Miami Dolphins (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-8 SU, 2-6 ATS)
Week 10 NFL
Date/Time: Monday Night Football, November 11, 2013 at 8:30PM EST
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
TV: ESPN
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: MIA -2.5/TB +2.5
Over/Under Total: 41.5
Bet your ‘Fins/Bucs pick at an online sportsbook where you can make TB a +21.5 underdog by placing them into a 19 point super teaser at 5Dimes! This online sportsbook also offers -105 odds on sides and totals for those who don't like teasers.
On Monday Night Football, the Miami Dolphins make the in-state trip to Raymond James Stadium to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The woes continue for the Bucs, after dropping to 0-8 following a deflating Sunday loss at Seattle. The Dolphins are coming off a bye-week following a win over the Bengals, but that hardly tells the whole story.
You don’t have to be a Miami fan to feel bad for how things have worked out for the Dolphins this season. Juxtapose where they are now to where they were following week three. That’s a pretty stark contrast. Hats off to Miami for beating Cincinnati right before the bye week to reverse a 4-game losing streak. But they’re at 4-4 and now their offensive line is in tatters, not because of injuries mind you, but because of a bullying scandal involving Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. Whoever heard of such a thing? At least they are catching an 0-8 Bucs team because you have to wonder where the Dolphins stand mentally at this point.
The off-the-field drama comes at a terrible time, where Miami had just shown some gumption in reversing awful momentum to beat a good team in Cincinnati. They had gotten to the .500 mark and seemed poised to tackle the second half of the season with gusto. It remains to be seen how all this drama affects them beyond the mere damage that losing 40% of your starting offensive line can create. It was ideal to head into the bye-week coming off an upset win over the streaking Bengals and now, it’s a messy situation.
The Buccaneers certainly looked to be on their way to their first win of the season on Sunday, after jumping out to an improbable 21-0 lead on the road against Seattle. They couldn’t hold the lead and lost in overtime. They’ve had it tough this season. After stinking it up early, starting quarterback Josh Freeman was let loose as he became a negative locker-room presence. They lost star back Doug Martin. Receiver Mike Williams is on season-ending IR. Safety Dashon Goldson is out. Despite all of that and the fact that they laid down against Seattle in the second half with their first win of the season at stake, one should be a wary of the Bucs--at least in an against-the-spread sense.
DEPOSIT $100, PLACE A $100 BET AND GET A $100 BET FREE AT SPORTSBOOK
They continue to lose, but the Tampa offense is showing life under rookie QB Mike Glennon. In his last 4 games, he has 7 touchdowns and only 1 pick--not bad at all for a rookie who inherited a tough situation. Still, if this Tampa offense ever decides to put together 4 quarters of solid football, they have some of the tools to do damage. With a struggling Doug Martin out, RB Mike James has stepped up and is even doing a better job. The receiving corps were already thin with Williams and with him now out for the year, some guys need to step up to take the attention off Vincent Jackson. But as they showed against Seattle for almost a half, this dog can still bite.
Miami is consistent in most areas. Unfortunately, they are consistently mediocre. When it comes to the run, pass, run defense, and pass defense--they rank 21st and 22nd across the board. But some areas offer promise. RB Lamar Miller is coming off a good pair of consecutive games, including over 100 yards against the Bengals two weeks ago. Their defense against Cincinnati resembled how they started the season. And it seems like high-priced free agent signing WR Mike Wallace is getting acclimated. But after a good start, Ryan Tannehill began to revert to his 2012 rookie form. Maybe the bye-week was a good chance for him to regroup, though with all this nonsense going on, it was hardly a refreshing break in the action.
There has been rampant scuttlebutt surrounding coach Greg Schiano and how he may have lost his way as the Buccaneers coach. There was a messy quarterback situation and a lot of apparent dissent within the ranks as to how he was running the team. On Sunday, they didn’t look like a team that had given up on their coach. They’re still trying. A rookie quarterback is in there trying to establish himself. A backup rookie tailback is running with passion in an effort to punch his NFL ticket. A group of hungry and talented receivers will have a chance to showcase their wares. Guys on both sides of the ball have an awful lot to play for and there is way too much talent on this squad to go winless. They’re going to win at some point. Why not at home against a Miami team that may be off-form in light of what’s going on?
The temptation will be to take the 4-4 team against the 0-8 squad, especially when getting the 4-4 team at only -2.5. That’s too easy. There are reasons why that number is set that way. You’d think the book would go out of their way to entice betting on an 0-8 team, then the spread almost seems like they’re doing the opposite. In any event, Tampa is just due and the signs of life shown last week in a tough road game in Seattle should carry over at home. While running the risk of overvaluing the impact of Miami’s headline-making problems, it just might be a bad week to bet on the Dolphins.
Loot's Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting the Tampa bay buccaneers plus 2.5 points.
