Week 2 opens with an electric AFC East matchup.
The pregame narrative: Both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins started the NFL season 1-0 and play each other in an early divisional matchup. I’m hesitant to pick a side but confident taking the over on the total points as my best bet. I also like James Cook to be involved in the passing game.
Check out my Bills vs. Dolphins best bets for the Week 2 matchup on Sept. 12.
Bills vs. Dolphins best bets
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Best Bet: Over 48.5 points (-114)
Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa both have elite big-play ability which was evident in Week 1.
The quarterbacks combined for 570 passing yards and five touchdowns. Allen contributed four of those (two passing, two rushing) but Tagovailoa was much more efficient in the air with 338 yards.
Allen isn’t equipped with the same talented receiving core he’s used to after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason. But his ability to create touchdowns on broken plays is the true X-factor for the offence. We saw that last week.
I don’t expect 338 yards from Tagovailoa to lead to a single touchdown often with threats like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane at his service.
The three combined for 315 receiving yards in Week 1. Just one TD feels like an outlier.
Kyler Murray was much less productive against the Bills with 162 passing yards and 57 yards on the ground, yet the Arizona Cardinals still scored 28 points.
Key stat: Four of the past five games between Buffalo and Miami have exceeded this total with an average total of 57.3 points.
Quick Pick
James Cook over 17.5 receiving yards (-118): Cook hit this line in just over 50% of his games last season (9-of-17).
His role is only expanding this season with the previously mentioned losses to the Buffalo offence. Last week, Cook caught all three targets for 33 receiving yards. That was on a measly 23 pass attempts for Allen.
I expect that number to rise in Week 2, considering the QB averaged 34 attempts per game last season.
And Cook is the safety net with previously established chemistry with Allen. His 13.0% target share in Week 1 was up from last year’s 9.9%. My prediction is that this continues to be the case as the season continues.
Picks made at 10:08 a.m. ET 09/10/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.