Miami will make the trek up I-95 on Saturday as the Dolphins play their final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Miami has split their two preseason games thus far, and are coming in off a 28-3 victory at Houston a week ago. Tua Tagovailoa saw limited action and threw a pick in his two drives on the field. For the Jaguars, it’s been a perfect preseason so far, and a win on Saturday would give them just their second flawless preseason in franchise history and first in 26 years.
It’s the final preparation game for two teams with playoff aspirations, and we discuss how you should bet on the NFL odds in our Dolphins vs Jaguars NFL picks and predictions for Saturday, August 26.
Dolphins vs Jaguars odds
Dolphins vs Jaguars predictions
The Dolphins come into the season with a long list of questions. One of them is whether Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy this season, after suffering multiple concussions last season and having dealt with injuries the season before. Another is whether they can get over the hump and challenge for the AFC East this year.
Saturday’s game will be the first chance many get to see some answers to those questions. Head coach Mike McDaniel has stated that Tagovailoa and the starters will get at least two series against the Jaguars, but won’t play the entire first half.
That’s one of the reasons why we’re taking the Jaguars to cover the 6.5-point spread as our best bet. Jacksonville has barely used any starters through their first two games, and they’ve still looked terrific. Trevor Lawrence saw limited action in their first win against the Cowboys, but backup Nathan Rourke has been a revelation.
The new man in the quarterback room has thrown for nearly 300 yards this preseason, along with a pair of touchdown passes. Both he and CJ Beathard looked good against the Lions in their 25-7 win, and that was without many of the team’s best receiving weapons on the field. Running back Tank Bigsby has impressed as well, and looks to be a good compliment to Travis Etienne.
That’s bad news for the Dolphins. Their defense hasn’t been tested in this preseason, having faced two paltry offenses in the Texans and Falcons. That won’t be the case on Saturday, with Lawrence getting the bulk of the reps and Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram all testing Miami’s secondary.
Jalen Ramsey won’t be in the lineup yet for Miami, and the Jaguars are going to test the Dolphins’ secondary often. Teams had great success through the air vs. Miami’s 25th-ranked pass defense last season, and if Lawrence and company are going to get more series than Tagovailoa, then Jacksonville should have a good chance to jump ahead by multiple scores before halftime.
That’s boosted by the fact that Pederson has said he hopes to get a two-minute drill in before his starters come out. Add to it the terrific play from Roarke and the fact that the Jaguars are likely to throw more after halftime as they settle on some key decisions at wide receiver, it’s a recipe for a team to pile on points.
My best bet: Jaguars -6.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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Dolphins vs Jaguars spread and Over/Under analysis
The Jaguars are 6.5-point favorites, with the line opening at -4 and quickly moving within hours. It moved as high as 7.5 points before settling back down. The Dolphins lost to the Falcons and scored just three points, before bouncing back to beat Houston by 25.
Jacksonville beat Dallas on the road by five in a 28-23 victory, before heading to Detroit and rolling 25-7. They now play their only home preseason game, having won their last five games at Everbank Stadium, including the playoffs.
We’re on the Jaguars to cover the number. Their offense has looked better this preseason, and their defense allowed just 131 yards to the Lions last week. Miami has turned it over five times without forcing a single one, while Jacksonville’s defense has come up with five takeaways versus just three turnovers. Take the better-looking team with better ball security.
The total opened between 38.5 and 39.5 and moved up quickly as well, before settling at 41 across the board. Neither team saw their Week 2 preseason contests eclipse that number, and only Jacksonville’s game with Dallas has done so this preseason.
That said, with both teams running their starters out in the first half we could see plenty of points. Miami and Jacksonville both have lots of playmakers and lots of speed at the wide receiver positions, and neither secondary is particularly good against the pass.
The Over hitting will likely depend on Miami’s ability to put up points after the starters come out.
Dolphins vs Jaguars betting trend to know
The Jaguars have won five straight home games dating back to last season, including the playoffs. Find more NFL betting trends for Dolphins vs. Jaguars.
Dolphins vs Jaguars game info
| Location: | Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL |
| Date: | Saturday, August 26, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NFL Network |
| Opening odds: | Jaguars -6.5, O/U 40.5 |
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