Can the Dolphins end the four-game win streak the Bills currently have over them? Will they cover the spread as the favorites on Thursday Night Football?
The Miami Dolphins start the NFL’s Week 2 schedule with a home Thursday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills. An AFC East division game early in the season, this game could go a long way toward the final playoff standings 16 weeks from now. How will this rivalry game play out?
Taking a look at the odds brought to us by FanDuel sportsbook, the Dolphins seem to have the slight edge in this game. A normal home-field advantage line has the home team favored by three points – the Dolphins are favored by 2.5 points in this game in Miami. Buffalo receives a little benefit of the doubt, probably because they still have quarterback Josh Allen and they have performed well over the past several seasons, but the oddsmakers seem to see this as a game between two fairly equal teams.
Here are our predictions for the game, both against the spread and straight up.
Bills at Dolphins (-2.5) (via FanDuel sportsbook)
The Dolphins come into this game hoping to end a streak of four straight losses to the Bills. Josh Allen has been dominant against Miami throughout his career, carving them up both through the air and with his legs. The 2024 version of the Dolphins have high expectations, and if they are going to meet them, they will have to start with a win over the Bills at home.
Buffalo is not the same team they were last year, with several key veteran departures. Is that enough for Miami to move ahead of them in the AFC playoff picture and the race for the AFC East division title?
The Dolphins do not have their South Florida heat advantage for this game, but they do have the advantage of hosting a Thursday Night Football game four days after both teams played in Week 1. Buffalo had to build travel time into their weekly preparation plans; the Dolphins could continue to rest and recover over the entire four days.
Miami knows what is at stake in this game, and they know they have to shake off the stigma of not being able to beat playoff teams. They are loaded on offense and defense and this feels like the time they can end the Bills’ winning streak against them.
Bet: Dolphins -2.5
Our season-long contributors picks pool began last week and looks a lot like how the 2023 edition of the pool ended – with James McKinney leading the way; he finished with a 14-2 record for the week. Marek Brave and Kevin Nogle each had solid weeks at 11-5, while Sumeet Jena was just a game behind them at 10-6 – but McKinney clearly is ready to continue to dominate the picks here on the site.
The picks pool is based on the straight-up/moneyline picks for each game, giving you our predictions of the outright winner for each game of the year.
Last week and current overall standings:
James McKinney (14-2)
Marek Brave (11-5)
Kevin Nogle (11-5)
Sumeet Jena (10-6)
On to tonight’s Thursday Night Football picks:
