The winless Denver Broncos will travel south to take on the undefeated Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season. The Broncos are coming off a disappointing 35-33 home loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 24-17 on the road on Sunday Night Football in Week 2. Tua Tagovailoa and Miami’s offense have been rolling to begin the season, and the Dolphins will make their home debut on Sunday.
Sean Payton is seeking his first win as the head coach of the Broncos following losses to the Commanders and the Las Vegas Raiders. Ahead of Sunday’s Week 3 showdown, here are our predictions and best bets for Denver vs Miami.
Broncos vs Dolphins Odds
NFL odds used for this Denver vs Miami preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Dolphins (-298) • Broncos (+240)
- Spread: Dolphins -7 (-105) • Broncos +7 (-115)
- Total Points: Over 48 (-108) • Under 48 (-112)
- Implied Score: Dolphins 27.5, Broncos 20.5
Broncos vs Dolphins Predictions
Score Pick: Dolphins 30, Broncos 20
Coming into the season, many expected Russell Wilson to look better under Payton and for Denver’s defense to be an above-average unit. While Wilson and the offense have flashed more consistency, the defense just allowed the Commanders to tally 35 points, a week after the Raiders moved the ball with ease against them.
Next up for the Broncos is a Dolphins team that has Tagovailoa playing at an MVP level to begin the season. Stopping Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (who is in the concussion protocol) is easier said than done.
After having to secure their first two wins on the road, the Dolphins now get to show off their electric offense in front of their fans. Even though the Broncos should move the ball with success on Sunday, the Dolphins are the much better team entering Week 3.
Broncos vs Dolphins Best Bets & Props
Dolphins 1H -3.5 (-118)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The Dolphins should have no issues moving the ball with Mike McDaniel calling the shots, and they’ve been able to secure halftime leads in each of their first two games of the season. In Week 1 versus the Los Angeles Chargers, the Dolphins took a 20-17 lead into halftime before winning the game 36-34.
In their 24-17 road victory over New England in Week 2, Miami held a 17-3 lead over its AFC East rivals. While the Dolphins were outscored 14-7 in the second half of this past Sunday’s contest versus the Patriots, they still look like one of the best teams in the NFL.
Back the Dolphins to secure an early four-plus-point lead in the first half over the Broncos for our NFL best bet of the day.
Alternate Total: Over 46.5 (-140)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
You can certainly take the current listed total of 48 points as the Dolphins should contribute the majority of their points. But with DraftKings and other sportsbooks offering alternate totals, we can be somewhat safer by taking Over 46.5 points to be scored in Sunday’s contest.
Both of these teams are 1-1 to the Over to begin the season, with each team having a game that had at least 68 points scored. Offensively, these two teams also convert first downs at a high rate.
The Dolphins are averaging 26 first downs per game (second in the NFL) and the Broncos are producing 21.5 first downs per game (tied for 10th in the NFL).
With both offenses proving they can move the ball this season, they should find the end zone enough to achieve the Over in Week 3.
Dolphins 1H Over 13.5 (-122)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Just to piggyback off taking the Dolphins to hold at least a four-point lead in the first half, we’ll take them to also score at least 14 points. It’s early in the season, but this version of McDaniels’ offense looks like an elite unit who could propel the Dolphins to a deep playoff run if they can remain healthy.
In each of its first two games this season, Miami has logged at least 17 points in the first half. The Dolphins want to come out firing each game with Tagovailoa orchestrating the offense, and not every team is going to have the same success as the Patriots when it comes to slowing down Hill.
The Broncos defense has shown signs of weakness early in the season, and it’ll be tough for them to get on track against the Dolphins on Sunday.
Broncos vs Dolphins Same Game Parlay
Broncos vs Dolphins SGP (+260)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
- Dolphins Over 29.5 (+120)
- Dolphins -2.5 1H Spread (-165)
- Dolphins -6.5 Alt Spread (-115)
- Alternate Total: Over 43.5 (-190)
When mixing and matching my game prediction and best bets for the game, you can come up with a solid Same Game Parlay at +260 odds on DraftKings. The first leg is for the Dolphins to score at least 30 points versus the Broncos, which is something Sam Howell and the Commanders just did on the road against them in Week 2.
After taking the Dolphins to have at least a four-point lead at halftime and predicting them to win by 10, you can take Miami’s first-half spread of -2.5 and the full-game alternate spread of -6.5. The Dolphins have held at least a three-point lead at halftime in each of their first two games, and they just beat the Patriots by seven on the road in Week 2.
The last leg is lowering the alternate total we took above by taking Over 43.5 points to be scored. The Dolphins are capable of scoring nearly 30 points themselves. At the same time, the Broncos will need to play somewhat faster to keep up with the Dolphins on Sunday.
