Dolphins-Vikings Predictions Roundup
The Miami Dolphins will look to move their record to 4-2 in the 2022 season when they face the Minnesota Vikings at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Dolphins will enter the game as 3.5-point underdogs, according to the SI Sportsbook.
Here's a roundup of national predictions on this game:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Brinson
Analysis: "Any discussion of this game is largely irrelevant without knowing the precise nature of the Miami quarterback situation. Skylar Thompson, the late-round rookie, has been announced by Mike McDaniel as the starter. I think Teddy Bridgewater plays (he never suffered a concussion, per the Dolphins, but the altered protocols forced him to remain out of the game and miss practice). I'm willing to bet on the +3.5 that he ends up playing and I think we see a ton of points in this game too."
Prediction: Dolphins 28, Vikings 24
Analysis: "The Dolphins should have Teddy Bridgewater back to play quarterback against his former team. That will be a big boost to the offense. The Vikings could be impacted by the heat. But I think this will come down to Minnesota's offense against a bad Miami defense. The Vikings win it behind Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson."
Prediction: Vikings 30, Dolphins 24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "Rookie Skylar Thompson — a seventh-round pick who has a career QBR of 29.4 (albeit in a very limited sample size) — will make his first NFL start after Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater spent the week dealing with concussion protocol-related issues. But weird as it seems, the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback drama isn’t their biggest problem. Even if they played, neither Tagovailoa nor Bridgewater could fix a broken pass defense that can’t get stops and can’t force turnovers. Xavien Howard will be back from a groin injury, but the truth is the Dolphins weren’t particularly good on defense even before he got hurt. The Dolphins have allowed an unacceptable 124 points in the last four weeks and let the Jets drop 40 on them in Week 5. Who’s going to cover Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen — who have 65 catches for 795 yards between them through five games? This could get ugly."
Adam H. Beasley Prediction: Vikings 23, Dolphins 22
Dalton Miller Prediction: Vikings 27, Dolphins 21
Dallas Robinson Prediction: Vikings 29, Dolphins 20
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "The Vikings likely won't see their former first-rounder starter Teddy Bridgewater and the Dolphins won't be able to win with a run-heavy offense with wide receivers Tyreek Hill (foot) and Jaylen Waddle (groin) banged up. Also, with Xavier Howard hampered should he play, there are no true Dolphins answers for Justin Jefferson. Dalvin Cook also will stay hot running in his return to his home state."
Prediction: Vikings 24, Dolphins 20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "The Dolphins appear to be down to their third-string quarterback, which makes Miami a difficult team to pick until either Tua Tagovailoa or Teddy Bridgewater returns. Couple in the fact that both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are nursing injuries, the Dolphins could be down several stars once again. Minnesota has been inconsistent this season, but the Vikings' offense has the potential of being as good as any when they are clicking."
Ethan Cadeaux prediction: Vikings 26, Dolphins 20
Matt Weyrich prediction: Vikings 31, Dolphins 28
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "Kirk Cousins is "really playing quarterback" according to new Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell. That line cracked me up. But I get what O'Connell is saying: Cousins is taking charge of this offense and operating it at the highest level he can. And that's enough for O'Connell. Cousins and Justin Jefferson, who leads the NFL with 547 receiving yards, have fueled Minnesota’s 4-1 start. The team’s Achilles’ heel might just be its defense, which is so far allowing 20.4 points per game — and not to particularly good offenses. The Dolphins' ability to win this game may come down to health. Can Tyreek Hill play? He exited with an injury last week. Can Tua Tagovailoa or Teddy Bridgewater play? They each have missed time with concussions. On Wednesday, coach Mike McDaniel indicated that third-string QB Skylar Thompson would start. And what about left tackle Terron Armstead? He, too, is dealing with an injury. Miami needs its star power on offense to stay competitive, especially with a team as good as the Vikings. So the Dolphins' injury report will be worth monitoring ahead of Week 6."
Prediction: Vikings 25, Dolphins 17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Florio
Analysis: "The Vikings keep doing just enough to win, thanks to plenty of good luck. Their luck runs out this week."
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Vikings 21
Michael David Smith
Analysis: "Top to bottom the Dolphins are the better team, but with rookie Skylar Thompson set to make the first start of his NFL career in Miami, I have to go with the Vikings."
Prediction: Vikings 21, Dolphins 20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "Seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson will start at quarterback, with Tua Tagovailoa ruled out and Teddy Bridgewater also still in concussion protocol. The Dolphins’ top cornerback, Xavien Howard, and offensive line Jenga piece Terron Armstead are uncertain for Sunday, too. Thompson’s arm strength isn’t great, but I’m more worried about the other players’ availability. The Dolphins are so thin at cornerback and tackle without their stars. If Howard and Armstead play, I’ll flip this pick against a Vikings squad that doesn’t overly impress even if it makes big drives when necessary."
Prediction: Vikings 24, Dolphins 23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: "As we chronicled earlier this week, Skylar Thompson actually did a pretty respectable job under very difficult circumstances in his first NFL action against the Jets last Sunday and he'll greatly benefit from having taken all the first-team reps in preparation for this game. And it says here he's going to have a successful NFL starting debut. The defense will have some issues with the Minnesota offense, but we can see another game like the Buffalo game in Week 3 where it comes up at key moments, particularly since Cousins doesn't exactly have the reputation of somebody who comes up big in the clutch."
Prediction: Dolphins 27, Vikings 24
