Rookie Head Coaches Meet
First-time head coaches will be going head-to-head when the Minnesota Vikings travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Sunday.
Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings have started strong with a 4-1 record. O’Connell has led Minnesota to a top spot in the NFC North, defeating the three division rivals already.
Mike McDaniel had a similar strong start with the Dolphins, winning their first three games. However, Miami has slipped in its last two games. With a win over the Bills and losses to the New England Patriots and New York Jets, the Dolphins are third in the AFC East.
Sitting atop the NFC North, the Vikings have the best odds to win their division with -135 odds. The Dolphins, though in third place, have the second-best chances to win the AFC East with +550 odds.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and NFL lines for Vikings vs Dolphins. We’ve plenty of Vegas NFL odds for you to consider.
Vikings: Clutch Comebacks
Minnesota has won three in a row and its hot start has been the result of some late-fourth-quarter comebacks.
In three of the Vikings’ four wins, the offense needed to put together a fourth-quarter touchdown drive in order to secure the win.
Against the Lions in Week 3, Minnesota was behind 24-14 at the start of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Kirk Cousins strung together two scoring drives, going 9 of 13 for 125 yards, to lead the Vikings to a 28-24 victory.
The next week against the New Orleans Saints in London was similar. Minnesota led 16-7 in the third before the Saints took over. With the Vikings down 22-19 with less than 10 minutes remaining, Cousins led a 75-yard touchdown drive to go up 25-22.
After the Saints tied it with under a minute and a half left, Cousins hit wide receiver Justin Jefferson for 39 yards to set up kicker Greg Joseph for the game-winning field goal.
The Vikings needed a game-winning drive from Cousins once again last week against the Bears. Chicago, after trailing 21-10 at half, intercepted Cousins and subsequently scored, taking a 22-21 lead with under 10 to go in the fourth.
Minnesota responded with a 17-play, 75-yard drive, with Cousins going 6 of 8 for 57 yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Though Minnesota’s failure to put team’s away has been an issue, the Vikings’ ability to mount late-game comebacks is a positive for the team’s future success.
Dolphins: Defense Struggling
Miami got off to a strong start, though things have since slowed with back-to-back losses.
Although the Dolphins’ injury situation is part of the reason Miami’s success has stalled, with both its starting and backup quarterback injured, Miami’s defense has struggled as well.
The Dolphins are in the bottom 10 in the league in both total yards and total points allowed, with their 386.8 yards allowed the eighth-most and the 26.2 points allowed the fourth-most in the NFL.
In Miami’s most recent loss, the Dolphins failed to slow down the Jets, allowing New York to put up 40 points. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson threw for 210 yards while the team recorded 135 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
The previous week prior, the Cincinnati Bengals scored 27 points on the Dolphins. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns in Miami’s 27-15 loss.
With the team’s injuries, Dolphins have struggled the past two weeks, averaging 16 points. Tua Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater are both in the concussion protocol, putting Skylar Thompson in position to start Sunday against the Vikings.
The Dolphins’ defense will need to find a way to slow down the Vikings in order to give the offense a chance to keep Miami in the game.
Vikings vs Dolphins Game Injuries
Vikings vs Dolphins Head-to-Head
The meeting Sunday will be the 14th between the Vikings and Dolphins, with Miami leading the series 8-5, including the postseason. The Vikings won the last game 41-17 in 2018 in Minnesota while Miami won the previous matchup 37-35 in 2014 in Miami. The Vikings have only won once in Miami, a 29-7 win in 1976.
Vikings vs Dolphins Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 16
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
- How to Watch Vikings vs Dolphins? ESPN
Vikings vs Dolphins Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
Vikings vs Dolphins Betting Lines
Vikings vs Dolphins Prediction
Although the game is in Miami, where Minnesota has previously had trouble winning, things won’t be as easy for the Dolphins.
With Miami expected to start its third-string quarterback and wide receiver Tyreek Hill recovering from a foot injury, the Dolphins’ offense is in for a test.
The Vikings, though needing some late-game theatrics, have been finding ways to win, and with an unremarkable Dolphins’ defense, Minnesota should cover with a win on the road.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
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