Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints NFL Preview and Odds
Dolphins and Saints Meet on Monday Night in Battle of Unbeatens
Monday Night Football was the place to find the best game of the NFL schedule each week for decades. But now that the NBC Network televises a game on Sunday night's "Football Night in America" they often get the best game of the week.
Sometimes though the schedule works out in favor of MNF as it has this week when the Miami Dolphins take on the New Orleans Saints in a battle of 3-0 teams. The Dolphins have beaten two teams that are thought by many to be Super Bowl contenders in the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints also have a win over the Falcons and one team from Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Saints have been bolstered by the return of their head coach, Sean Payton, who was suspended all of last year over the Saints' bounty scandal. They got off to a terrible start a year ago and never did recover. It was apparent that they were more talented than their 7-9 record and this year they have been proving it. With Drew Brees at the helm, the Saints have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Ironically, it was the Dolphins that he really wanted to sign with, but then coach Nick Saban opted to sign Duante Culpepper instead. Oops! Apparently Saban is not God after all, no matter what they claim in Tuscaloosa. Brees went on to win a Super Bowl with the Saints, on Miami's home field no less while the Dolphins have floundered. To add insult to injury, Saban left them high and dry and has gone on to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide to three national championships in the last four college football seasons.
But so far this season, things are going the Dolphins way. Second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been very good so far in leading the Dolphins to three straight wins. He has completed 71 of his 107 passes with four touchdowns and only two interceptions. His two favorite targets are Brian Hartline (18 catches, two touchdowns) and Mike Wallace (12 catches, one touchdown).
Brees has 1021 yards including 81 for 127 with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Jimmy Graham has four of those touchdowns among his 23 catches.
Bodog has odds on this game:
Miami is +7 -115 and the Saints are -7 -105. Over/Under is 48 with both -110.
We love the over in this game. Although Miami and New Orleans have both played well on defense this year, we think in the Superdome on Monday Night, both teams will open up the offenses. Don't be surprised to see a trick play or two in this game either.
But who will win the game? And by how much?
Seven points seems to be a lot to give to a 3-0 team such as the Dolphins. They have already won two road games this season against some good competition already. But, few home fields get louder than the Superdome on a Monday night. We like the Saints to win the game and to cover the seven points.
