Both Miami and Cincinnati are 1-1 through preseason play and both have their season hopes resting on sophomore quarterbacks.
Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow are entrenched as starters but what can we find out about their supporting cast in this clash?
Find out in our free NFL picks and predictions for Dolphins vs. Bengals on Saturday, August 28, a game Cincinnati is a slight betting favorite for.
Dolphins vs Bengals game info
• Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
• Date: Sunday, August 29, 2021
• Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Dolphins vs Bengals odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Dolphins at Bengals betting preview
Weather
The temperature is expected to hover around 90 degrees Fahrenheit for kickoff and be very humid with a chance of rain. Southwest winds of nearly 10 mph are expected, with slightly higher wind gusts. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key injuries
Dolphins: Lynn Bowden Jr WR (Out), Allen Hurns WR (Out), Adam Shaheen TE (Out).
Bengals: Joseph Ossai DE (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-1-1 in the past 7 meetings between these teams. Find more NFL betting trends for Dolphins vs. Bengals.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Let’s get the most important details out of the way first. We won’t be seeing the former Alabama signal-caller Tagovailoa on Sunday. Head coach Brian Flores has already confirmed that the fifth overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft will be rested alongside the majority of Miami's starters.
Other teams such as the Browns are using their final preseason games as a dress rehearsal but Flores has seen enough. Last week Tua looked very good against the Falcons as he went 24 of 34, for 282 yards and a touchdown. Not even an interception ruined his day and he looks like a great longshot wager for MVP.
With Tagovailoa sitting we’ll likely see a lot of Jacoby Brissett. The former Colt isn’t an elite QB but he did look like a solid NFL starter during his time in Indianapolis. With him under center, you’d still expect the Dolphins to be somewhat competitive here.
We’re still not sure exactly who Brissett will be passing to, with Will Fuller suspended, DeVante Parker questionable and first-round pick Jaylen Waddle a possible candidate to be rested. One thing that will be interesting to watch is the battle to Myles Gaskin’s understudy at running back, with Malcom Brown, Salvon Ahmed, and Patrick Laird all looking to stake their claims.
For the Bengals, we’re likely to see Joe Burrow back on an NFL field for the first time since November 22 last year where a hit against the Washington Football Team saw him tear up his knee. It’s been a long road back for Burrow and he’ll be relishing the opportunity to step back on the field even if it’s in a “very limited” capacity.
There’s been a number of questions raised over Burrow’s recovery with some reports from camp suggesting that the former first overall pick didn’t look comfortable on the field and wasn’t performing at the level we saw during his rookie season. It’s no surprise given the severity of his injury and we’ll hopefully see glimpses of his great talent in this game.
The other major talking point is that of his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Chase was taken fifth overall this year and was meant to give Burrow an elite receiving option but his camp, like his QB, seems to have been very mixed. He’s had a number of drops and struggled to gain separation, with some beat reporters asking whether he has the yips. Not only that, but questions around his private life have also raised doubts. Over the past few days, however, positive reports have emerged about his performances, with the Louisiana native looking like a first-round pick.
Given the Dolphins won’t be playing most of their starters, it makes sense to back the Bengals, even if we see very little of Burrow.
PREDICTION: Bengals -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The books have set the total points line for this game at 36, which is one less than the Dolphins managed on their own last week against the Falcons. This isn’t the same Miami team and with Tagovailoa and most starters sitting, it really feels like they’ll struggle with continuity.
The Bengals have only scored 32 points across their two games this preseason and although the return of Burrow, however limited, will give the team a boost, it's a struggle to see them putting up the sort of numbers to make taking the Over attractive.
I’m expecting a fairly low-scoring game, one which is dull at points and that leans us toward taking the Under here.
PREDICTION: Under 36 (-110)
Dolphins vs Bengals betting card
- Bengals -1.5 (-110)
- Under 36 (-110)
Picks made on 8/28/2021 at 8:33 a.m. ET
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