Two teams with postseason aspirations will meet in preseason Week 3 when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The Eagles will look to build off their 21-20 Week 2 victory over the Cleveland Browns, in which backup quarterback Gardner Minshew was particularly impressive. The former Jaguar completed 14-of-17 passes for 142 yards and orchestrated a pair of long touchdown drives on Philadelphia’s first two possessions.
On the other side, the Dolphins will look to bounce back from a 15-13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. Tua Tagovailoa saw his first preseason action in that Week 2 contest, completing 6-of-8 passes for 58 yards and leading Miami to a field goal on his second and final drive.
It’s still unclear how much we’ll see from each team’s starters in this game, but we’ll try our best to find some value anyway in our Philadelphia vs Miami best bets and predictions.
Eagles vs Dolphins Odds
The Dolphins are 2.5-point home favorites in this game at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over/Under is set at a modest 38 points.
After a high-scoring preseason Week 1 across the NFL, books overreacted last week by setting many totals in the low 40s. We’re back to a more normal set of preseason odds here.
Eagles vs Dolphins Implied Score
Dolphins 20.25, Eagles 17.75
Our NFL odds indicate that Miami is the play at home here, but I’m not so sure.
This game could come down to how much the head coaches decide to play the starters, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far from Philadelphia’s backups, especially on offense.
Eagles vs Dolphins Pick of the Day
Read more on this Eagles vs Dolphins bet below.
Eagles vs Dolphins Matchup
It’s unconfirmed yet if we’ll see Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts in the team’s exhibition finale, but I wouldn’t count on it, especially after he took an egregious late hit from the Jets’ linebacker Quincy Williams in the opener. Hurts was fine and has been practicing, but didn’t suit up for last week’s win over the Browns.
If Philadelphia Head Coach Doug Sirianni follows the same pattern he did last season, Hurts will sit again and Minshew should see a majority of the snaps under center.
It’s harder to get a read on Tua’s status just yet, and last season won’t give us much of a read into first-year Head Coach Mike McDaniel‘s plans. Even if the Dolphins quarterback is out there, he’ll likely operate without top targets Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, both of whom are yet to feature in the exhibition season.
Eagles vs Dolphins Prediction
Eagles 23, Dolphins 20
Preseason games are sometimes easily predictable, especially if you get a matchup between a team in the midst of a quarterback controversy and one trying to rest its starters. Unfortunately, this is not one of those games.
The starters for both teams are well established and may not be risked as we head into Week 1. This game will likely be decided by the backups, and I’ll put my money behind Minshew and co. to have another strong performance.
Philadelphia’s backfield depth is also slightly more concentrated than Miami’s, with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott each registering 10-plus carries and a touchdown last week.
Eagles vs Dolphins Bet Tips
The Eagles closed as one-point favorites in each of their first two games and failed to cover the spread both times, although they did push last week.
The Dolphins defeated the Buccaneers in their opener, which closed as a pick’em. They then followed that up by losing outright as 3.5-point home favorites against the Raiders in Week 2.
Philadelphia’s preseason matchups are 2-0 to the Over, while Miami went Over in Week 1 and Under last week.
Eagles vs Dolphins Best Bets
Over 38 Total Points (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
I think there will be enough good quarterback play to get us Over this relatively modest total. We’ve talked about Minshew seeing a lot of reps, but there’s plenty to like on the Miami side between veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater and third-stringer Skylar Thompson.
The 2022 seventh-round pick has been particularly impressive thus far in the preseason. He was the only quarterback to take snaps in the opener and took advantage of the playing time, throwing for 218 yards and a touchdown in the win. Thompson then backed up that performance with a strong fourth-quarter cameo against the Raiders, completing 9-of-10 passes for 129 yards and a score.
While I do think the Eagles will win this game, I feel more comfortable betting the total as I think the Dolphins should contribute. Back the Over with your NFL pick of the day.
