Patriots vs. Dolphins Pick
Will the AFC East battle between the Patriots and Dolphins this Sunday be low-scoring for bettors at 1:00PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Dolphins are now 9.5-point home underdogs versus the Patriots after opening as a 6-point dog. As for the total, the number hit the board at 44.5 and that’s where the number currently sits.
Tom Brady did not practice on Wednesday due to a thigh injury and was listed as questionable with the same injury last week before eventually playing against the Jets. With New England yet to secure the top seed in the AFC, the Patriots are expected to play their starters on Sunday. The Pats could lose the No. 1 seed with a loss and a Raiders win over the Broncos. Even though Oakland will be without Derek Carr, don’t expect Bill Belichick to take any chances this weekend.
On the injury front for Miami, Jay Ajayi (shoulder) practiced on Wednesday. He landed hard on his shoulder late in the Dolphins’ overtime win over the Bills on Christmas Eve and says he’s battling a sprained AC joint in the shoulder. There is a scenario in which Miami can move up to the No. 5 seed this weekend, so the Dolphins aren’t expected to rest any starters either.
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OUR PREDICTION: The under has been a great bet when the Patriots are on the road, as it has cashed in eight of their last nine games away from Foxboro. The under is also 7-3 in the Patriots’ last 10 conference games, is 5-1 in their last six games overall, and is 4-1 in their last five games when the team is coming off a win. On the other side, the under is 5-1 in the Dolphins’ last six home games against a team with a winning road record and is 4-1 in their last five games in Week 17.
NFL WEEK 17 PREDICTION: PATRIOTS/DOLPHINS UNDER 44.5