Miami will make the trek up I-95 on Saturday as the Dolphins play their final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Miami has split their two preseason games thus far, and are coming in off a 28-3 victory at Houston a week ago. Tua Tagovailoa saw limited action and threw a pick in his two drives on the field. For the Jaguars, it’s been a perfect preseason so far, and a win on Saturday would give them just their second flawless preseason in franchise history and first in 26 years.
It’s the final preparation game for two teams with playoff aspirations, and we discuss how you should bet on the NFL odds in our Dolphins vs Jaguars NFL picks and predictions for Saturday, August 26.
Dolphins vs Jaguars odds
Dolphins vs Jaguars predictions
The Dolphins come into the season with a long list of questions. One of them is whether Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy this season, after suffering multiple concussions last season and having dealt with injuries the season before. Another is whether they can get over the hump and challenge for the AFC East this year.
Saturday’s game will be the first chance many get to see some answers to those questions. Head coach Mike McDaniel has stated that Tagovailoa and the starters will get at least two series against the Jaguars, but won’t play the entire first half.
That’s one of the reasons why we’re taking the Jaguars to cover the 6.5-point spread as our best bet. Jacksonville has barely used any starters through their first two games, and they’ve still looked terrific. Trevor Lawrence saw limited action in their first win against the Cowboys, but backup Nathan Rourke has been a revelation.
The new man in the quarterback room has thrown for nearly 300 yards this preseason, along with a pair of touchdown passes. Both he and CJ Beathard looked good against the Lions in their 25-7 win, and that was without many of the team’s best receiving weapons on the field. Running back Tank Bigsby has impressed as well, and looks to be a good compliment to Travis Etienne.
That’s bad news for the Dolphins. Their defense hasn’t been tested in this preseason, having faced two paltry offenses in the Texans and Falcons. That won’t be the case on Saturday, with Lawrence getting the bulk of the reps and Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram all testing Miami’s secondary.
Jalen Ramsey won’t be in the lineup yet for Miami, and the Jaguars are going to test the Dolphins’ secondary often. Teams had great success through the air vs. Miami’s 25th-ranked pass defense last season, and if Lawrence and company are going to get more series than Tagovailoa, then Jacksonville should have a good chance to jump ahead by multiple scores before halftime.
That’s boosted by the fact that Pederson has said he hopes to get a two-minute drill in before his starters come out. Add to it the terrific play from Roarke and the fact that the Jaguars are likely to throw more after halftime as they settle on some key decisions at wide receiver, it’s a recipe for a team to pile on points.
My best bet: Jaguars -6.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Not intended for use in MA.Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
