The Miami Dolphins were one of the most exciting surprises in the NFL this past season. Head coach Brian Flores led the team to a 10-6 record. It wasn’t enough to get the Dolphins in the playoffs this season, but the club knows where it is going for the coming season.
The team’s NFL betting performance shows how the Dolphins overachieved this season. The team did significantly better than the sportsbooks could have figured. But there’s still more for the Dolphins to do, especially as they are close to overtaking the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.
How They Did ATS
The Miami Dolphins tied Buffalo for the best ATS record with an 11-5 mark for 2020. The result comes as the Dolphins were more effective than people could have anticipated. The team had 25.3 points per game while giving up 21.1 points to their opponents.
.@jasonsanderss just different.
🔥 Franchise’s all-time career leader in field goal percentage
🔥 Tied the franchise’s single-season points record in 2020 (144)
🔥 92.3 field goal percentage in 2020 = a single-season team record pic.twitter.com/HBReuuYopi— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) February 16, 2021
New quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appears to be the team’s quarterback of the future, although backup Ryan Fitzpatrick did everything he could to keep his spot.
The outstanding defensive work of Xavien Howard and Jerome Baker was also essential to the team’s performance, especially as Howard had a few consecutive games where he had at least one interception.
The Dolphins consistently proved a surprise on the sportsbooks. The club defeated the Arizona Cardinals 34-31 in a situation where they had a +6 line. The team also overcame a +3.5 line against the Los Angeles Rams for a 28-17 victory.
The Phins even improved well enough to where they were favorites in Buffalo during their final game. The Dolphins were -3.5 favorites, but the Bills ran away with a 56-26 victory.
The team’s offense is expected to improve, as Tagovailoa will have help from rising running back Myles Gaskin and tight end Mike Gesicki in the future. The Dolphins still have a few high-value draft picks as well, so they might go towards giving Tua some extra assistance.
Over/Under Points
The Dolphins were a mixed bag in the over/under department, as the team went 7-9 in that field. Most of the Dolphins’ over/under values were at less than fifty points.
The Phins were close to those totals throughout the season, including through a 29-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with a 49 total. The Dolphins also defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 26-25 with a 50.5 total.
What to See in 2021
The Miami Dolphins hope to bring their positive momentum over to the 2021 season. The team has a +2800 line to win Super Bowl LVI, plus they have a +280 line to win the AFC East.
The Dolphins will have a tough time catching up to the Bills, but they will still bear with the New England Patriots club facing uncertainty and a New York Jets team trying to rebuild and win more than a few games.
The Dolphins will compete against teams in the AFC South and NFC South this season. They will also have games against the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas, as the team finished in second place in their division this past year.
The real question for NFL betting purposes is what the Dolphins will do with all their leverage this coming season. The Dolphins have more cap space than most opponents, plus they have the third and eighteenth picks in the upcoming draft.
The team could take a game-changer at the start like wide receiver DeVonta Smith or offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and then build up depth with someone like linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah or tackle Christian Darrisaw. But whatever happens, the Dolphins will be a more inviting team for bettors to explore in the coming season.
Even though the NFL season is over, we will still be keeping our eye on what’s going on! Make sure you check all the latest information on our NFL hub page.
*Odds correct at time of writing.
Image by: pixy.org
