NFL Betting Insider – Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins

Sunday, October 4th – Land Shark Stadium, Miami

NFL Betting Line: Bills -1, O/U: 37 

A couple of AFC East teams just begging for a win will meet on Sunday. The Miami Dolphins are coming off a dismal week where they lost more than just a game to the San Diego Chargers. Quarterback Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and was placed on Injured Reserve. The loss is huge for the Fins, who are now forced to start second-year quarterback Chad Henne. Henne didn’t look horrible in his short play versus San Diego last week, but will need to improve drastically if the Dolphins have any hope of salvaging this season.  

Buffalo’s offense didn’t score a single point last week in a 27-7 loss to New Orleans. Furthermore, quarterback Trent Edwards was unable to complete a pass to Terrell Owens, ending the receiver’s streak of 185 consecutive games with a catch. The Bills seem to be a team without an identity, something they’ll need to fix if they want to end their nine-year playoff drought. 

What The Bills Have To Do To Win 

Trent Edwards wasn’t awful last week, just ineffective. He has two big receivers in Lee Evans and T.O., but hasn’t been able to use them effectively. If they Bills want to start winning games, Edwards has to get the ball into the hands of his receivers.  

However the Bills running game will be key this coming Sunday. Fred Jackson has been the biggest surprise for the Bills offense this season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry while also leading the team in receptions. The running game should get a big boost with the return of Marshawn Lynch, who is coming back after a three-game suspension. Add in the fact that Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter may miss the game with a hamstring injury, and the Bills should be able to run their way to victory.  

What The Dolphins Have To Do To Win

The Dolphins biggest strength so far this season has been rush defense, where they rank third in the NFL. The potential loss of Porter will hurt the Dolphins defense, but there is enough talent on Miami’s defensive line to continue their strong play.  

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have continued to play well in the Wildcat offense, and there are no reasons for Miami to believe it won’t continue to be successful. The only problem will be how Chad Henne can react to his first NFL start. Henne has a strong arm and may be able to stretch the field more than Pennington ever could. If he can get into an early rhythm with his receivers it could be a long day for the Buffalo secondary.  

Advice On Side And Total

Both of these teams need a win in order to keep any semblance of a playoff hope alive. The injuries to Pennington and Porter may be too much for Miami to handle, and the return of Marshawn Lynch should bring a solid boost to an already potent running attack. Owens is due for a breakout game with the Bills, and could very well get it this weekend against a lackluster pass defense. However, with the way both of these offenses have fared, don’t expect a high-scoring game.  

Pick: Buffalo & under 37