The Dolphins and their 2021 Odds

The Miami Dolphins took a big step forward in 2020 when they went from 5-11 to 10-6 and on the doorstep of the playoffs, and the challenge next season will be to reach that next level.

It's obviously not going to be an easy task, and oddsmakers are suggesting a step back is a distinct possibility.

Two weeks before the NFL Draft, over/unders have been set for every NFL team and the Dolphins came in at 9 wins, according to OddsChecker.

That total is tied for 14th-best in the NFL along with the Los Angels Chargers, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Perhaps more significant are the odds of whether teams will make the playoffs, and they're on the wrong side of the equation when it comes to the Dolphins.

The Dolphins are minus-150 to NOT make the playoffs, meaning someone would bet $150 to win $100. The Dolphins are plus-135 to get to the playoffs ($100 to win $135).

The Dolphins actually are tied for seventh-highest projected over/under win total in the AFC behind 2020 playoff participants Kansas City (12), Baltimore (11), Buffalo (10.5), Cleveland (10), Indianapolis (10) and Tennessee (9.5).

Of course, remember that teams will play 17 games in 2021, so the over/under was set at the Dolphins finishing with a 9-8 record.

“Over/Under win totals always tend to be conservative, but this year they seem to be aggressive," said OddsChecker spokesman Kyle Newman. "With the new 17-game schedule, these win totals only project 14 teams to finish below .500. The last time only 14 teams finished under .500 was 2017, so that’s an incredibly aggressive prediction.

"There also some major surprise playoff predictions Among the most shocking are the Steelers missing the playoffs, The Brees-less Saints making the playoffs, and the Washington Football Team being a pretty big underdog to make the playoffs. One thing is for use, oddsmakers are being as aggressive this year as they’ve been in a long time.”

The complete list of over/under totals:

Kansas City Chiefs — 12

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 11.5

Baltimore Ravens — 11

Green Bay Packers — 11

Buffalo Bills — 10.5

Los Angeles Rams — 10.5

Cleveland Browns — 10

Indianapolis Colts — 10

San Francisco 49ers — 10

Seattle Seahawks — 10

Dallas Cowboys — 9.5

New Orleans — 9.5

Tennessee Titans — 9.5

Los Angeles Chargers — 9

Miami Dolphins — 9

New England Patriots — 9

Pittsburgh Steelers — 9

Minnesota Vikings — 8.5

Arizona Cardinals — 8

Washington Football Team — 8

Carolina Panthers — 7.5

Chicago Bears — 7.5

Denver Broncos — 7.5

Atlanta Falcons — 7

New York Giants — 7

Philadelphia Eagles — 7

Cincinnati Bengals — 6.5

Jacksonville Jaguars — 6

New York Jets — 6

Detroit Lions — 5

Houston Texans — 5