The National Football League’s AFC Wild Card week of the 2023 NFL postseason features matchups between two teams in the same division, and of those matches is Buffalo Bills VS Miami Dolphins which is happening on Sunday.
Miami in a close matchup, defeated the New York Jets, while the New England Patriots lost to the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins advanced as the third wild card to the American Conference. While Buffalo brought together its title as AFC East Champion with seven consecutive wins.
To get you started off and show you what to expect, these are some NFL Predictions this week for the Bills and Dolphins, brought to you by MatchPlug.
Read: Chicago Bears Become No.1 Overall Pick In 2023 NFL Draft.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Buffalo Bills VS Miami Dolphins AFC Wild Card Game
- Venue: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York.
- When: Sunday, January 15, 2023
- Time: 10:00 GMT
- Teams to play: Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins
- NFL Picks: Spread -13.5
Odds provided by 1XBet and BetMGM.
Betting On The Buffalo Bills
- Season Record: 13-3 (AFC East Champion – 2nd seed AFC)
- BetMGM Spread: -13.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 1.10
- BetMGM Over/Under: Under 43.5
- 1XBet Spread: -13.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 1.11
- 1XBet Over/Under: Under 43.5
Buffalo entered the postseason as AFC East champions for the third consecutive campaign and this time they did so as one of the top 3 favourites to win the Super Bowl.
No matter, that they had a rough start, the Bills concluded the regular season with a 13-3 record on the strength of 8 consecutive wins and the weight of not playing against the Bengals because of Damar Hamlin’s accident. Hamlin’s accident prevented them from securing the first place in the American Conference that they had held up until the accident.
The Bills’ offense’s main weapon is Josh Allen’s aerial game. This was the same play that led them to second position in points scored (455), first downs gained (367) and touchdown passes completed (35). On the ground, they have 5.2 yards per rush, which is the second-best number in the entire circuit, which makes them more dangerous than Miami.
Buffalo’s defense is equally as strong as their offense. As a matter of fact, their 286 points conceded are the second-fewest in the NFL, and they were second in the league for opponent touchdowns allowed in the red zone with just 44.9% of opportunities.
One area, however, that the Bills might need improvement on before their game with the Dolphins is their pass defense. Here, they managed to finish as the top 15 in the league in total yards and touchdowns allowed. They were also one of the top 7 teams against their ground attack and fourth in recovered fumbles with 27.
Betting On The Miami Dolphins
Season record: 9-8 (3rd wild card – 7th AFC seed)
- BetMGM Spread: +13.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 7.25
- BetMGM Over/Under: Over 43.5
- 1XBet Spread: +13.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 6.6
- 1XBet Over/Under: Over 43.5
The Dolphins fought their way to the postseason after doing so well in the first half of the season and later performing poorly in the second half with five consecutive losses.
Due to multiple injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater, Miami’s powerful offense, couldn’t get on track for many defining moments. One such moment was in three of the last 6 games of the season when they couldn’t score past 17 points. But, thanks to their impressive early records, the Dolphins finished the year 4th in total yards (3,992) and TD passes (27) in the league.
For Sunday’s game, it is important that Miami’s attack route is effective. It is vital to note that they were the 8th team with the fewest yards gained on the ground and scored only 12 rushing touchdowns. The main issue is that they might depend solely on running backs, as it isn’t clear if Tagovailoa will be cleared to play against Buffalo or if Bridgewater’s right-hand finger soreness will be fully healed.
On the defense side, things are looking up, since the Dolphins’ ground defense is great; however, they are one of the worst in the NFL regarding passes. This is bad news for a secondary that forfeited the 6th most passing yards (3,992) and the 7th most touchdown passes (27) and now must be tested against one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Regarding the ground game, Miami’s 103.1 yards allowed per game and 4.1 allowed per carry were the NFL’s 4th best figures. Similarly, they allowed only 15 touchdowns, while the opponent scored 98 first downs, this is the 6th lowest number in the whole circuit.
MatchPlug Prediction
Although the Dolphins shared honours with the Bills this season, losing only three points in the match they lost, it is likely that this Sunday might be the first time they’ll face Buffalo without Tua Tagovailoa.
That quarterback is the major factor why Miami ranked as one of the circuit’s best passing offenses, and without him leading the squad, the match looks uneven.
In the last game, Buffalo finished with 446 total yards and 32 points against a weak Dolphins secondary, as Miami only stayed in the game because of Tua’s passion. Without him, the Bills’ defense should have a peaceful game.
On this note, it can also be added that Miami left a 3-6 record on the road, while Buffalo finished with a 6-1 record at home. The Dolphins have a 3-7-1 record playing against the spread in their last 11 meetings in Buffalo.
NFL Picks for free for Bills VS Dolphins can be found on BetMGM or 1XBet.
Final Prediction: Buffalo Bills spread (MIA 17 – BUF 30).
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