Miami Dolphins vs New Orleans Saints Odds, Betting Preview and Predictions

Miami Dolphins vs New Orleans Saints Odds, Betting Preview and Predictions

The Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints face a must-win game in this week’s curtain closer on Monday night. Both sides come into Week 16 with a 7-7 record, but the Dolphins are riding the momentum of a six-game winning streak into the Caesar’s Superdome, the home of the Saints.

Markets opened betting on this highly anticipated Monday Night Football showdown with the Saints favored by a field goal, but the line has flipped entirely and the Dolphins now emerge as the 2.5-point favorites. This turnaround is, in part, due to Miami’s form and the public’s perception of both these teams. However, the big news that Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were placed on the reserve/Covid-19 list this week prompted the complete shift in the market.

Miami Dolphins (7-7) vs New Orleans Saints (7-7)

 Date: Monday, December 27, 2021

 Time: 8:20 PM ET

 Location: Caesar’s Superdome, New Orleans

 TV Broadcast: NBC

Dolphins vs Saints Odds

Miami Dolphins Betting Preview

The Dolphins are eyeing up their seventh-straight win when they square up to the Saints on Monday Night Football. Miami is entertaining the slimmest of playoff hopes and must win out to clinch a wildcard spot. However, a lot rests on what happens with their rivals, too. The Dolphins have barely any tiebreakers (if at all) to rely on here.

Brian Flores’ side is coming off a 31-24 win over the New York Jets as 10-point favorites. The win extended their winning form to six wins, but the seven-point margin of victory ended their cover streak to five straight covers. 

Tua Tagovailoa had an uneven performance as he went 16 of 27 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Duke Johnson put up 107 yards and two touchdowns while DeVante Parker led the team with 68 receiving yards and one touchdown.

New Orleans Saints Betting Preview

Taysom Hill and Co. sent seismic shockwaves through NFL betting markets following a stunning 9-0 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To say few predicted such an outcome would be an understatement. The Buccaneers certainly were left shellshocked and bewildered.

The win marked the Saints’ second-straight win to improve to a 7-7 record on the season and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Saints are tied with the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles on a 7-7 record, but they fall behind this tandem in the standings due to tiebreakers.

Taysom Hill had a modest passing performance going 13 of 27 passes for 154 yards in the win over Tampa Bay. He led the team with 33 rushing yards while Marquez Callaway put up 112 yards on six catches. 

The real clincher was the Saints defense that gave Tom Brady headaches. The pressure was relentless. They sacked the future Hall of Famer four times, forced an interception and a fumble for a loss – all of which conspired to render the Buccaneers offense pointless.

Dolphins vs Saints Odds

The market movement on this game is quite pronounced and a direct reaction to the current situation in New Orleans’ camp. Sean Payton’s side can’t seem to catch a break this season. 

Books opened with the Saints as the firm field-goal favorites, only for the market to turn upside down following news that rookie quarterback Ian Book would be making his NFL debut for the Saints. The game total is currently trading between 36.5 to 37 points -- down from an opening total of 40 points (or thereabouts depending on the corresponding sportsbook).

NFL Predictions and Picks:

Despite their fair share of issues this season, the Dolphins and Saints find themselves bidding for playoff positioning as the season winds down. At a glance, the Dolphins appear to have form and momentum. However, with the schedule they’ve had, one could argue that they’re only as good as their opponents were bad. Let’s face it, wins over the Houston Texans, Jets (twice), Carolina Panthers and New York Giants are hardly anything to go by. The lone semi-quality win came against a banged-up Baltimore Ravens side. 

Tagovailoa hasn’t faced a defense as good as the Saints or a stadium quite as electric as Caesar’s Superdome is. Those two aspects could make it a challenge for Miami to come through with both the win and cover. The fact is that Miami’s offense leaves much to be desired, as does Tagavailoa’s inconsistent play. Without the defense, Miami wouldn’t be where it is.  

The Saints faced a much tougher schedule in November -- made all the more challenging with their issues at quarterback. And those issues spill forth into this week as Payton’s quarterback carousel moves down to the rookie from Notre Dame, Ian Book. 

It’s impossible to know what to expect from Book. The 2021 NFL draft quarterback class has been largely underwhelming this season which doesn’t augur well. 

That said, it’s an unbelievable opportunity for the 23-year-old. Perhaps, he’ll surprise everyone. Book was buried in the NFL draft depth chart, but he played several important games during his three seasons with Notre Dame. If the Saints defense can come out in force as it did against Tampa Bay last Sunday, Book only needs to hold up his end and play a clean game to give the Saints a chance. Betting on the Saints to win or cover isn’t a sure thing – so don’t go betting the farm on it. But it’s not an improbable bet because the Dolphins aren’t infallible. 

Pick: Saints +3