makes life harder on Hill. But that’s where Waddle comes in. He’s probably the NFL’s best No. 2 option. It would make more sense to roll the dice on New England if you could trust their own passing offense. Mac Jones tossed three touchdowns last Sunday, but on average, his passes only resulted in about nine yards per completion. That’s manageable for most defenses—including Miami’s own shaky passing prevention.
OSB Prediction: Miami Dolphins (-136)
Linemakers are Expecting an Ultra-Close Matchup Between Miami and New England
Despite picking the Dolphins to win against the Patriots, we will readily admit the margin for error here is razor thin. That much is reiterated in the latest NFL point spread betting lines for the Miami vs. New England showdown, which you can see just below:
- Miami Dolphins, -2 (-110)
- New England Patriots, +2 (-110)
This isn’t large enough for us to start thinking about the Patriots. Two-point games are incredibly rare. Granted, Week 1 had three games determined by two or fewer points, but that’s an anomaly.
Sure, we expect this game to be close. It’s essentially offense vs defense-plus-home-field-advantage. But the Dolphins’ high-powered attack should be able to eke out a victory by more than a field goal.
OSB Predictions: Miami Dolphins, -2 (-110)
Can the Patriots Defense Slow the Dolphins Offense in Week 2?
This is the question you must first and foremost ask yourself when thinking about the final score. And as the latest over/under betting odds for Dolphins vs. Patriots suggests, it sure seems like the markets are bracing for a lower-scoring affair:
- Over 47.5 (-110)
- Under 47.5 (-110)
Only three other games on the Week 2 NFL schedule have a higher over/under. It’s important to remember the markets are typically more aggressive setting the overs when it comes to high-octane offenses, like the one deployed by Miami. This can result in some topsy-turvy misses.
At the same time, Mac Jones’ Week 1 performance, in which he threw three touchdowns, gave us confidence that this iteration of New England will do a better job picking up consistent scores. And given how, let’s say, opponent-friendly Miami’s defense can be, we’d expect both teams to clear the 21-point benchmark. That would set up this one nicely to cover the “over.”
OSB Prediction: Over 47.5 (-110)
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