Pitiful Picks: Time for the Dolphins to get back on track?
Our Pitiful Picks have mirrored the Miami Dolphins season thus far. We started out hot, going 4-0, but have fallen to 12-8 on the season against the spread. The Dolphins have struggled in their last 2 games on the road, but return home to the friendly confines of Hard Rock Stadium, where they’re 2-0 so far this year. In fact, the Dolphins have 3 of their next 4 games at home, so this is a crucial part of the season, which could ultimately decide if the Dolphins are playoff contenders or pretenders.
The Dolphins next 4 games are: vs. Chicago, vs. Detroit, @ Houston (Thursday Night), vs. Jets. Can they go 3-1 in those games? It’s possible, but they’ll need to play better (looking at you Ryan Tannehill among others). That would put them at 6-3 and they’d be in good shape for the home stretch. Like the Dolphins, we’re going to turn around our luck this week, picking 4 games against the spread and hopefully putting some distance between us and .500.
Titans +2.5 over Ravens
The Titans, like the Dolphins are a different team on the road than they are at home. Their 2 losses (Miami & Buffalo) have come on the road. At home they’ve already beaten the Jaguars and Eagles. While I think the Ravens are a good team, they have been too inconsistent to be favored on the road against the 3-2 Titans. I think the Titans win outright at home. Titans 23 Ravens 17
Bills +10 over Texans
I’m taking another underdog here, this time it’s the Bills on the road in Houston. The Bills are not as bad as they looked in the first couple weeks of the season. AND they’ve proven they can win on the road (remember their shocking win in Minnesota?). I think the Texans win this game, but they aren’t good enough to be 10 point favorites on anyone. Texans 26 Bills 20
Colts +1.5 over Jets
I don’t love the Colts. I saw how terrible they were last week against the Patriots. However, the Jets will be missing their best 2 cornerbacks in this game, which means big things for Andrew Luck. The Jets may also be without Isaiah Crowell, so that is something to monitor on Sunday. The Colts have had some extra time to prepare, considering they played last week on Thursday night. Colts 24 Jets 23
Dolphins +3.5 over Bears
That’s right, I lost on the Dolphins last week, but I’m picking them with 3.5 points over the Bears this week. At 17-0 last week against the Bengals, I thought I was in good shape (as did the Dolphins). We all know how that ended! This week’s matchup of the 3-2 Dolphins and the 3-1 Bears is a good one. The Bears defense is very good, but I think the Dolphins will be able to throw the ball on them, if they can pass protect. Being that this game is in Miami, we should see the ‘good’ Ryan Tannehill that we’ve seen since 2016 at Hard Rock Stadium.
As a reminder, the Dolphins have scored an average of 27 points at Hard Rock Stadium with Tannehill and Adam Gase. They may not get to reach that point total this week, but I don’t think it will matter. The Dolphins defense should have a good day and will hopefully force some turnovers from Mitch Turbisky. They’ll just need to contain the running game and put the ball in his hands.
The Dolphins have looked bad 6 of the last 8 quarters they’ve played, but they’re getting healthier and returning home. That formula should equal success on Sunday. Dolphins 24 Bears 20
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @PhinNation!
