NFL Week 17 Odds & Expert Betting Pick: Buffalo at Miami

The slight NFL Week 17 odds favorite Buffalo Bills still have a very slim shot to reach the playoffs even if they need some help to get where they haven’t been in a mind-boggling 17 years. Can Tyrod Taylor and company get the win and cover the spread against a Miami Dolphins team that has been mostly dysfunctional this season or will the Bills go out with a whimper? Let’s find out now what’s going to go down when these two hooks up at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday.

Bills( 8-7) vs. Dolphins (6-9) NFL Week 17 Odds & Expert Betting Pick

“This is a playoff for us. We have to win in order for us to have a chance.”
It’s win or go home this Sunday: https://t.co/w1jqBBMV6a pic.twitter.com/jDVe5TSvjN — Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) 28 de diciembre de 2017

When: Sunday, December 31, 2017, 4:25 PM ET
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
TV: CBS
Radio: 1590 AM (Miami) / WGR 550 (Buffalo)
NFL Week 17 Odds: Buffalo Bills -2.5 (Over/Under at 42.5 points)

Weather Forecast

Clear: 24°C/76°F
Humidity: 60%
Precipitation: 4%
Cloud Cover: 12%
Wind: 11 mph ENE
Stadium Type: Open

Series History

Total Meetings: 107
First Meeting: September 18, 1966 / Miami Dolphins 24 – Buffalo Bills 58
Last Meeting: December 17, 2017 / Buffalo Bills 24 – Miami Dolphins 16
All-Time Series: Miami Dolphins lead 60–46–1
Largest Margin of Victory: Miami Dolphins by 38 points
Longest Win Streak: Miami Dolphins winning 16
Current Win Streak: Buffalo Bills winning 1

Why consider the Bills NFL Week 17 Odds?

Why bet on the Bills in this regular season finale? Well, because they’re completely desperate and really, a better team than the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo (8-6 ATS) needs a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, even if they do also need a loss by the Ravens against the Bengals (not gonna’ happen) or losses by both, the Chargers and Titans. “If we don’t win, it’s not going to matter,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said of his team’s long-shot playoff hopes. “We need to focus on the task at hand.” Buffalo got completely smacked around in their humbling 37-16 road loss against New England last weekend. Still, veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor has had a solid campaign by completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,595 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions despite McDermott’s bone-headed decision to bench him in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman in Week 11. Running back McCoy has had another fantastic season by rushing for 1,128 yards and six touchdowns. The Bills are averaging just 18.7 points per game while allowing 22.9 points per game defensively.

Team Statistics

Offense

Average Score For: 18.67
Total Yards: 302.00
Rush Yards: 126.07
Passing Yards: 175.93

Defense

Average Score Against: 22.87
Total Yards: 355.2
Rush Yards: 126.87
Passing Yards: 228.33

Why consider the Dolphins NFL Week 17 Odds?

Why bet on the Dolphins in their Week 17 matchup against their longtime AFC East division rivals? Well, because they’re so wildly unpredictable that they beat the New England Patriots two weeks ago and could probably beat – or lose – to anyone this season. Miami (5-8 ATS) has lost two straight and seven of their last nine games overall, including their embarrassing 29-13 Week 16 loss to Kansas City in which there were some sideline fireworks between star wide receiver Jarvis Landry and head coach Adam Gase. “I wasn’t yelling at Adam,” Landry told The Miami Herald. “I was talking to Adam.”

Jarvis Landry and the Dolphins come in as underdogs at the NFL Week 17 Odds against the Bills.

For his part, Gase seemed unconcerned. “It’s part of the game — it just happens,” Gase said. “It’s not the first time.” Jay Cutler is completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards with 19 touchdown passes, but he’s also tossed a costly 14 interceptions while going an uninspiring 6-7 as Miami’s starter this season. Cutler was signed to a one-year deal to replace starter Ryan Tannehill after he suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. Miami is averaging just 17.7 points per game while allowing 24.7 points per game defensively.

Team Statistics

Offense

Average Score For: 17.67
Total Yards: 304.46
Rush Yards: 86.33
Passing Yards: 218.13

Defense

Average Score Against: 24.73
Total Yards: 337.27
Rush Yards: 109.47
Passing Yards: 227.80

Latest NFL Week 17 Betting Trends

Bills are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
Bills are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Buffalo’s last 10 games
Dolphins are 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10 games
Dolphins are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami’s last 10 games

Expert Analysis and Prediction

The Bills pretty much blew their chance of reaching the playoffs by losing to New England last weekend and Miami is pretty awful this season. However, I’ve got a strange feeling that the Fins are going to show up to give the Bills a really hard way to win this contest while eking out a narrow win that sends Buffalo into the offseason on a down note despite their mostly solid 2017 campaign. The Dolphins lost to the Bills 24-16 in Buffalo earlier this season, but they’ve also gone 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games against a team with a winning road record. The home team in this longtime rivalry is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings and the Bills are a winless 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. I like the Dolphins for the big upset in this one! Pick: Miami Dolphins +2.5