The Miami Dolphins have surprised many people in the NFL with the way they have come out of the gate. On Monday night they will try to keep pace with New England in the AFC East when they take on the New Orleans Saints in a game that is slated to begin at 8:40 PM ET at the Superdome.
The Saints can gain a three-game lead on the team that is perceived to be their nearest rivals in the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons, with a victory.
In the football lines that have been posted at BetAnySports, the Saints are the favorites:
Pro Football Lines Courtesy of BetAnySports Live Betting USA Sportsbook
New Orleans Saints -7 -105
Miami Dolphins +7 -115
Over 48 Points -110
Under 48 Points -110
When people have talked about the Saints in years past, the discussion has centered around Drew Brees and his collection of receivers. Indeed, they are dangerous, and Graham in particular has gotten off to a great start, with 23 catches already. But the thing that has made the Saints a team that can conceivably get some support for the Super Bowl (they are a +1150 shot at BetAnySports in that category) is the transformation that has happened with the team’s defense.
They have given up only 38 points in three games thus far, and limited opposing quarterbacks to just 55% completions, which is excellent in this day and age. This is a far cry from the state of this unit last season, when it set an NFL record for giving up the most yards. And most people would credit Rob Ryan, the new defensive coordinator, for bringing in a new look and a new attitude. However, it is still a sampling of only three games, and New Orleans has been somewhat generous against the run, yielding 5.3 yards an attempt.
It’s a good thing for them that the Dolphins (+250 at BetAnySports to win straight-up) don’t run the ball very well. Aside from a 49-yard breakaway scamper by Lamar Miller against Atlanta, they haven’t really done much at all on the ground. It would be a big help for Ryan Tannehill if they can get a rushing attack started. That would make the offense more well-rounded. Tannehill has made good use of Brian Hartline, a holdover from last season, but Mike Wallace, who came over from Pittsburgh as the “big play guy,” has only had an impact in one of the three games they have played. A nice surprise has been tight end Charles Clay, who has filled some of the void left after Dustin Keller, a free agent acquisition in the off-season, got hurt in a pre-season game. He is +700 in the NFL props at BetAnySports to score the first touchdown for his team.
Everybody’s got an eye on whether Cameron Wake will be able to make post. Wake has been dealing with a knee injury that has limited his effectiveness, and although he’s been practicing this week, it will be a game time decision on the part of coach Joe Philbin as to how much he plays, or whether he’s going to play at all.