It’s the penultimate Monday night game of the 2021 NFL regular season in Week 16 as the Miami Dolphins visit the New Orleans Saints in a playoff-important matchup. The Saints are 3-point favourites to win on the NFL odds with a total of 39 points.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Miami (7-7) currently sits 11th in the AFC playoff chase but does at least hold tiebreakers over fellow 7-7 teams Cleveland and Denver. Because the AFC is much deeper than the NFC, the Dolphins probably need to win out to earn a wild-card spot. That’s going to be tough as after this game they visit Tennessee and host New England.

New Orleans (7-7) might be able to go 2-1 and still get a wild-card spot but probably also needs to win out. The Saints have a very easy schedule left in hosting Carolina in Week 17 and visiting Atlanta in Week 18.

These franchises have split 12 all-time meetings in the regular season. The Saints have won the past three, including 20-0 in the most recent meeting in 2017 in London. Drew Brees threw for 268 yards and two scores but of course is now retired. The Dolphins were very interested in signing Brees as a free agent ahead of the 2006 season but the team, then coached by Nick Saban, had some injury concerns with Brees’ shoulder and instead landed Daunte Culpepper. Oops! Just think, Saban might still be in the NFL had Miami gotten Brees.

Miami Dolphins

Miami came out of its bye week Sunday and won a sixth straight game, 31-24 over the Jets. Being honest, the Dolphins have had an incredibly easy schedule over that span. The running back room was very thinned-out Sunday due to COVID so in playing just his second game of the season, Duke Johnson rushed for 107 yards and two scores. All those RBs should be back, but Johnson clearly has earned more touches. Star rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle also missed the game on the COVID list. No NFL team has made the playoffs after being six games under .500 at any point in a season – Miami was 1-7 before this run. The Dolphins are just the second team in NFL history to win six straight games and lose seven straight in the same season. They are 2-8 ATS in their past 10 Monday games

New Orleans Saints

For whatever reason, the Saints have owned Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs dating to last season and New Orleans completed another regular-season sweep with a 9-0 shocker in Tampa on Sunday. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen served as head coach with Sean Payton in COVID protocols. It was the first time Brady lost to an opponent that didn’t manage a touchdown and he was shut out for the first time since 2006. It was the first Saints shutout of any team since that last Dolphins meeting noted above. End Cameron Jordan returned after missing a game in COVID protocols and had two sacks Sunday to reach 100 career. The New Orleans offence did little with 11 first downs and 212 yards. The Saints are 1-5 ATS in their past six Monday games.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Dolphins vs. Saints?