Bills vs. Dolphins Game Preview: Top storyline, odds, player to watch & prediction

It’s rivalry week, with the Buffalo Bills set to host longtime AFC East foe, the Miami Dolphins, on Thursday Night Football.

The Bills enter this game a perfect 2-0, while Miami has struggled in each of its first two games and sits at 0-2. It will be the final matchup between these two storied opponents inside the current Highmark Stadium, with plenty of Bills fans excited for one more opportunity to squish the fish at their team’s longtime home.

With game day nearly upon us, let’s take a look at the news and a few notes surrounding this divisional matchup:

What’s Vegas Saying?

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Bills are 11.5-point favorites entering their second straight AFC East game. That number is down a point from where the point spread opened, at 12.5 points on Sunday night. It’s the widest spread between Buffalo and Miami since the 2023 season, per StatMuse. The Bills are 9-7-1 ATS vs. the Dolphins since 2017.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Weather Report

It’s expected to be another beautiful night inside Highmark Stadium on Thursday, with temperatures forecasted in the 70s, with little wind and no precipitation anticipated for this divisional matchup, per The Weather Channel.

Nov 3, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; A Buffalo Bills fan celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills’ Injuries

The Bills have declared two players as OUT for Sunday’s game, per the team's official injury report, as defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle) will miss his second consecutive game, and linebacker Matt Milano, who sustained a pectoral injury midway through Buffalo’s Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets, will also be sidelined this week.

With Oliver out against the Jets, fourth-round rookie DT Deone Walker earned the start, while fellow rookie, second-rounder T.J. Sanders, also earned an increased snap share. Also, Zion Logue was elevated from the practice squad, whichis likely to occur once again this week. Logue finished the game with his first career sack, while both Walker (47%) and Sanders (49%) were on the field for nearly half of the team’s defensive snaps.

As far as Milano’s absence is concerned, expect the Bills’ leading tackler from a season ago, Dorian Williams, to start in his place. Williams finished the 2024 campaign with a team-high 117 tackles in 11 starts. This past week against the Jets, Williams played 64% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps, finishing with a pass defensed, while adding a forced fumble on special teams. Williams played 71% of the STs snaps this past Sunday. That will likely change with him now beinginserted into the starting lineup.

Three players are listed as questionable to play against the Dolphins, including nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (quad), linebacker Shaq Thompson (hand/hamstring) and defensive back Cam Lewis (shoulder). Johnson and Thompson missed this past week’s game against New York, during which Lewis sustained his injury.

Dolphins’ Injuries

Miami’s starting cornerback Storm Duck (ankle) and starting safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (calf) did not participate during Tuesday’s practice and were declared out on Wednesday, per the team's injury report. Three players were marked as questionable, including wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) and linebacker Chop Robinson (knee).

Waddle recorded five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots this past Sunday. Robinson recorded a sack and a couple of quarterback pressures on 10 pass rush snaps in Week 2, per NFL Pro. Duck has been out since he sustained an ankle injury midway through the Dolphins' Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Former Bills CB Rasul Douglas has been inserted into the Miami starting lineup in his absence. Melifonwu is tied for fourth on the team in tackles with 10 on the year.

Coaching Matchup

The coaching matchup this week is once again lopsided, as Miami head coach Mike McDaniel is 1-6 against the Bills, including playoffs. The Dolphins have lost their last six matchups against Buffalo. With that said, McDaniel has had some success when his team doesn’t play against the Bills, posting a 53-28 regular-season record as Miami’s head coach. He has guided the Dolphins to the playoffs twice in the past three seasons.

On the other side, Sean McDermott boasts a 15-2 record against the Dolphins since taking over as Bills head coach in 2017. He has coached a total of 133 regular-season games and 14 playoff games during his career, with an overall record of 95-52 and a winning percentage of 0.646, which is tied with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for fourth-best among active coaches, per The Football Database.

Top Storyline

Everyone will be waiting to see if the Dolphins can salvage their season with an unexpected win over the Bills on Thursday night. Miami has started the season about as poorly as any team in the league, allowing 33 points in two straight matchups while forcing its two opponents to punt just twice to begin the year. Things haven’t been much better offensively, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been sacked eight times and turned the ball over four times in his first two games.

Meanwhile, Buffalo has been cooking on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 1 performance, while running back James Cook exploded for a two-touchdown effort in Week 2. The Bills’ defense, after a rough outing in Week 1, also rebounded against the Jets, powered by a Herculean performance from edge rusher Joey Bosa.

These are two teams trending in opposite directions. There is not much hope for Miami to stop the bleeding this week.

Player to Watch

It will be interesting to see how Tre’Davious White rebounds from his first start of the season against the Jets, which came after a multi-week absence due to a groin injury. This week, White will face a more challenging matchup than he did a week ago, as the Miami passing game, despite its inefficiency to begin the season, has a few impressive weapons at quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s disposal. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are both known for their elite athleticism and speed, two attributes that White has been partially stripped of following a couple of significant injuries sustained over the past few years.

Prediction — Bills 35, Dolphins 17

This matchup features two teams that enter Thursday night on opposite sides of the spectrum. While the Bills are riding high coming off a blowout victory, Miami has looked incompetent through Weeks 1 and 2.

It’s about to go from bad to worse for the Dolphins, who I expect will be blown out in this game. I’m anticipating another massive day for the Buffalo running game, which will include 60-plus yards from backup running back Ray Davis during garbage time.

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