Raiders vs. Dolphins: Preview, score prediction for Week 9

Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins will host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday Night Football in Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season. The Raiders season-saving comeback stretch that began with their 31-30 over division rival Kansas City Chiefs was put on hold just one week later as they lost 34-14 to the Buffalo Bills last week to fall to 3-5.

Despite gaining 367 offensive yards against the good Bills defense, the Raiders rushed for only 54 yards with starting running back Marshawn Lynch serving a one-game suspension.

As for the Dolphins, they also lost last week, falling 40-0 to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. That loss broke a three-game win streak for Miami, who is 4-3 after starting their season 1-2.

Keys to Victory

Miami is going to need to generate a new offensive gameplan if they haven’t done so already. The Dolphins enter Week 9 ranked last in the league in points scored, total offensive yards, and yards per play. The offense is severely broken which is illustrated by the fact that they failed to gain 200 total yards last week for the third time this season.

The Dolphins, who also rank 31st in rushing yards and are the only team in the NFL without a rushing touchdown, traded away starting running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles this week. Ajayi rushed for 1,272 despite just starting 12 games in 2016 and is responsible for 82 percent of the team’s carries this season. No other running back on the roster is even averaging five yards per game this season.

While the Dolphins offense has been a disaster this season, Oakland’s offense has been a disappointment. The Raiders, who ranked seventh last season in points scored per game, currently rank 18th in that same category despite the fact that they only added more offensive weapons in the offseason. Oakland has failed to score at least 20 points five times through their first eight games, something that happened to them just five times total in 2016. The Raiders have no excuse to not be an effective offensive team with the amount of talent and explosive playmakers they have on the roster but still something is clearly missing with this team.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Oakland -3
Moneyline: Oakland -160, Miami +140
Over/Under: 44

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 9

Prediction

This game could have huge ramifications as the season progresses. The Dolphins are already in Wild Card contention despite their offensive struggles and a win at home this week will give them at least a tie for second AFC Wild Card spot if not the sole possession, depending on if the Jacksonville Jaguars win. The Raiders, on the hand, are looking to avoid falling into a potential four-game hole in the AFC West.

Final Score: Oakland Raiders: 28, Miami Dolphins: 13