In Week 17 of the NFL regular season, the Miami Dolphins will visit the Cleveland Browns in a key game in the AFC playoff race. Miami is hanging around in the Wild Card picture and will need a win to keep it that way, while the Browns have long been eliminated from playoff contention. Miami is favored by 5.5 points going into this game from Northeast Ohio, while the total for this contest has been set at 40.5 points.
Here, you will find our betting preview for Dolphins vs Browns. You will find our best bet for this contest, using volumes of NFL betting data to project the outcome with our sophisticated NFL model. Perhaps just as important, you will find our breakdown of this game, including keys to the game and important trends to keep an eye on.
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Dolphins Look to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
In Week 16 of the NFL season, the Miami Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive for another week by beating the San Francisco 49ers at home. The defense of the Dolphins stood tall in that game, holding the Niners to just 17 points. This week, NFL betting sites expect the Dolphins to get the job done on defense once again, as Miami is favored in a game with a low total.
On offense, the key to this game for the Dolphins is going to be whether or not they can protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The pass rush of the Browns is likely the one facet of that team that hasn’t been completely demoralized so far this season. If Miami allows the Browns pass rush to disrupt them, Miami could be in a tighter game than anticipated, which could lead to their elimination from postseason contention.
Browns Looking For Offensive Spark
The Cleveland Browns were run over by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 of the NFL season, dropping them to 3-12 on the year. Cleveland went with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback instead of Jameis Winston, with that decision failing to bear much fruit on the scoreboard. This week, the Browns intend to start Thompson-Robinson again and Cleveland will have to find a way to put some points on the board with him out there.
Cleveland will also have to find a way to slow down another potent passing attack in this contest. After holding Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to just 24 points in Week 16, the Browns secondary will again be tested by Tyreek Hill and the receivers of the Dolphins. If Cleveland wants any chances to win this game, they will need to keep the score low.
Dolphins vs Browns Prediction
Our best bet for Dolphins vs Browns is the under. While Miami has a high ceiling offensively, we expect them to struggle with the pass rush of the Browns throughout this contest. We also expect the Browns to struggle to put points on the board with Thompson-Robinson expected to start at quarterback. Look for the winner of this game to struggle to reach 20 points no matter which team comes away with the victory in the end.
