This Saturday, NFL odds bettors have an exciting preseason matchup between the Dolphins and Texans. The Dolphins started with a loss last time out while DeMeco Ryans got a win in his first NFL preseason game.
So, who wins this encounter on Saturday? Which quarterbacks will we see under center? Don’t miss our NFL picks and predictions for the Dolphins vs. Texans on August 19 to find out.
Dolphins vs Texans odds
Dolphins vs Texans predictions
Our best bet for this game is the Texans on the spread, where we’ll be taking -2 on the home team. To understand the reasoning behind the bet, it’s important we look at both teams’ preseasons to date.
In the first week, we saw differing results for each of the two teams. The Dolphins lost by 16 points to the visiting Falcons and never really got going. Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play, which saw the Dolphins splitting their QB reps between Mike White and Skylar Thompson. Neither man really excelled, with both failing to throw a touchdown pass and tossing at least one interception, with Thompson getting picked twice. The failure of either quarterback to play at a good level is a major concern here, as it’s yet unclear if we’ll see Tagovailoa play.
I’m a big believer in using QB play to dictate NFL pick selections and that only increases in preseason, when there is so much unknown around QB snap counts, or even whether the best will play. Mike McDaniel used Week 2 of last year’s preseason as a chance to put Tua in action, and we could see that here. However, this is a team that has already and very recently seen serious injuries to both Jalen Ramsey and Terron Armstead.
With two of their best players now out for some time, you have to consider whether that will make McDaniel reconsider his approach and keep Tua away from any preseason games entirely. With those injuries, plus Tua’s head injuries in the past season, that would be the smart move, especially given that he’s performed well at camp so far.
We only saw rookie QB CJ Stroud throw four passes in the Texans’ preseason debut, but he only connected with two and got picked, too. It was a rough state for the former Ohio State man, but this game will be an opportunity to give him more action and hopefully see him flourish. We have confirmation from Ryans that he’ll get the start here, but we’re unsure of how long he’ll see on the field. There’s a capable backup pair in Case Keenum and Davis Mills, who should be able to lead this Texans team to victory if Stroud himself can’t.
My best bet: Texans -2 (-110 at PointsBet)
Not intended for use in MA.Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
