Miami vs. Baltimore Week 2 Odds & Picks

Miami Dolphins (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Baltimore Ravens (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)

NFL Football Week 2

Date/Time: Sunday September 18th, 2021. 1:00PM (EST)

Where: M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore, MD

TV: CBS

Betting Odds:

Point Spread: MIA +4/BAL -4 (BAS – Did you know that you could be betting on games at -105 instead of -110? Why are you wasting money?)

Total: 44.5

After one of the most anticipated offseasons in recent memory, the Miami Dolphins did not disappoint in their 2022 debut. Instead, the Dolphins stymied Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots for their 4th straight victory over the former AFC East powerhouse in a promising performance on both sides of the football. Now the Dolphins will have the opportunity to keep their momentum alive when they travel to M&T Bank Stadium for the first road test of the season against the Baltimore Ravens, who are currently listed as mere 4-point betting favorites.

In last week’s opener, the Ravens cruised by the Jets in a 24-9 victory. Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for three touchdowns, and the Ravens’ defense survived 59 passing attempts from New York quarterback Joe Flacco to hold the Jets to just 9 points en route to the victory. Baltimore easily covered the 6.5-point betting spread despite some late money coming on the Jets and will be favorites yet again on Sunday against a popular Dolphins football team. As it currently stands, 65% of all public bets have favored the Dolphins, but the betting line has remained steady throughout the opening half of the week.

Personally, I was slightly surprised to see the Dolphins open as 4-point underdogs. Miami delivered a 22-10 victory over Baltimore at home in Week 10 last season, which catapulted a seven-game winning streak for the Dolphins. While a single score from last year does not have any relevance on this week’s match-up, I would say the Dolphins have made the most improvement from last year. With that said, road games are still difficult in the NFL, and the Ravens are still a playoff-caliber opponent with plus side potential. Therefore, the 4-point betting spread appears to be relatively justified when you factor in the variables.

Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens Betting Analysis

I don’t think anyone expected the Jets to throw the ball nearly 60 times last week. However, the Ravens have struggled against the pass for quite some time. Last year, the Ravens were torched for 278 yards per game through the air as the worst pass defense in football. While injuries played into the struggles, the Ravens still have concerns against the pass, especially after CB Marcus Peters was inactive last week as he continues to recover from a knee injury. For those reasons, the Dolphins are likely poised to attack Baltimore with a heavy aerial attack as well.

In the opener, QB Tua Tagovailoa looked pretty solid, hitting 23 of 33 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown. Newly acquired star WR Tyreek Hill was elusive as ever, garnering 12 targets for eight catches and 94 yards. Meanwhile, WR Jaylen Waddle scored on the game’s biggest play which was a 42-yard touchdown. Needless to say, Hill and Waddle appeared to complement each other, and the Dolphins were deadly in the passing game. To be fair, the Dolphins running attack did not show much improvement, but again I don’t think that will be a big concern for their match-up against Baltimore. As long as Tagovailoa plays well, Miami will challenge the Baltimore defense through the air.

In many ways, this is a risky game to handicap because we have seen a lot of inconsistencies from both of these offenses and quarterbacks over the last two seasons. For the Ravens, RB J.K. Dobbins appears to be destined to miss another week. WR Rashod Batemand and Devin Duvernay had productive outings last week; they are not overly dominant threats in the passing game. In fact, I would label TE Mark Andrews as the Ravens’ most consistent threat in the passing game, which leads to the question: does Jackson have the talent he needs to remain successful? Perhaps, we will know more in the coming weeks after a few more games have passed.

Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens Betting Predictions

I have tried to remain as unbiased as possible when breaking down this match-up, yet I still believe Miami is the better football team on both sides of the football. Give me the extra points, I like the Dolphins here for the outright win.

Jay’s Pick: Miami +4. Make the Phins a +23 underdog by inserting them into a massive 19 point NFL teaser found at one of the internet’s oldest bookies: Wagerweb Sportsbook!