A few weeks ago, this game looked like it would be one of the worst of the year on Monday Night Football. But all of a sudden, this game has significant playoff implications for both teams. A loss for each side would essentially end their playoff hopes, but a win might up them in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card berth.
The Dolphins have won six straight games and have finally reached .500. However, they’ve beaten a lot of bad teams during that stretch and will now close the season against the Saints, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots.
Meanwhile, the Saints have won their last two games with Taysom Hill under center. But the story has been their defense. They’ve allowed a total of nine points in their last two games, including shutting out Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. However, Hill will be out in Week 16 due to COVID-19 and rookie Ian Book is slated to get the start.
So can the Saints get a third straight win and improve to 8-7, or will the Dolphins extend their winning streak to seven and stay alive in the AFC playoff picture?
Let’s dive into our Week 16 preview and the best bets for this Monday Night Football matchup.
Please note that all NFL Week 16 MNF odds and lines are current as of 1 p.m. EST on Monday, December 20.
Monday Night Football Prediction Week 16
Over the last two months, these have been two of the best defenses in the NFL. They both can get big stops when needed and are powered by elite secondaries. So the biggest question in this game is which offense do you trust more?
Taysom Hill has averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt in his three starts and has four interceptions to just two touchdowns. The offense for the Saints just can’t sustain any drives, and they lack big plays.
But Hill won’t even be available in Week 16 and they will turn to fourth-round pick Ian Book, who will start his first game in the NFL. It’s really hard to see how the offense will put up a lot of points.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Before making your best MNF betting picks, you should know that TwinSpires Sportsbook is one of the best around. Take advantage of TwinSpires’ outstanding welcome bonus, which gives you a with no promo code required.
Read Anthony Cervino’s TwinSpires Sportsbook review for more insight and get your welcome bonus below, or continue reading this analysis for our best MNF tipster picks.
Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa has seen his adjusted yards per attempt drop in five-straight games and had maybe his worst game of the season against the New York Jets. Not having Jaylen Waddle hurt, but the fact is he didn’t play well.
However, given that the Saints are home and their defense has been so good as of late, it’s hard not to pick them to win here. The offense probably only needs 17 points to win and expect Sean Payton to open up his bag of tricks to put some points on the board.
Take the Saints to win a low-scoring game in New Orleans in Week 16.
NFL Week 16 MNF Prediction: Saints 17, Dolphins 14
Monday Night Football Best Bets Week 16
MNF Best Bet: Saints +2.5 (-110) at TwinSpires
Wager: 1 Unit
This is a tough spread because neither offense is capable of pulling away from the other. Everything points to this game being a one-score contest that likely comes down to the final drive or two.
However, the Saints’ defense has created a ton of turnovers over the last few weeks, and they should be able to overwhelm Tagovailoa in this one. It would be a shock if the Dolphins had any success running the ball, even with their running backs returning to the field after missing last week due to COVID-19.
Expect the Saints to get a close win here on Monday Night Football in our NFL bet of the day.
MNF Best Bet: Under 37.5 Total Points (-110) at TwinSpires
Wager: 1 Unit
You’ve got to be crazy here to bet the Over with any kind of confidence. These are two of the best defenses in the NFL going up against two of the worst offenses. It will be quite the shock if either team gets to 21 points.
The smart play here is to take the Under. The only way the Over hits is if a bunch of turnovers are returned for touchdowns. Otherwise, it seems very unlikely that either side is going to move the ball with any kind of consistency.
Take the under here with confidence, as this should be another low-scoring game for the Saints and the Dolphins.
Thanks for reading our NFL Week 16 MNF Predictions! For more NFL betting tips, check out our NFL pick of the day.
