The New England Patriots meet the Miami Dolphins Sunday in Week 1 NFL action from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The Dolphins posted a 10-6 record last year and went 2-1 in the 2021 preseason. As for the Patriots, they finished 7-9 last season before a 3-0 preseason campaign this year. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
The Dolphins posted a nice 10-6 mark in 2020 play, finishing second in the AFC East. Despite the double-digit win total, Miami missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year due to a blowout loss to Buffalo and a Colts victory in Week 17.
Miami fell to the Bears 20-13 in their first preseason action this year, but came back to post wins over the Falcons 37-17 in week two and 29-26 over the Bengals in the final game. Dolphins quarterback Reid Sinnett managed a 22-of-33 line for 343 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the victory.
Over on the Patriots’ side, their first Tom Brady-less season since 1999 didn’t go so well. New England finished 7-9 and in third place in the AFC East. The Pats had an 11-year playoff streak snapped, as well as 11 straight years of division titles.
New England notched a 22-13 win over Washington in the preseason opener, then destroyed the Eagles 35-0 before a 22-20 win over the Giants in week three. Patriots QB Mac Jones posted 156 yards and a score in the victory, while JJ Taylor rushed nine times for 76 yards.
The Dolphins are 4-1 ATS in their last five versus the AFC East and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 as an underdog. Miami is 5-2 ATS in their last seven in Week 1 and 8-18 ATS in their last 26 on turf.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last five in Week 1 and 1-5 ATS in their last six as a favorite. The under is 7-1 in New England’s last eight overall and 6-1 in their last seven on turf.
PICK: I’m going to take a stab on the Dolphins here. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see what rookie QB Jones can do for the Patriots. He had a great preseason, and with the recent release of veteran Cam Newton, Jones is now the guy in New England. The Dolphins have a pretty well-rounded group of defenders—even if they’re not household names—and that unit should continue to flourish in 2021. I like this one to be fairly tight most of the way, with the Dolphins eking out a late win. Should be a fun game to start the season.