The high-flying Seattle Seahawks (3-0) are taking their talents to South Beach to take on Fitzmagic and the Miami Dolphins (1-2) (1pm ET Sunday, live on FOX).
Both teams are on a high heading into this, so where is the betting value for this NFL game? Read on for our Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins predictions and closing picks.
The Seahawks are coming off another dominant performance as they beat the Cowboys 38-31. That was their third win and their third cover of the spread. That was also the third time their game went over the USA sports gambling sites’ total points through three games. The Seahawks are not only winning but they are covering in shootouts.
The Dolphins are also coming off a win and their best performance on the year. They beat the Jaguars handedly 31-13 as +3pts home underdogs. Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a strong outing and the magic is alive and well. He only had two incompletions last week (18 for 20), two touchdowns, no interceptions, and was only sacked once. He only threw for 160 yards but it was quite the efficient performance. The Dolphins are now 2-1 against the spread and got their first outright win of the season.
Both offenses have been the strength of their teams. Russell Wilson is currently leading the MVP race through three weeks. Wilson is currently +220 in the sportsbooks’ betting with Patrick Mahomes second (+350), Aaron Rodgers third (+700), Lamar Jackson fourth (+1050), and Josh Allen rounding out the top five (+1500). Wilson has never received a first place vote despite the success throughout his career. He has the offense clicking on all fronts and we expect to see another strong outing in Miami on Sunday. The Seahawks rank second in the NFL in average points per game (37.0) and 5th in the NFL in average passing yards per game (289.7).
Key Defensive Backs Injured
Both teams will likely be without two of their best defensive backs this week. Miami’s star cornerback Byron Jones is doubtful this week with a groin and an Achilles injury. This will be Jones’ second straight missed game. He is the fifth highest paid cornerback in the NFL after signing from Dallas in the offseason. Rookie first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene will continue to start. Igbinoghene has given up 10 receptions on 16 targets.
Russell Wilson and their explosive offense should be able to exploit the vulnerable secondary. Miami ranks 26th in passing yards allowed per game (265.7). Wilson ranks first in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 14. Second is Josh Allen with 10 touchdown passes. Wilson is fourth in the league in passing yards with 925.
Between big play wide receivers DK Metcalf (third in the NFL with 297 yards receiving) and Tyler Lockett (ranked 10th in the NFL with 259 yards receiving) they will be able to spread the field against a less than stellar secondary. Their strong passing attack should be able to thrive.
The Seahawks have already ruled out one of their top defensive backs. Jamal Adams will not play this week due to an ankle injury. Adams is second on the team in tackles with 23, he leads the team in sacks with two, he leads the team in tackles for loss with 3.5 and is tied for first with one interception. He will be a massive loss for a secondary that has struggled so far this season.
Starting cornerback Quinton Dunbar is also out this week. This is the second straight game he will miss with a knee injury. Tre Flowers is set to start again in his place this week. Flowers has given up eight receptions on 10 targets.
The Seahawks are ranked last in the NFL in average passing yards allowed per game (430.7). The Dolphins have enough weapons to exploit the worst pass defense in the league. Mike Gesicki is emerging as one of the better tight ends in the NFL. He is ranked sixth among tight ends in receiving yards with 175 and is one off the lead in touchdowns with two. Gesicki leads the Dolphins in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Wide receiver Davante Parker is able to open up the defense with his 4.54 speed. The Dolphins should be able to put up some points of their own.
Our Preview’s Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins Picks & Predictions Verdict
We are going to be playing the over, which is currently sitting at 54 points with the bookies. This is one of the higher totals of the slate, but overs have been hitting at an incredibly high clip. Overs are currently 30-19 so far this season. This is a bit of a high number, but we are quite confident this will be a shootout.
The key injuries in the secondary will hurt. Both secondaries are also near the bottom in the league in average passing yards allowed per game. The Seahawks are literally the worst in the NFL giving up an average of 430.7 passing yards per game. We think the Dolphins can exploit this weakness and keep the game close (they are currently +5.5 home dogs after opening +7) but will be playing just the over confidently. So the conclusion of our Seattle Seahawks vs Miami Dolphins predictions is this pick:
- Go over 54 total points @ best odds of -113 with BetOnline. It is -115 with Intertops and Bookmaker while Bovada goes over 54.5pts at -110.
Alex Uplinger is a sports betting analyst, writer, podcast producer and an expert on NFL and college basketball. As well as his football previews for USA Betting, Alex produces and co-hosts an NFL show for Full Slate and a sports betting podcast on the Blue Wire Network.