Dolphins Vs. Patriots Prediction: Thursday Night Football Picks ATS And NFL Week 8 Odds
By Abraham Gutierrez
Despite the (3-3) Miami Dolphins' recent resurgence, NFL oddsmakers and pro football predictions experts still believe the (6-0) New England Patriots will prevail by almost double digits when these AFC East rivals meet in Week 8's edition of Thursday Night Football.
Perhaps that's because Fins fans have to look all the way back to the 2008 NFL season to find the last time Miami defeated New England in Foxborough. For those keeping count, that's six wins in a row for Bill Belichick's club at Gillette Stadium, making this week's contest a little tricky for NFL bettors looking to test their skills against the spread.
For the record, the Dolphins started the week as high as eight-and-a-half point underdogs in their first of two games against the Patriots this season. However, seasoned bettors have forced NFL oddsmakers to adjust their point spreads, and as of Wednesday morning, Miami's cushion has been minimized to seven-and-a-half points in this one.
Dolphins vs. Patriots 2015 NFL General Consensus (Week 8)
One of the reasons for the sudden line movement could be attributed to the fact that most bettors are sitting on the fence. Less than 48 hours removed from kickoff, 51 percent of the betting population believes that New England is capable of beating Miami by a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
In contrast, a surprising 49 percent of the bettors like the Fins' chances to go into hostile territory and come away with, either a win, or, worst-case scenario, a loss of seven points or less. For the record, the visiting team accounts for 376 units in this one, while the hosts have tallied 295 wagers, thus far. Needless to say, things are extremely close in what is sure to be a very physical and intense ballgame in primetime.
Why Smart Money Lies On Dolphins' Underdog Cover
Those who believe that Miami has made the necessary adjustments to hand the defending champs their first loss of the 2015 NFL season, would be glad to know that there are plenty of ATS statistics to support that notion.
For starters, the Dolphins have proven to play well in their past 14 Week 8 games, posting an ATS record of 12-2 during that span. Dan Campbell's bunch has also performed well after allowing more than 90 rushing yards the week prior, having won four of five under those circumstances.
Keeping the positive vibes going, ATS stats also indicate that the Fins are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played in the month of October, and love playing on Thursday night's evidenced by the fact that they sport a 5-2 mark on TNF affairs. Having said all that, Miami faces the mighty Patriots, and thus, it should come as no surprise that New England fans betting against the spread also have plenty to smile about.
Patriots Recent ATS Trends To Consider
As stated above, this team has owned their AFC East counterparts over the past seven seasons at home, and their ATS record at Gillette Stadium reflects that dominance. The first piece of information bettors must know is that the home team is a perfect 6-0 in the last six games between Miami and New England. Also, the betting favorite, which more times than not have been the Pats, comes in with a 4-1 ATS record the last five times these intradivisional foes have collided.
But the head-to-head stats aren't the only figures favoring of a pro-Patriots wager in this one. The truth is that there aren't too many deterrents for those who believe New England is equipped to beat Miami by eight points or more in Week 8. Here are just some of the most recent trends to consider for an ATS bet in favor of the hosting Patriots.
New England is: 3-0-1 after accumulating more than 250 passing yards, 5-1-1 following a straight-up win and after allowing less than 90 rushing yards, 4-1 in its last five Week 8 games, 7-2 after accumulating less than 90 rushing yards, 3-1-1 in its last five games overall, 14-6-1 at home, 35-15-3 in the month of October, and, last but not least, 72-33-2 after accumulating more than 350 total yards in its previous game.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.