Pitiful Picks: Will the Dolphins start the crazy 2020 season with an upset win?
The Miami Dolphins play an actual, real-life football game on Sunday. As hard as that is to believe, consider the fact that the Dolphins are being picked by some ‘experts’ to finish first in the AFC East. Remember, this is the same Dolphins team that was vilified for ‘tanking’ and mocked by many of the same pundits that have cheered their offseason moves. The sports media is full of hypocrites! (no, we aren’t getting into politics, don’t worry!).
So here we are, the NFL season is upon us and, after looking over the point spreads we found at Sports Betting Dime, we are here to continue making our Pitiful Picks. If you depend on gambling cash to pay your mortgage, we highly recommend you do so on your own and take zero guidance from our picks. We do this for fun and although we usually have a winning record, this season will likely be the hardest to predict…..ever! So let’s get to it:
Chiefs -9 over Texans
Yes, just as we were last year, we’ll be rooting against the Texans, to help improve the Dolphins 1st and 2nd round picks they received as part of the Tunsil trade. But this Texans team has made some…..uh…..head-scratching moves this offseason. They have a QB, but they also have a lot of questions. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions, with a high-powered offense and a dynamic QB. I think this is at least a double digit win for the Chiefs and it could get very ugly. Chiefs 34 Texans 17
Chargers -3 over Bengals
If you’ve been watching HBO’s Hard Knocks, it’s hard not to appreciate the job Anthony Lynn is doing in Los Angeles. This will be Joe Burrow’s first NFL start of any kind (remember, no preseason) and he’s going up against a journeyman veteran in Tyrod Taylor. The Chargers are the more talented team and should be able to control the clock by running the ball and using their short passing game to move the chains. I expect Burrow to be a good NFL QB, but he’ll show early that he’s a rookie and will need time. Chargers 24 Bengals 17
Giants +5.5 over Steelers
The Steelers welcome back Big Ben and many are expecting him to pick up where he left off. Again, the lack of preseason games could show here, as Ben tries to shake off any rust. The Giants have a good ground game and Daniel Jones should progress after an up and down rookie season. The Giants may not win this game, but I think they’ll keep it close enough. Steelers 24 Giants 20
Dolphins +6.5 over Patriots
Speaking of upsets……The Patriots are, on paper, a team that took a big step back from last season. They lost their future HOF QB and lost a number of players on defense due to COVID opt-outs. While the Patriots will always be dangerous with Belichick at the helm, I think this is a year for the Dolphins to take advantage of a down year. And by down year, I think the Patriots could still go 9-7.
The way I look at this is simple. Since last year, have the Dolphins improved? Yes, greatly. Have the Patriots become a weaker team? Yes, quite a bit. The last football game the Dolphins played, they went to packed stadium in Foxboro, beat Tom Brady and cost the Patriots a first round bye. This year, the Dolphins will take a better team in to play a weaker team, in front of an empty stadium.
I think the Dolphins will look to pound the football on the ground this game. Take the air out of the ball to avoid throwing against what is still a talented secondary, and rely on the big run blockers the Dolphins added this offseason. Ryan Fitzpatrick just has to avoid the big mistakes! The Dolphins will be challenged on defense, likely facing the same type of approach, with Cam Newton leading the Patriots rushing attack. The Dolphins defense is going to be the strength of the team this year, so if they can hold the Patriots under 20, they should be able to leave week 1 with a nice upset! Dolphins 24 Patriots 17
