Do the Dolphins pull themselves out of the crisis?

On Sunday, 25/12/2022, the Miami Dolphins host the Green Bay Packers. The host has only lost one game at Hard Rock Stadium this season and therefore Coach McDaniel’s team is the favourite in this duel.

Since the visitors have only managed two wins away from home this season, the roles seem to be assigned correctly. This is also reflected in the bookmakers’ betting odds between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.

The current form is in favour of the Packers, who travel to Miami with two wins in their backpack. However, the wins against the weak Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams should not be overrated. Nevertheless, Green Bay is not without a chance, because the Dolphins are currently on three defeats in a row. Otherwise, the odds between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers would probably be even further apart. Before that, however, Miami also won five games in a row.

The current turmoil with the Packers doesn’t bode well for the final drive of the season. Some Green Bay wide receivers are not happy with the way their quarterback is playing. The statements even surfaced in the press and Rodgers, of course, didn’t agree with that.

The team seems divided and that is why we recommend betting on under 251.5 passing yards from Rodgers between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers. He has also failed to break that mark in his past five games.

Miami Dolphins – Statistics & current form

The Dolphins are in sixth place in the American Football Conference. In the AFC East, Miami can no longer pass the Bills and so the ranking there is irrelevant. Mike McDaniel’s team has won eight of its first fourteen games and still has a chance to make the NFL playoffs. Due to a small dry spell, the pressure from the competition has become extremely high. Any more mistakes could be punished, as the Titans and Patriots could tie Miami in Week 15.

Does Tyreek Hill also score a touchdown against the Packers?

The Dolphins’ wide receiver set a new “career high” with 1529 receiving yards last game day. Cheetah also scored his seventh touchdown of the season against the Buffalo Bills. This makes him the joint top scorer on Miami’s team along with Jaylen Waddle. In the league-wide comparison of pass receivers he is second behind Justin Jefferson. His biggest weapon is clearly his speed. Despite his 1.78 m and 83 kg, he is also physically very robust and therefore difficult to stop.

Will we see the waddle dance against Green Bay as well?

With Jaylen Waddle, Miami has another top player at the wide receiver position. He has caught passes for 1,117 yards this season and also scored seven touchdowns. Thus, he has already surpassed his rookie season and is one of the talents from whom we can expect a lot more. In Hill, he has also found a mentor who will surely take him forward. For this reason, the Dolphins currently boast one of the best offenses in the passing game.

Does the defence cost the Dolphins a spot in the playoffs?

Miami is allowing an average of 24.6 points, making it one of the weaker defenses in the National Football League. This is mainly due to the defence against the opposing passing game, as opponents average 246.3 passing yards per game. On the other hand, the Dolphins are pretty good against the run game and can hold opponents to an average of 111.3 rushing yards. That will be especially important in the game against Green Bay, because the Packers have their qualities in both areas.

Key players for the Miami Dolphins:
QB: Tua Tagovailoa – RB: Raheem Mostert – WR: Tyreek Hill – WR: Jaylen Waddle – K: Jason Sanders

Green Bay Packers – Statistics & Current Form

Green Bay is in tenth place in the National Football Conference. In the NFC North, Matt LaFleur’s team could not hold their own and thus the Packers now have to move up to sixth place to still be able to participate in the playoffs.

With six wins from the first fourteen games, things are not looking too good for the team around Aaron Rodgers. After finishing first in the preseason in the NFC, the way the season has gone so far is very surprising and missing out on the NFL playoffs would be a huge disappointment.

The problem child Aaron Rodgers

The Packers quarterback has been a consistent source of trouble this season, according to consistent reports. At 39 years old, he is one of the veterans in the NFL and should lead the team. However, he seems to be anything but mentally fit and makes headlines with strange statements. Moreover, especially the young players seem to have problems with the quarterback’s style of play. Just recently, Sammy Watkins was dismissed after making critical comments about Rodgers.

A.J. Dillon with four touchdowns in the last three games

The Green Bay running back has been in outstanding form over the last three weeks. He had played a big part in the two wins against the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams. This has made him one of the hopefuls for the coming weeks. With 660 rushing yards, he is only 30th in the league and behind his teammate Aaron Jones, but still managed to score the most rushing touchdowns in the team.

Defence as the key to victory?

Green Bay allows an average of 22.4 points and is accordingly quite solid. With the Packers only scoring 20.9 points per game themselves, the defensive effort will play a big role against the Dolphins. As the number two team against the passing game, the chances are good to get Miami’s offense under control. However, the weakness against the opposing running game could cause problems, even if the host doesn’t have a top player at the running back position.

Key players for the Green Bay Packers:
QB: Aaron Rodgers – RB: A.J. Dillon – WR: Christian Watson – CB: Rasul Douglas – K: Mason Crosby

Miami Dolphins – Green Bay Packers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The direct comparison between the two teams goes to the home side. The Dolphins have won 13 of their 21 meetings with the Packers and are favourites at home. However, the last meeting between the two teams was four years ago and is therefore meaningless. Back then, Green Bay won by a clear 31:12. For the upcoming match-up between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers, a forecast based on other factors seems to be necessary.

Miami Dolphins – Green Bay Packers Tip

In their own stadium, we are also convinced of a good performance by the Dolphins. The form does not speak for Miami, but it should not be forgotten that the opponents in recent weeks have been much stronger than Green Bay is. Moreover, the Packers’ victories are almost must-wins. We therefore play the tip between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers on a handicap win for the host of -2.5 points.

In addition, we can very well imagine that not an excessive amount of points will fall in this game. The Dolphins are well-stocked on offence, but have a solid defence in front of them. On the other hand, the Packers’ offensive line is not particularly strong and therefore the visitors should not score too many points either. For this reason, the odds for under 53.5 points between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers are also interesting.