Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Wildcard Edition
The Miami Dolphins (9-8, 3-6 Away) and Buffalo Bills (13-3, 7-1 Home) will face off in the AFC Wildcard Playoffs in Orchard Park, NY at Highmark Stadium. The Dolphins ended their regular season winning just one of their last six games while the Bills ended their regular season with a seven-game win streak.
Dolphins Entering with Injury Infested Team
The Miami Dolphins have had a rough last several weeks after their starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (3, 548 YDS, 25 TD, 8 INT, 68.5 QBR) entered concussion protocol for the second time this season. The Dolphins announced that he would not be playing in the wildcard game after he did not pass the protocol last week. More uncertainty has arisen at the quarterback position with Teddy Bridgewater (683 YDS, 4 TD, 4 INT, 48.7 QBR) (knee/right finger) being listed as questionable to play Sunday. If Bridgewater is unavailable, then Miami will start the rookie Skylar Thompson (534 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT, 27.3 QBR). This issue at quarterback has been ongoing for Miami and they have proved to be mostly unsuccessful with the backups, so this contest will be a test for the backups.
MIKE G!! 🤐🤐
📺: Watch #NYJVsMIA on @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/72SMDdrl01
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 8, 2023
The quarterback position isn’t the only area suffering for the Dolphins right now as running back, wide receiver, full back, and a chunk of the offensive line are dealing with injuries. With that, the leading rusher and second-leading receiver are questionable to play Sunday. Raheem Mostert (thumb) did not practice Thursday. He has rushed for 891 yards and three touchdowns this season. Jaylen Waddle (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday and remains questionable for Sunday. Waddle contributed 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 18.1 yards. Jeff Wilson Jr. (860 YDS, 5 TD, 4.9 AVG) will likely see more snaps in the backfield. Jaelan Phillips (37 SOLO, 7 SACK, 1 FF) and Bradley Chubb (20 SOLO, 8 SACK, 3 FF) are the two questionable impact players on defense. Without these two, the defense will be lacking pressure on the quarterback. Melvin Ingram (15 SOLO, 6 SACK, 1 FF) will be the main pressure the quarterback gets.
Bills Looking to Advance in Playoffs and Extend Win Streak
The Buffalo Bills ended their regular season with a seven-game win streak and they will look to add onto that while also advancing in the playoffs. The Bills have recently gone through a traumatic experience when safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during their game against the Bengals. That game was ultimately canceled. Although the Bills went through a lot of emotional trauma after that incident, they came back stronger and beat the New England Patriots in the regular season closer. They enter the playoffs with Hamlin in mind. There is no doubt that the Bills will play in this AFC East battle for Hamlin, giving them more competitive fuel. Unlike the Dolphins, the Bills enter this matchup with a mostly healthy roster.
We’re live with QB Josh Allen after practice at One Bills Drive!#MIAvsBUF | #BillsMafia https://t.co/GYGOFQPq2q
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 11, 2023
The Bills earned a big 32-29 win over the Dolphins in Week 15 where Buffalo earned 446 total yards with 296 yards being through the air and 150 yards being on the ground. Josh Allen threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 77 yards. They surrendered 217 passing yards and 188 rushing yards while allowing Tagovailoa to throw for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Allen ended the regular season with 4,283 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Devin Singletary was the rushing leader with 819 yards and five touchdowns. Stefon Diggs was the receiving leader with 1,429 yards and 11 touchdowns. Greg Rousseau was the sack co-leader with Von Miller (out), recording eight sacks on the season while also earning 27 solo tackles and one forced fumble. Tremaine Edmunds led with 106 tackles, including 66 solo tackles, one sack, and one interception. Jordan Poyer who leads with four interceptions is questionable. Matt Milano has three interceptions, 72 solo tackles, and 1.5 sacks on the season.
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The Buffalo Bills have a massive advantage heading into this matchup with their healthy roster which is why they will beat the Dolphins. In their Week 15 matchup, the Bills were able to walk away with a win after scoring 32 points on the Miami defense. Miami had their star quarterback in that game who is the main impact player the Dolphins will be without on Sunday. The Bills are equipped with several high-caliber players with Allen under enter, Singletary in the backfield, and Diggs downfield. These offensive impact players are going to tear the Miami defense apart, especially with two of the leading lineman injured and questionable to play Sunday. The Bills’ defense is going to be a huge pain for an injury-infested Dolphins’ offense. With Milano in the secondary and Rousseau on the line, Miami won’t have a lot of room for error on the ground or in the air. If the Dolphins have to start the rookie quarterback then the defense will have a field day. If Bridgewater plays then the defense will have to be more locked in but they will still make stops with ease. Take the Bills.
Prediction: Buffalo Bills -13.5 (-108)
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The Bills have a great offense this season, so I expect them to put points on the board. The Dolphins on the other hand are going to struggle significantly to get into the endzone and most likely the red zone. The Bills’ defense is likely going to have a field day against an inexperienced quarterback, especially if the Dolphins are without their leading rusher and one of their top receivers. I don’t expect the Dolphins to put very many points on the board and do expect this game to come close to a blowout. With this being said, I see the Bills playing more conservatively to reduce injuries while the Dolphins will really have to battle to get downfield. Don’t expect a high-scoring affair with the Dolphins not having the ability to put points up easily. Take the under.
Prediction: Under 43.5
