Senior Director of Content material
The Buffalo Payments (10-6) are 3.0-point favorites heading into Sunday’s sport towards the Miami Dolphins (11-5) at Arduous Rock Stadium. The sport will air at 8:20 pm on NBC.
For the most recent level spreads, examine\u00a0FanDuel<\/a>.
The Payments at present sit within the sixth place within the AFC. With a win, the Payments will win the AFC East division title for the fourth consecutive season and safe the No. 2 seed within the 2023 AFC playoffs. The Payments also can clinch a playoff spot with a Pittsburgh (9-7) loss to Baltimore (13-3) (Saturday, 4:30 pm) or a Jacksonville (9-7) loss to Tennessee (5-11) (Sunday, 1 pm). Click here for a list of all the clinching scenarios for Week 18<\/a>.
With a win, the Miami Dolphins will win the AFC East. They haven’t gained a division title since 2008.
Here is a listing of further notes for this week …
ESPN<\/a><\/strong>
Storyline to observe:<\/strong> The Dolphins do not count on cornerback Xavien Howard to play Sunday towards the Payments, however defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would not reveal whether or not he would have Professional Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey shadow Payments WR Stefon Diggs — who torched Miami for 120 yards and three touchdowns in Week 4 — or have him match up with a number of receivers. Contemplating Eli Apple’s struggles towards Baltimore in Week 17 (three catches, 104 yards and a landing allowed in protection), the place Ramsey strains up will likely be one thing to observe. — Marcel Louis-Jacques<\/em>
Daring prediction:<\/strong> Diggs may have his first 100-yard receiving sport since Week 6 and catch a number of landing passes for the second time this season. The manufacturing between Diggs and quarterback Josh Allen simply hasn’t been constant for a good portion of the season, however with the Dolphins’ secondary in a state of flux attributable to accidents, Diggs may have one in every of his largest outings of the 12 months at a time when the Payments really want it. — Alaina Getzenberg<\/em>
Stat to know:<\/strong> Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa enters Week 18 main the NFL in completion fee (69.6%) and passing yards (4,451). Tagovailoa is trying to turn into the eighth QB because the 1970 merger to steer the NFL in each completion fee and passing yards — and the primary since Drew Brees in 2011.
Matchup X issue:<\/strong> Allen. By his personal admission he performed poorly in Week 17. Buffalo wants him at his finest towards the Dolphins. In the event that they get it, the Payments may have an awesome shot on the AFC East crown. — Walder<\/em>
What’s at stake:<\/strong> Winner takes the AFC East and the convention’s No. 2 seed. However whereas Miami is in it doesn’t matter what, Buffalo may miss the playoffs if it loses. To make the playoffs in that state of affairs, it could want both a Jaguars loss, a Steelers loss or a Texans-Colts tie.
What to know for fantasy:<\/strong> Up to now three video games, the Payments’ protection has given up the second-fewest passing yards per sport, so Tagovailoa may battle. He hasn’t scored 20 fantasy factors in a sport since a Week 8 win over the Patriots.
Betting nugget:<\/strong> The Dolphins are 1-4 ATS this season towards groups at present with successful data.
Moody’s decide:<\/strong> Payments 31, Dolphins 27
Walder’s decide:<\/strong> Dolphins 27, Payments 21
FPI prediction:<\/strong> BUF, 54.3% (by a mean of 1.5 factors)
Pete Prisco | CBS Sports<\/a><\/strong>
The winner wins the AFC East. The Payments and Josh Allen have dominated Miami in Allen’s profession, and I do not see that altering right here. Search for a giant sport from Allen towards a protection that’s banged up. The Payments win it.
Decide:<\/strong> Payments 30, Dolphins 23
Vinnie Iyer | Sporting News<\/a><\/strong>
The Payments have gained 4 consecutive video games to surge into playoff place after a disappointing .500 begin by way of midseason. However they have not clinched something thanks to 3 groups (Colts, Texans, Steelers) staying on their heels at 9-7. They now face a high-stakes alternative to comb the Dolphins and take their fourth consecutive AFC East title.
Buffalo will not go it up, because it has the general offensive momentum with James Cook dinner boosting Josh Allen and their defensive making huge performs towards a rival reeling due to accidents. Tua Tagovailoa will stay shellshocked from the Ravens rout.
Decide:<\/strong> Payments win 24-20 and canopy the unfold.
Mike Florio, Chris Simms | Pro Football Talk<\/a><\/strong>
Each groups have had their struggles. For Miami, the accidents and final week’s blowout in Baltimore is likely to be an excessive amount of to beat.
Florio:<\/strong> Payments, 28-20.
Simms:<\/strong> Payments, 27-21.
Sheil Kapadia | The Ringer<\/a><\/strong>
The winner of this one takes the AFC East. If the Payments lose, they’ll nonetheless get in as a wild-card crew with a Steelers loss or a Jaguars loss. But when each these groups win, the Payments are out of the playoffs fully. They could possibly be a 2-seed, or they could possibly be on trip subsequent week.
The Dolphins have already clinched a playoff spot, however a win right here means the 2-seed and probably only one highway playoff sport en path to the Tremendous Bowl. A loss means the 6-seed and a visit to Kansas Metropolis within the first spherical. I like this Miami crew, but it surely’s laborious to disregard how a lot it is struggled towards good groups. The Dolphins have performed 5 video games towards groups which can be at present projected to make the playoffs: the Payments, Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Ravens. They’re 1-4 in these video games, together with a loss to Buffalo in Week 4, and three of the losses have been by double digits. They’re banged up on protection and could possibly be with out large receiver Jaylen Waddle as soon as once more.
I do not belief the Payments, however I am reluctantly rolling with them right here.
The decide:<\/strong> Payments (-2.5)
Ryan Reynolds | 33rd Team<\/a><\/strong>
The Buffalo Payments have gained 4 in a row and 5 of their final six, pushing themselves again into the playoff image. If Buffalo wins this sport, will probably be AFC’s No. 2 seed. If the Payments lose this sport, there are situations the place they will not make the playoffs.
Buffalo beat Miami 48-20 in Week 4.
At full power, the Miami Dolphins are a supremely proficient crew with nice play-callers on either side of the ball. Sadly, the Dolphins are managing a litany of accidents which can be turning them right into a much less succesful crew.
Just a few key gamers on offense are questionable for this sport, however Miami’s protection has been hit laborious. The Dolphins will likely be with out each of their beginning edge rushers and, probably, CB Xavien Howard. LB Jerome Baker remains to be on injured reserve, that means Miami could possibly be down 4 of its finest seven defenders.
If the Dolphins win, they end the 12 months as AFC East champions and the No. 2 seed within the convention. That stated, they’re three-point residence underdogs for a motive.
Rating Prediction:<\/strong> Payments 27, Dolphins 23
John Breech | CBS Sports<\/a><\/strong>
The NFL is saving its finest for final. The ultimate regular-season sport of the 2023 season will characteristic the Payments enjoying the Dolphins with the AFC East title on the road. There may be some further drama on this sport if each the Jaguars and Steelers win in Week 18: If that occurs, then the Payments will likely be in a scenario the place a win offers them the division title, however a loss LEAVES them OUT of the playoffs altogether.
I repeat: The Payments could possibly be in a spot the place a win offers them the No. 2 seed within the AFC, however a loss would drop them COMPLETELY out of the playoffs. On the Dolphins’ finish, they do not have to fret about getting unnoticed, as a result of they’ve already clinched a playoff spot. Going into this sport, the Dolphins know they will get the 2 seed with a win or the sixth seed with a loss.
The factor in regards to the Dolphins is that if they may have hand-picked their opponent for this sport, I am fairly positive the Payments would have been their final selection. The Dolphins are 1-10 of their previous 11 video games towards the Payments and that is principally as a result of they can not determine how one can decelerate Josh Allen.
The Payments quarterback has thrown at the least TWO landing passes in his previous 12 video games towards the Dolphins, which is the longest streak by any QB towards one crew in NFL historical past. Again in Week 4, Allen threw for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 48-20 win over the Dolphins and I will not be stunned if he doubles these numbers on Sunday night time.
The Dolphins may go all-in to attempt to cease the go, however that would really make issues worse contemplating the Payments are averaging 130.7 yards per sport on the bottom, which ranks seventh within the NFL. The Dolphins have performed three groups this season towards groups that rank within the top-seven in dashing yards and never solely have they gone 0-3 in these video games, however they have been outscored by a mean rating of 45 to 18.6.
The Payments are one of many hottest groups in soccer, they have not misplaced in additional than a month and there is no crew Josh Allen loves beating greater than Miami. The Dolphins are banged up proper now they usually simply misplaced Bradley Chubb to a torn ACL and I feel what I am making an attempt to say right here is that I do not be ok with Miami’s possibilities this week.
The decide:<\/strong> Payments 34-24 over Dolphins
Frank Schwab | Yahoo Sports<\/a><\/strong>
I do not assume the Payments got here all this manner simply to lose to the Dolphins with a division title on the road. The Dolphins have loads of accidents and regardless of the win over the Cowboys, I nonetheless have questions on them vs. high competitors.
Decide:<\/strong> Payments -3
NFL.com<\/a><\/strong>
Why Gennaro is taking the Payments:<\/strong>\u00a0Each NFL marketing campaign is a conflict of attrition. And as we head into the 272nd and last sport of the 2023 common season — a de facto AFC East title bout — one crew is shedding the battle. Whereas Buffalo encountered a vicious harm bug in October — shedding essential items on all three ranges of the protection — the Payments weathered the storm and now seem to be they’ve come out on the opposite facet. Yeah, star QB\u00a0Josh Allen’s a bit of banged up, however by and enormous, this feels just like the healthiest Buffalo has been since September. The identical\u00a0can’t<\/em>\u00a0be stated about Miami. The crew’s two star edge rushers —\u00a0Bradley Chubb\u00a0and\u00a0Jaelan Phillips\u00a0— are on injured reserve. The offensive line has been a MASH unit all season. And Wednesday’s harm report was\u00a0a depressingly star-studded listing. Lengthy story brief, the Dolphins are limping into the playoffs, whereas the Payments are surging down the stretch with a four-game win streak in tow.
Can Payments keep away from a sweep by the Patriots and maintain their 2023 playoff hopes alive? Discover out what the consultants are predicting for this week.
Will the Payments win their last primetime sport of the 2023 common season? Take a look at what the consultants are predicting.
Payments want to win their third straight sport towards Dallas.
Discover out who high NFL analysts are choosing for Sunday’s AFC conflict between the Payments and the Chiefs.
Can Buffalo finish Philadelphia’s seven-game residence win streak? Discover out what the nationwide consultants are predicting for Sunday’s conflict.
Can the Payments win their fourth consecutive residence sport towards the Jets? Take a look at what nationwide analysts are predicting for Sunday’s AFC East matchup.
Will the Payments hand Denver its eighth consecutive loss on Monday Night time Soccer? Discover out what the consultants are predicting.
Can the Payments proceed their five-game win streak on Sunday Night time Soccer? Take a look at what the nationwide consultants are predicting for Sunday night time.
Will the Payments win their first residence Thursday Night time Soccer sport since 2012? Discover out what the consultants are predicting for this week.
Will Buffalo get its sixth straight win (together with playoffs) towards the Patriots? Take a look at what the consultants are predicting for Sunday’s sport.
Will the Payments enhance to 5-0 on Sunday Night time Soccer since 2019? Discover out what the consultants are saying about this week’s matchup in Highmark Stadium.
© 2024 The Buffalo Payments. All rights reserved <\/p>\n