Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) at Miami Dolphins (7-4)
The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Here’s our complete guide to Bengals Dolphins Bet Tips.
All odds and lines from PointsBet, current as of Thursday at 5:30 a.m. ET.
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Bengals Dolphins Bet Tips
Bengals Dolphins Odds and Betting Lines
- Against The Spread: Dolphins -11.5 (-110)/Bengals +11.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Dolphins (-430)/Bengals (+600)
- Total: 42.5 — Over 42.5 (-115)/Under 42.5 (-105)
- Implied Team Totals: Dolphins 27, /Bengals 15.5
The Bengals have lost three straight games and their stud rookie quarterback, Joe Burrow, in the process. They will attempt to pick up their third win of the year over a Dolphins team who have won six of their past seven games. The Dolphins must win this game to remain within a game of the Bills as they race to clinch the AFC East.
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Bengals Dolphins Key Injuries
Bengals
The Bengals are not dealing with any new significant injuries.
Dolphins
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with a thumb injury that forced him to sit in last week’s win over the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick drew the start. However, Tagovailoa returned to practice this week. And per reports, there is a “degree of optimism" that the rookie signal-caller returns for Sunday’s bout with the Bengals.
Whether it is Tagovailoa or Fitzpatrick, the Joe Burrow-less Bengals should be a fairly easy out for Miami. Fitzpatrick completed 24-of-39 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns with no giveaways in his revenge game Week 12 victory over New York.
Bengals Dolphins Players to Watch
Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki really began to flash in the second half of the 2019 season. However, he’s failed to live up to expectations in 2020. While Gesicki is solid, he has the skill set to emerge as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. He just doesn’t do it enough or on a consistent basis.
In his past three games, Gesicki has drawn five targets in each contest, his most opportunity since Week 5. However, despite the uptick in targets, he’s logged fewer than 43 yards and four receptions in each game with one touchdown in that span — two of those contests, Geskicki only caught 2-of-5 targets. He is not getting it done.
In last week’s win over the Jets, Gesicki, a New Jersey native, accumulated a meager 2/35/1 line. It was his first touchdown since Week 3, snapping a seven-game scoring drought. Geskicki has a terrific opportunity to score in his second straight game this week facing the Bengals, who are one of the worst teams in the NFL at defending enemy tight ends. The Bengals have allowed the ninth-most receptions (56), the most yards (718), and the fourth most touchdowns (6) to the tight end postion in 11 2020 matchups.
Last season when Gesicki faced-off against the Bengals, he hung a 6/82/2 line on them.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins led the Bengals in receiving last week in the team’s first full contest without Joe Burrow.
With Brandon Allen at quarterback, Higgins corralled all five of his targets for 44 yards and a score. Only Tyler Boyd (6) had more targets than Higgins, but he only caught three of them for 15 yards. No other Bengals wideout caught a pass.
If the Bengals are going to have a shot at moving the football against a Dolphins defense, which does give up production despite the fact that they are one of the best defensive units in points allowed, someone other than Higgins must make an impact. Otherwise, it will be a long afternoon in Miami.
Higgins is expected to draw Xavien Howard in coverage. Howard is Player Profiler’s No. 5-ranked corner.
Bengals Dolphins Weather Report
The weather at Hard Rock Stadium calls for an overcast afternoon at the time of kickoff with a 22% precipitation probability.
The temperature is forecast at 71 degrees Fahrenheit with 10 mph winds blowing NorthWest.
Bengals Dolphins Bet Tips
BEST BET: Under 42.5 (-105)
The Dolphins are yielding the second-fewest points per game this season (18.6). They’ll get a Bengals offense that has scored fewer than 17 points in each of their past three games, including two games with fewer than 10. What’s crazy is that they scored their most points in that three-game period last week against the Giants with Brandon Allen under center.
Once the Dolphins have a lead, I expect them to slow the game down, lean on their defense and run the football, which does not bode well for the Over.
The Under is 3-3-1 in the Bengals’ past seven games. In each of the past three games the Bengals have played in, the Under hit two games in a row while pushing in the third.
The Under is 4-2 in Miami’s past six games and hit in two straight.
The Under is 4-2-1 in the past seven meetings between the Dolphins and Bengals, going over in their 2019 matchup.
CONSIDER: Dolphins -11.5 (-110)
11.5 points is a big spread, but it is one that the Dolphins should cover with ease. While I wouldn’t have the same sentiments if Joe Burrow was playing, he isn’t. Brandon Allen is. The Bengals’ offense, which made strides with Burrow, could not move the football in last week’s loss against the Giants. Allen only managed to lead the Cincinnati offense to 3.4 yards per play. That was against an improving but still exploitable Giants defense.
Now they get the Dolphins, who are allowing the second-fewest points per game (18.6). What’s more, they are opportunistic and force turnovers. That will be the difference in the game. If this game is a one-score game, that defense could rapidly make a play and hang points on the board, helping to cover the spread.
The Dolphins are 8-2 against the spread in their past 10 games and 6-1 in their past seven.
The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their past seven games, covering last week against the Giants.
The Dolphins are 4-3 ATS in their past seven meetings with the Bengals, covering in last year’s matchup.
PASS: Bengals (+600)
If Joe Burrow was still playing, I would give the Bengals a fighting chance. That is not the case.
The Dolphins are 4-3 straight up in their past seven meetings with the Bengals, victorious in their 2019 matchup.
Anthony Cervino is 31-33-1 on his NFL Best Bets in 2020.
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