Miami is Slight NFL Odds Fave vs. Jets

The Miami Dolphins are the slight NFL Betting odds Sunday prediction favorites to beat the New York Jets and win in their home stadium in what is shaping up to be an incredibly important AFC East matchup.

The Fins are 2 and 0 on the season and already have proven their mettle by beating the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings.

The victory over the Vikings occurred on the road as 5 ½ point dogs and that’s one of the reasons that the Dolphins are favored over the Jets going into their Week 3 game.

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Another reason that Miami is the NFL odds handicapping chalk is because Jets’ cornerback, and 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Darrelle Revis won’t be playing this Sunday.

Without Revis, the Fins might have trouble containing former Denver wide receiver standout Brandon Marshall.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

When: Sept. 26th, 2010 at 8:20 pm EST

TV: NBC

Radio: Sirius – 125 (NYJ) 126 (MIA)

NFL Betting Lines

New York Jets +2 -110 +105 O 35 -110

Miami Dolphins -2 -110 -125 U 35 -110

The NFL odds online trends say both teams have a chance at covering the spread on Sunday.

• The New York Jets are 5 and 1 ATS in their last 6 games on the road.
• The New York Jets are 6 and 0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog on the road of ½ to 3 points.
• The Miami Dolphins are 8 and 1 ATS in their last 9 games versus a team from the AFC East.
• The Miami Dolphins are 5 and 1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up victory.

This is one of the easier games to call in my opinion. Even though the NFL odds against the spread give a lot of respect to the Jets, most NFL teams are -3 favorites at home, the Jets just aren’t prepared to take on Miami on the road this Sunday.

A lot of football handicappers are reading too much into the fact that the Jets beat the New England Patriots 28 to 14 as 3-point dogs. The Jets matchup much better against the Patriots than they do against the Dolphins. How do I know this? Because New York beat the Patriots 16 to 9 last season while they lost to the Fins twice last season, 31 to 27 and 31 to 25.

I don’t expect Sunday’s game to be as high scoring as the two games in 2009 although it’s obvious that the Fins have the ability to expose the flaws in New York’s defense with Darrelle Revis on the bench. That flaw is in the form of CB Antonio Cromartie who was picked on repeatedly in the Jets’ Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

I’m actually surprised that the Patriots didn’t find a way to make Cromartie look ridiculous out there. Expect the Fins to really work towards that goal on Sunday.

New York might have bigger issue on offense then they do on defense with center Nick Mangold possibly not playing this Sunday. Without his center, QB Mark Sanchez is going to have a hard time getting the ball to alcohol-loving WR Braylon Edwards, tight-end Dustin Keller and RB LaDainian Tomlinson.

To make matters tougher on Sanchez, Miami’s D has been exceptional so far in 2010. They’re the main reason that the Fins covered a 3-point NFL game odds spread versus the Buffalo Bills in a 15 to 10 victory in Week 1 and beat the Vikings at nice NFL odds straight up in Week 2, 14 to 10.

Miami’s 5th ranked defense couldn’t contain Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson on the ground, Adrian had 145 yards and a TD, but neither Tomlinson nor Jets’ RB Shonn Greene will have that sort of success if Mangold cannot play.

In all instances, based on all facts, the Dolphins should cover this spread easily. I like the Jets, don’t get me wrong, but they’re meeting Miami at bad time, when their top wide-out, Braylon Edwards, is going through some personal issues, their best defensive player, Darrelle Revis, is on the bench, and their center, Nick Mangold is injured.

Miami is my NFL odds prediction to cover the spread in their game against the New York Jets on Sunday.

NFL Betting Pick: Miami Dolphins -2 -110

Week 3 NFL odds are up in the sportsbook, click here!