NFL
Ricky Rothstein
November 6, 2017

Dolphins vs. Panthers Point Spread: NFL Week 10 Odds, Prediction

The Miami Dolphins for the first time in franchise history will play a third straight prime-time game to close out Week 10 on Monday night as they make a rare visit to the Carolina Panthers.

Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers

When: Monday, 8:30 PM ET
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
Point Spread: Panthers -8

Point Spread and Betting Analysis

What do these teams have in common of late? They each shockingly traded one of their best offensive players ahead of last Tuesday’s NFL trading deadline. Miami shipped out 2016 Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia for just a fourth-round pick. Ajayi was a huge reason why the Dolphins made the playoffs last year. Carolina sent No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to the Dolphins’ AFC East rival Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder in the 2018 draft. There are reasons below the surface (attitude, fit, money, etc.) why the Fins and Cats made those deals, but they were strange moves with both pushing for the playoffs.

Miami and Carolina have met only five times. The Panthers’ lone victory was 20-16 in the most recent meeting November 2013 in south Florida. Cam Newton threw the go-ahead touchdown to tight end Greg Olsen (currently out injured) with 46 seconds left. The Dolphins led 16-3 at one point.

Carolina has won its past 10 games as at least a 7.5-point home favourite and covered in seven of those. The Dolphins are 1-9 SU & 4-6 ATS in their past 10 as a road dog of at least 7.5 points.

Miami Dolphins

Prime time hasn’t been great to the Dolphins (4-4 SU, 3-3-2 ATS) the past two weeks as they were routed in Baltimore on Thursday night in Week 8 and then fell 27-24 at home to Oakland on Sunday night. Jay Cutler returned from a one-game injury absence vs. the Raiders and had easily his best game of the year in throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

Miami rushed for 86 yards on 18 carries with Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams sharing duties following the trade of Ajayi. The team still doesn’t have a rushing TD this season. The Dolphins had somehow won a team-record 12 straight games that were decided by seven points or fewer.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) are a half game behind first-place New Orleans in the NFC South. Carolina didn’t miss Benjamin too much on Sunday as it beat visiting Atlanta 20-17. The team’s GM did hint that part of the reason for the Benjamin trade was to get more speed at receiver on the field to help open it up and benefit the running game. So far, so good as Carolina rushed for 201 yards and two scores against the Falcons.

QB Cam Newton led the team with 86 yards on the ground and added a touchdown. He has now led the team in rushing the past four games. That can be dangerous, though, as it opens up Newton to more hits. Rookie Christian McCaffrey had a career-high 66 rushing yards and a score. New No. 1 receiver Devin Funchess had five catches for 86 yards. He accounted for more than half of the Panthers’ receiving yardage with only three Carolina receivers catching passes overall. It will be tough to keep winning that way.