Jaguars vs. Dolphins Predictions, Picks & Odds: NFL Week 1, Sunday 9/8
In the early season, having home games for teams in Florida is quite a significant advantage in terms of being in the heat and humidity. Unfortunately for the Miami Dolphins, they’ll be hosting another Florida team for their Week 1 season opener in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both teams have playoff aspirations, but they are also far from locks to do so. A win on this opening Sunday will get their momentum heading in the right direction, and we’ve shared our best Jaguars vs. Dolphins predictions for you.
Not only will we get to a best bet from our Jaguars vs. Dolphins picks, but also a guaranteed $200+ FanDuel Sportsbook sign up bonus, so we’ve got you covered across the board!
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Predictions for NFL Week 1, Sunday, 9/8
It’s a new era of QBs in the NFL these days, as we’ve moved on from Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and the like. Two of those gunslingers are Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.
Both have locked in massive contract extensions, so while many teams are dealing with that drama, that’s not the case on the east coast of Florida. When it comes to fanfare, the explosiveness of the Dolphins offense intrigues even the most casual of football fans.
So, the biggest question entering this matchup is whether or not the Jags will have the speed on defense to keep up. There’s always the chance that Miami’s weapons have lost a step, but we’ll have to see that before we assume as much. Even with Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle getting back to 100%, we still anticipate plenty of big plays on Sunday afternoon.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trying To Take Over The Texans
That’s just our overall Jaguars vs. Dolphins predictions, but we also want to discuss each side of this contest individually. Starting with the road team, Jacksonville obviously won’t have far to go, and expectations are quite high with RB Travis Etienne healthy.
He was in tandem with Lawrence dating back to their days in South Carolina at Clemson, so the chemistry is certainly there. However, after winning a playoff game two seasons ago in dramatic, comeback fashion, they missed out on the postseason entirely last year. Of course, that is in large part due to the Houston Texans exceeding expectations.
Lawrence now has another even younger QB to battle in the division, so winning these conference matchups is crucial for the Jags.
Miami Dolphins: Ending The Longest Live Playoff Win Drought
Speaking of playoff wins, the biggest storyline for the Dolphins now that Tua’s contract is sorted is their lack of postseason success. To be clear, they made the playoffs last season, but they haven’t won a playoff game in 23 years!
Now that the Detroit Lions have turned their franchise around, that’s the longest drought in the NFL. It’s difficult to believe given how incredible their offense was last season, putting up over 400 yards per game and leading the league in that regard.
The ability to slow down that offense or not will certainly be a major factor in our best bet to help you lock in your Jaguars vs. Dolphins picks.
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Before we get into the top pick from our Jaguars vs. Dolphins predictions, let’s quickly take a look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest Jaguars vs. Dolphins odds:
- Point Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars +3 (-102) vs. Miami Dolphins -3 (-118)
- Money Line: Jacksonville Jaguars (+140) vs. Miami Dolphins (-166)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 49.5 (-105) vs. Under 49.5 (-115)
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Point Spread: Miami -3 (-118 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
The best bet from our Jaguars vs. Dolphins predictions may be heavily priced in that direction, but it’s not enough to tick the point spread over the key number of three, so we’ll happily take the push condition.
It’s no surprise that Miami is expected to have an explosive offense so that primary matchup in this game will be how Jacksonville decides to defend it. Of course, they’ll likely focus on the WR duo of Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but let’s not forget how incredibly well RB De’Von Achane burst onto the scene last year.
He was slowed down by injuries, but he’s set and ready to go for Week 1, and he’s even going as one of the first RBs off the board in fantasy football league. Even if you don’t have faith in the second-year back, the Jags allowed the seventh-most passing yards per game, while Miami’s offense was the absolute best through the air.
Additionally, Jacksonville’s Etienne Jr. may also be one of the first RBs off the board, but Miami allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game. All in all, the way these teams match up seems to favor the home team, so we’re going with the Dolphins -3 (-118 at FanDuel Sportsbook) as the best bet from our Jaguars vs. Dolphins predictions.
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Injury Report & Latest News
We’ve already mentioned Waddle getting back to 100% healthy, and you can see the latest injury status for both teams below:
JAX Jaguars:
- Daniel Thomas (Questionable)
MIA Dolphins:
- Terron Armstead (Questionable)
- Calais Campbell (Questionable)
- Jaelan Phillips (Questionable)
- Jalen Ramsey (Questionable)
- Quinton Bell (Questionable)
- Aaron Brewer (Questionable)
- Kendall Fuller (Questionable)
- Benito Jones (Questionable)
- David Long (Questionable)
- Jordan Poyer (Questionable)
- Anthony Walker (Questionable)
- Malik Washington (Questionable)
- Jevon Holland (Probable)
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Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.