The Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans meet on Sunday in a crucial Week 17 matchup that has playoff implications for both sides.
It seems crazy that Miami is in a playoff spot right now, but they got hot at the right time. After starting out 1-7, they’ve rattled off seven consecutive wins, one of which was on Monday night against the Saints. The Dolphins dominated on both sides of the ball and held New Orleans in check in a 20-3 win.
As for the Titans, they got back in the win column last Thursday night against the 49ers. They allowed them to tie the game late in the fourth quarter before Ryan Tannehill worked some late-game magic and got his team into field goal range.
Who will win this duel between two potential AFC playoff teams? Let’s dive in with our Dolphins vs Titans predictions and best bets to determine which team will emerge victorious in our NFL pick of the day series.
Please note that all NFL gameday odds and lines are current as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 30.
Dolphins vs Titans Prediction
The Dolphins were once looking like a team that was going to pick in the top five for next year’s draft, but things changed pretty quickly.
Brian Flores has done a tremendous job with his team, especially on defense where Miami has only allowed an average of 21 points per game. Their top-10 defense has been a big reason why they’ve been able to climb back into this.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has also been steady throughout this seven-game winning streak. He struggled earlier in the season, but during this streak, he has eight touchdown passes to five interceptions.
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Tennessee has done a masterful job staying near the top at the AFC despite a slew of injuries on offense. Running back Derrick Henry is out indefinitely, and Julio Jones has been banged up throughout the season as well.
That said, the Titans did just get A.J. Brown back, which could cause some issues for Miami’s secondary. He was dynamite against San Francisco last Thursday and finished with 145 yards and one touchdown on 11 receptions.
This is going to be one of the closest games of the weekend. I’m going to ride with Miami and have this Cinderella story keep going.
Prediction: Dolphins 20, Titans 17
Dolphins rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle has been terrific as of late, posting three consecutive games of at least 90 receiving yards. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Dolphins vs Titans Best Bets
Best Bet: Dolphins +3.5 (-115) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
This is one of the toughest picks I’ve ever had to make, but Miami is playing better football than Tennessee.
Having Brown back does do wonders for the Titans, but I struggle to see who else on their offense is going to make plays outside of him against a very good defense.
Miami’s Jaylen Waddle will be a matchup problem. He’s closing in on 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie and is coming off a stellar Monday night performance in which he finished with 92 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions.
DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki have also been great this season, and all three should be able to make plays that the Titans defense might not be able to handle.
Could the opposite happen? Absolutely, especially considering how well Tennessee is playing despite all the injuries. However, I’m going with the hotter team here.
Best Bet: Under 40 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
With how good Miami’s defense has been playing, I like the Under to hit here. Tennessee is also coming off back-to-back games in which they’ve only scored 33 combined points.
Now, Miami is only averaging 20.3 points per game themselves, so I see this being more of a defensive struggle than anything else.
Take the Under for this one and make it your NFL bet of the day.
Thank you for reading our NFL Week 17 Dolphins vs Titans Predictions! For more NFL betting tips, check out our NFL Week 17 Best Bets and NFL Week 17 Prop Bets.
