Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 8 NFL Betting Analysis
Miami Dolphins (0-6 2-4 ATS) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4 4-2 ATS)
The Dolphins take their winless record up north Monday night where they are big 14-point underdogs facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The total for this AFC matchup sits at 43.
The public has backed the hometown Steelers, big time, in this game, as they opened as a 10.5 favorite and as pf Thursday are a 14-point favorite.
The Dolphins have played two close games in a row and in their last one they lost to the Buffalo Bills 31-21 where they were outscored 22-7.
The Steelers are coming off a win and they have won two of their last three games. Backup QB Mason Rudolph is back as the starter after missing time with a concussion and undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges led them to a win in their last game.
The Steelers beat the L.A. Chargers 24-17 in their last game where they played the run well and forced three turnovers.
The front line defense of the Steelers is really banged up, as T.J. Watt and Mark Barron are listed as questionable and Anthony Chickillo is out.
You wonder why the Dolphins are winless? Well, they rank 2nd to last in the league on defense and 3rd to last on offense.
Pittsburgh has had offensive issues all season since Ben Roethlisberger went down with a season-ending injury very early. The team does not rank in the top 25 in the NFL in passing or rushing offense.
These teams have not faced off since 2017.
The Dolphins have failed to cover in eight of their last nine Monday night games while the Steelers are 5-1 in their last six Monday night games.
Fitz is Back
Ryan Fitzpatrick is back at QB after starting the season and then losing his job but in the loss to the Bills he gave his team a chance passing for 282 yards with a TD and an INT.
It hurt the Dolphins in the Bills game that they turned the ball over twice while they did not force any turnovers.
Miami simply lacks talent all-around the field and their WR corps is not very good and their lead RB is Kenyon Drake, who only has 174 yards on the season and his per carry average of 3.7 yards is nothing to write home about. In the loss to the Bills Mark Walton led the team with 66 rushing yards.
The Steelers ranks 18th in the league defending the pass and the run.
Mason is Back
Mason Rudolph is back under center and on the season, he has passed for 646 yards with 7 TD and 2 INT.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has not put up big numbers like last season but still leads the team with 340 receiving yards.
James Connor was solid last season but has struggled this season. Well, at least running the ball, as he has the 2nd most receiving yards on Pittsburgh but on the ground is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry and has rushed for 225 yards.
Connor is dealing with a leg injury and Barry Snell Jr., who rushed for 77 yards in the win over the Chargers, may get the start if Connor cannot go.
Our Prediction
The Dolphins have failed to cover the spread in 12 of their last 15 road games and have failed to cover in four of their last five games facing a team with a losing record.
The Steelers have covered the spread in their last four games.
I think Fitzpatrick will show some Fitz magic in this game and I would not be surprised if the Dolphins win. That may not happen, but this will be a pretty close game and Miami will, at least, cover the spread getting 14 points.
PICK: Dolphins +14