NFL 2024/25: Dolphins – Bills
This game is, of course, a modern classic that is often decided by the venue. In the far north, the Floridians, who are used to the sun, often fight a losing battle against the “Electric Company”
MLaccording to my Dolphins Bills prediction for the NFL schedule for the Week 2 opener, it doesn’t necessarily have to be so one-sided this time. In the end, however, I still come to the conclusion that Buffalo’s more mature style of play will probably prevail again
In order to determine the really worthwhile Dolphins Bills bets, we first have to look at the recent opening games of both teams during Week 1.
The Bills had to deal with a real scare last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite trailing for 3:17, they ultimately managed to start the new season successfully with a 34-28 victory.
Those 28 points they allowed may not look great on paper, but half of those points were the result of truly unfortunate circumstances. With that in mind, this game could have gone more clearly in Buffalo’s favor.
A closer look at the game reveals that a big turning point was a Cardinals kickoff return touchdown that was largely aided by the new rules and a strong wind.
A questionable refereeing decision in favor of the Bills in their own possession suddenly turned a sure field goal attempt for the “Electric Company” into a touchdown for Arizona.
Of course, that’s part of football somewhere, but I can’t help but think that the Bills could have won this game with a lot less drama under more favorable circumstances.
On the flip side, the Dolphins also had a close game in Week 1. They literally tortured their way to a 20:17 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But here, too, appearances are deceptive – but this time in a flattering way.
The Floridians could easily have trailed 7:24 at half-time had Jaguars running back Travis Etienne not fumbled the ball at the goal line.
The Fins promptly used the ensuing drive to throw an 80-yard touchdown to Tyreek Hill, which gave the game a whole new momentum.
But it also showed just how much Miami can capitalize on moments like that to fight back into a game they thought they had lost.
In light of these facts, it can be argued that Buffalo was disadvantaged by some unfortunate circumstances in its last game, while the ‘Fins only found their way back into the match against the Jaguars by a lot of luck.
Despite a slight injury to Josh Allen’s hand, the Bills still appear to be the stronger of the two teams, especially on offense.
The Floridian defense is also not going into the upcoming game without concerns. With injuries to Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and David Long Jr. the backfield looks bleak at the moment.
Especially at the linebacker position, there is a gaping hole on Friday.
On the flip side, Buffalo also has injury concerns. In addition to Allen’s minor hand injury, they could lose their starting nickelback Taron Johnson to a forearm injury.
Incidentally, the Bills’ defense definitely looks different compared to 2023, having been changed at many positions due to departures and injuries.
Despite slight defensive problems, the newly assembled defense did a good job in Week 1 and kept the Cardinals’ offense in check in the decisive moments
Short review: In the two games against the Dolphins last season, the Bills defense held the Miami team to 14 and 20 points respectively. So it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the upcoming game, especially if the weather is a factor.
The Bills offense has made some changes to the way they play. They no longer rely so much on deep passes, but instead rely on bigger and more robust receivers who fight for the ball and gain several yards after the catch.
Under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the visitors also relied much more on the run game in Week 1, with a rushing rate of 56.9% compared to 46.5% last season.
Conclusion: If we look at the current form and recent meetings between the two teams, there is a lot to be said for another win for the Bills.
My Dolphins Bills prediction is based on Buffalo’s strong record against Miami, as the Bills have won 9 of the last 10 meetings – and often by quite a margin.
Even though both teams had to pull out close wins in Week 1, experience has shown that the “Electric Company” is simply a class above
My tip: The Bills win and score over 21.5 points!
