The Miami Dolphins head to Texas to face the Houston Texans in Week 15. Who has the advantage according to the oddsmakers?
The Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets on Sunday, needing overtime to put away their AFC East rivals. With the win, Miami kept their slim playoff chances alive. Next on the schedule is a visit to the AFC South division-leading Houston Texans. Can Miami keep their shot at the postseason alive with a second-straight victory?
How do the oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook see this game playing out? They seem to expect a close game as both teams fight for playoff positioning.
What are the records for both teams?
The Dolphins, with their Week 14 victory, improved to 6-7 on the season. While they are still below the .500 mark, they are still fighting for a wild card position in the AFC playoff picture. They are currently ninth in the seven-team postseason tournament, needing to continue to win games while looking for help from some other teams around the league.
The Texans are 8-5, two games ahead of the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South championship. They are currently the fourth-seeded team in the playoff positioning, two games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for the third spot.
What is the all-time history between the teams?
This will be just the 12th meeting between the teams since Houston entered the league in 2002. Historically, Miami has struggled against the Texans, losing the first seven meetings. The Dolphins have turned that around with three wins in the last four contests, but the Texans still hold the advantage 8-3 over Miami.
The last meeting between the teams was in Miami in 2022. Miami won the Week 12 game 30-15.
The two teams’ history would not be complete without mentioning the trade sending left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Miami to Houston. Miami selected Tunsil in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After playing at guard for his rookie season then moving to tackle, Tunsil established himself as a franchise lineman very quickly. Shortly after Miami picked up his fifth-year option in 2019, the Texans offered a trade package that the team could not pass up, sending Miami two first-round draft picks, a second-round selection and two players in exchange for Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, and a fourth-round draft pick. Tunsil has been selected for four Pro Bowls since arriving in Houston, while Miami turned the draft picks into multiple selections and players, including draft picks wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and safety Jevon Holland and trades for wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Bradley Chubb.
What are the FanDuel Sportsbook odds?
The line opened on Sunday with the Texans slight favorites and has held steady since being posted. Houston is favored by just under the standard home-field advantage line of three points, sitting at 2.5 points. The Dolphins are +130 on the moneyline for the straight-up win, while the Texans are -154. The point total is 47.5.
Spread: Texans -2.5
Moneyline: Dolphins +130 | Texans -154
Point total: 47.5
