Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction, Pick, Odds: Will Tua Tagovailoa Outplay Lamar Jackson?

Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction, Pick, Odds: Will Tua Tagovailoa Outplay Lamar Jackson?

Mike McDaniel is 1-0 as a head coach and earned his first win against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

Will John Harbaugh be the next decorated head coach to lose against McDaniel and the Dolphins? Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson, turned down a lucrative contract extension this offseason and is playing with extra motivation this season.

These two teams could both earn a seed into the AFC playoff race. It's early in the season but this is certainly a matchup with big implications down the road. Which quarterback will emerge with a win?

Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Sunday's game between the Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens.

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DOLPHINS VS. RAVENS START TIME, WHERE TO WATCH, AND ODDS

• Date: Sunday, September 18th
• Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: CBS

Click here for Dolphins vs Ravens odds

DOLPHINS VS. RAVENS INJURY REPORT

DOLPHINS

Questionable: RB Salvon Ahmed (Head)

Out: CB Byron Jones (Ankle)

RAVENS

Questionable: RB J.K. Dobbins (Knee), T Ronnie Stanley (Ankle), and CB Marcus Peters (Knee)

Out: CB Kyle Fuller (Knee), LB Tyus Bowser (Achilles), and RB Gus Edwards (Knee)

MIAMI DOLPHINS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS PREDICTION

The Dolphins and Ravens have played twice since Jackson entered the NFL. The first matchup occurred in 2019 in Miami, where he started his MVP campaign with a 17-20-324-5 stat line. Jackson dealt with injuries off and on last season but he was available against the Dolphins, winding up with significantly lower numbers on a team that was relying on the bottom of their running back depth chart.

Miami won 22-10 but primarily cashed in on four field goals from Jason Sanders. The defense recovered a fumble for a scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter to jump out to a 15-3 lead that never evaporated.

Tagovailoa was caught in the chaotic environment under former head coach Brian Flores, who kept Jacoby Brissett under center for twice the number of snaps. Tagovailoa managed to find the end zone on a late quarterback sneak to seal the win but he completed only eight passes.

It's a different Tagovailoa under McDaniel's coaching scheme. The Patriots' defense is the strength of its team but Tagovailoa shredded them for 270 yards and a touchdown. It's important to note that he finished with only ten incompletions and was not used as a ball carrier, instead relying on McDaniel's scheme to find Jaylen Waddle in stride for a 42-yard touchdown pass. It ballooned the lead to 17-0 heading into halftime and essentially ended New England's aspirations.

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Jackson is a unique talent. He will have Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman as his primary targets, but the lingering return of J.K. Dobbins will make a massive difference for the Ravens' outlook against the Dolphins' defensive unit.

Neither team faced a prolific offense in Week 1, so it's difficult to gauge how their defenses will perform against more talented personnel.

Winning the turnover margin is always important in football but it will be vital for determining the outcome of this particular game. The Ravens committed two turnovers in 2021 and Jackson threw a bad interception early against the Jets.

Ravens' cornerback Kyle Fuller sustained a season-ending knee injury last week, while Marcus Peters is also questionable with a knee injury. Miami is dealing with fewer injuries and has new energy surrounding its players due to the presence of the eccentric but brilliant playcalling of McDaniel.

Miami signed Terron Armstead to left tackle and center Connor Williams during free agency, bolstering their pass protection. The running game did not get going against the Patriots, which is concerning against a talented Ravens secondary.

Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert have enough speed and elusiveness when given the opportunities, which will allow Tagovailoa to continue his efficient passing attack against a very talented Ravens secondary.

Baltimore also had minimal production on the ground against the Jets defense last week. It wasn't necessary. Jackson threw three touchdowns, including a 55-yard bomb to Bateman to extend their lead to 24-3. Upon closer inspection, Jackson had 13 incompletions and only carried six times for 17 yards, while getting sacked twice.

Baltimore's offensive line may be inferior to Miami's unit, which will force Jackson to improvise and make plays on the fly. He's lethal in open space and can throw his targets open, but pressure does tend to yield costly miscues and turnovers from Jackson. I'm confident in Tagovailoa's abilities in this system against a banged-up Ravens defense.

During the final summer weekend, I like the Dolphins to cover the spread in Baltimore.

MIAMI DOLPHINS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS PICK

• Pick: Miami +3.5 (-115) (Bet $115 to win $100)