Vikings vs. Dolphins Point Spread: NFL Week 6 Odds, Prediction
The Vikings escaped with a heart-stopping 29-22 win over Chicago last week to improve to 4-1-0 on the season, but have failed to cover in each of their past four contests. Still smarting from the loss of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a serious concussion, the Dolphins came out flat in a lopsided 40-17 road loss to the New York Jets that extended their current straight up slide to two games.
The Vikings have garnered the backing of 75 per cent of sports bettors since opening as 1-point underdogs, vaulting them to 3-point favourites on the NFL odds. The total has faded slightly since opening at 46.5, dipping to 45.5, with the UNDER attracting 64% of the betting action.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sunday afternoon’s matchup at Hard Rock Stadium marks the first and only scheduled meeting between these teams this season, and the Vikings’ first visit to Miami since 2014. The Vikings rolled to a 41-17 victory when they last hosted the Dolphins in December 2018, snapping a three-game losing streak against Miami. However, the Vikings have enjoyed no luck when visiting South Florida, losing outright in four straight road dates with the Dolphins since 1982. However, Minnesota’s past two losses in Miami have come by a combined margin of just six total points.
With these two teams scoring an average of 65 total points, the OIVER has easily paid out in each of their past two dates, and in three of four overall. Home teams have also held a clear edge in head-to-head action, earning the win in eight of nine meetings.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were almost caught napping last week, blowing an early 21-3 lead over Chicago before embarking on a lengthy fourth-quarter scoring drive that proved to be the difference in a 29-22 win. That contest marked the third time in as many weeks that the Vikings needed late-game heroics to earn the win. Minnesota squandered a 16-7 lead before rallying late to claim a 28-25 in in New Orleans, and needed 14 points in the final frame to get past Detroit 28-24 three weeks ago.
Overall, the Vikings have given up 40 total points after halftime over the past three weeks. The saving grace has been the strong, but occasionally anxiety-inducing play of the Vikings offence. While quarterback Kirk Cousins has cooled down since tossing five scoring passes over the first three weeks, Dalvin Cook has picked up the pace. The Vikings rusher ran for two scores in last week’s win over the Bears, and has now topped 90 rushing yards on three occasions this season.
Miami Dolphins
Things went from bad to worse for the Dolphins in last weekend’s visit to the Big Apple. Still reeling from the loss of Tagovailoa to injury, the team suffered another big blow when veteran backup pivot Teddy Bridgewater was injured on the Dolphins’ first offensive play of the game, suffering an elbow injury and a possible concussion. With their top two passers on the shelf, rookie Skylar Thompson finds himself subjected to a baptism of fire in his unexpected promotion to starter. A seventh-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Thompson handled himself well in his NFL debut, orchestrating a pair of lengthy second-quarter drives that ended with scoring runs to keep things close at 19-14 going into the half. However, things quickly unravelled for Thompson and the Dolphins after recess. After picking up a field goal on their possession, the Dolphins followed up with turnovers on four of their final five possessions, with the exception being a missed field goal.
Meanwhile, a tired Dolphins defence failed to contain an opportunistic Jets attack that put things away with scores on their final three possessions. Considering the Dolphins were already struggling to produce consistent offence before the loss of Tua, this team is now in crisis mode after scoring just 17.7 points per game over their past three contests.
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