NFL Week 9: Dolphins vs. Cardinals odds, preview and pick

Two of the more exciting young quarterbacks in the NFL will face off this Sunday, when Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins travel to Arizona to face Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

How will Tua do in his first road game?

The Dolphins officially handed the reins of the offense over last weekend to Tagovailoa, and he helped lead them to a 28-17 win over the Rams. His numbers were not that impressive, as he completed 12 of his 22 passes for only 93 yards and added zero yards on two carries. While he did throw a touchdown pass on the day, he also set up a touchdown for Los Angeles when he turned the ball over on Miami’s second play of the game while being sacked by Aaron Donald.

The Dolphins gained only eight first downs on the day, but five of those came on pass plays. They also only ran 48 plays compared to 92 for Los Angeles, so it’s tough to get a read on how Tua truly did in his first game out. Now he will hit the road to face an Arizona defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest plays against and has been on the field less than all but three other teams in the league. Keeping drives extended will be crucial towards Tua staying unbeaten as a starter.

Murray is carrying the Cardinals

While the Dolphins’ defense looked terrific last week, they will face an entirely different challenge in Murray this weekend. The Cardinals have had a week of rest after their thrilling comeback win over the Seahawks two weeks ago, where Murray led a pair of scoring drives in the final seven minutes of the game to overcome a 10-point hole to force overtime. The young quarterback scored four touchdowns on the day, and gained 427 total yards in the win.

The Cardinals’ defense had one of their worst games of the season, but considering the season Russell Wilson is having that is nothing to be ashamed of. However, it was the third straight game where the offense scored 30 or more points, as Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins continue to develop a terrific relationship. No team is averaging more yards offensively per game than Arizona, which is buoyed by their second-best per-game rushing attack. That’s bad news for a Miami defense allowing the 13th-most yards per game this season.

Miami vs. Arizona injury report

The Dolphins may be without CB Jamal Perry and Matt Breida, both of whom are questionable for Sunday’s game. Breida’s hamstring will likely keep him out of action.

The Cardinals will likely be without RB Kenyon Drake, which might hamper their rushing attack a bit. LBs Jordan Hicks and Ezekiel Turner are also questionable, and CB Dre Kirkpatrick is dealing with a thigh injury that might make him miss a game for the first time all season.

Dolphins vs. Cardinals betting trends

The Dolphins have covered the spread in five of their last six games, but have won just four times in their last fourteen road games. The total has gone Under in four of their last five outings.

The Cardinals have covered the spread in five of their last seven games, but have won just five of their last nineteen home games. The total has gone Under in all but two of their last seven games, but it has gone Over in five of their last six games against the Dolphins.

Asking Tua to keep up with the most power offense in the league is not only unfair, it’s likely to be impossible. Miami’s offense simply is not explosive or consistent enough to be able to maintain pace with what Murray and Arizona are likely to put up. As such, Tua is likely to be put into a situation where he will have to try to make plays. If he is unable to do so without turning over the football, this game could get very ugly.

Look for the Cardinals to win this one easily, while keeping the Dolphins to 10 points or less just like they did against the Cowboys and Jets over the past month.

Score prediction: Arizona 34, Miami 10

Picks: Cardinals -4.5, Under 48.5

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