NFL football betting - Ravens vs Dolphins odds
Sportsbook betting: Ravens favored over Dolphins on the road
- WHO: Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Miami Dolphins
- WHAT: NFL playoff betting action
- WHEN: Sunday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL
- KEY STATS: Miami has won seven of its last 10 against Baltimore
- PICK: Baltimore (-3)
Miami has been proving offshore sportsbooks and online sports wagering players wrong all season, as it pulled off one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history, going from 1-15 to 11-5 and the AFC East championship. However, it will host Baltimore on Sunday in an AFC wild-card matchup, and NFL playoff betting has the Dolphins as a three-point underdog despite a solid head-to-head record against the Ravens.
The Ravens (11-5) ended the season with five wins in six games and they are powered by the No.2 defense in the league, marshaled by veterans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, who led the NFL in picks with nine. Rookie pivot Joe Flacco impressed online sports betting players in his NFL debut campaign; he didn’t put up big numbers, but he took care of the ball as well as a first-year quarterback could. He had the luxury of having the league’s fourth-best ground game behind him, as Le’Ron McClain, oft-injured Willis McGahee and rookie Ray Rice all showed signs of being productive.
The Dolphins (11-5) closed their season with nine wins in their last 10 games, shocking many NFL betting fans. Quarterback Chad Pennington had to feel good after beating the New York Jets to win the AFC East, as the Jets let him go to make room for Brett Favre. The Dolphins’ offense is extremely balanced, coming in 11th on the ground and 10th in the air, and they aren’t afraid to break out the trick plays. The Dolphins finished 15th in total defense but they can be passed on as they gave up 227.8 yards through the air, good for only 25th in the NFL.
STAN’S PICK: Ravens vs Dolphins odds have Baltimore as a three-point NFL playoff betting favorite on the road, and the Ravens only have to look back to Week 7’s 27-13 win in Miami for a successful gameplan. The Ravens held Miami to only 71 yards on the ground while running for 140 themselves, and they also got a 44-yard interception return for a score from linebacker Terrell Suggs. Flacco had a good day in Week 7 and he could be called upon again, given the Dolphins’ inability to stop teams through the air. Defense becomes so important in the playoffs, especially with a rookie quarterback in the backfield, and Baltimore’s is as good as it gets. Bet online with the Baltimore Ravens to end Miami’s dream season.
For more sports betting analysis and NFL spreads as we roll towards the Super Bowl, bookmark The Betting Edge at BetOnline.com.
Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
