NFL Betting Odds: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

Added on Jan 01, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

The Miami Dolphins will try to finish their strange 2010 season at .500 as they head north to take on the New England Patriots. The Dolphins have struggled at home but played well on the road and will try to even their season record at 8-8. New England doesn’t really have much to play for in this spot–they’re 13-2 and have already clinched the division and home field advantage.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
January 2, 2011 10:00 AM Pacific

Tom Brady has said he’ll play here, so there’s even reason to expect him to start. How long he remains in the game is a different matter. The Pats have a 7 game winning streak and have won 27 consecutive regular season games with Brady under center, but clearly neither of these streaks are nearly as important as having the key personnel healthy for the playoffs. Brady’s exceptional play has allowed the Patriots’ to succeed despite a defense that isn’t overly impressive–at least from a statistical standpoint. New England is #27 in total defense allowing 374.3 yards per game and #30 in passing defense (292 yards per game) having allowed 24 TD passes though they are a respectable 13th in scoring defense allowing 20.4 PPG.

Miami’s strange home/road disparity has been covered in great detail, but its worth mentioning again here. The Dolphins are a horrible home team and finished the year with a 1-7 SU record on their own field. On the road, they’re 6-1 SU/ATS this year and 16-6 ATS since 2008. They’ve covered three straight at New England and four of the last five. With absolutely nothing to gain from a victory for the home team look for an early exit for Brady and the other starters which makes the profitable on the road Dolphins an even better value. We look for Miami to end the season with a SU victory here.

Bet Miami Dolphins +5′ over New England Patriots