NFL
Ricky Rothstein
October 23, 2017

Dolphins vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Week 8 Odds, Prediction

The Miami Dolphins haven’t had much luck in recent years against the Ravens. Will that change when Week 8 kicks off Thursday night in Baltimore? The home side is a 3-point Sports Interaction betting favourite.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens

When: Thursday, 8:25 PM ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Point Spread: Ravens -3

Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Ravens have won six of the past seven meetings against the Dolphins including playoffs, covering the spread in all seven. Baltimore was a 3.5-point home favourite in Week 13 last year and rolled to a 38-6 victory. Joe Flacco had one of the better games of his career, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns on a franchise-record 36 completions (in 47 attempts). Miami’s Ryan Tannehill, out injured for this season, was picked off three times.

For what it’s worth, these teams played in the preseason and the Ravens won 31-7 in Miami.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) lost for the fourth time in their past five games Sunday, 24-16 in Minnesota. Flacco is a former Super Bowl MVP who was for a time the highest-paid player in the NFL, but he’s not close to that guy any longer. He completed 27 of 39 but for just 186 yards against the Vikings. Flacco didn’t get much help from his offensive line as he was sacked five times. Baltimore had just 208 yards.

The only quarterback in the NFL with a worse rating than Flacco is Browns rookie DeShone Kizer, and he has been benched twice. Only a couple of teams are averaging fewer yards overall than the Ravens. They’ll be very short-handed at receiver for this one. Jeremy Maclin (shoulder) and Breshad Perriman (concussion) missed the Minnesota game, and Mike Wallace was knocked out with a concussion.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins (4-2 SU, 3-2-1 ATS) won’t have quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler was lured out of retirement and the Fox TV broadcast booth by Miami coach Adam Gase when Tannehill went down with a season-ending injury early in training camp. Cutler’s Dolphins debut was in that Baltimore preseason game. In Sunday’s 31-28 home win over the Jets, Miami’s third straight victory, Cutler left in the third quarter with a chest injury and didn’t return. It is being reported that Cutler has cracked ribs and will miss 2-3 weeks.

Backup Matt Moore, whom a lot of Dolphins fans have been clamoring for with Cutler struggling this season, had two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to help Miami rally from a 28-14 deficit. The Fins intercepted New York’s Josh McCown on a truly baffling pass with just 47 seconds left when it looked as if the game would go to overtime. Cody Parkey won it on a 39-yard field goal. Cutler might have lost his job regardless. Moore led the Dolphins to a 2-1 record at the end of last season and into the playoffs with Tannehill out injured.