WagerTalk NFL handicapper Tony Mejia offers his New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins Monday Night Football betting preview. At the time of posting, the Dolphins have climbed to a 2.5-point road favorite in New Orleans, with the total dropping to 37.5 points.<\/p>\n
Stay on top of the latest NFL<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><\/p>\n A pair of .500 teams play what is basically an elimination game on a Monday night that will leave the loser with little hope of reaching the playoffs. The winner will take an 8-7 mark into Week 17 and be squarely in the playoff picture.<\/p>\n New Orleans dropped all four of its November games and lost its December debut. Miami was 1-7 when it took the field on Nov. 7. It has picked up victories in six straight, snacking almost exclusively on teams with losing outside of a home upset of Baltimore. Only one of the Dolphins\u2019 wins came outside South Florida, so it can really prove something with a road conquest.<\/p>\n The Saints look extremely vulnerable after putting a number of players into COVID protocols on Friday, Demario Davis and Malcolm Jenkins may not be in the mix to help anchor the defense. Quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian are also in danger of missing Monday\u2019s game, which would leave rookie Ian Book in line to make his first NFL appearance in a must-win game. The fourth-round pick has yet to enter a game this season. While it should help Book out not to debut in an opposing stadium, the Saint haven\u2019t won at home in nearly two months.<\/p>\n Since pulling off an upset of defending champ Tampa Bay at the Caesars Superdome on Halloween in a game where Jameis Winston was injured for the rest of the season, the Saints haven\u2019t won at home. The Falcons, Bills and Cowboys all handled business in the Big Easy, but coming off a 9-0 win in Tampa in a game where the defense frustrated Tom Brady into ending a tablet\u2019s life should fuel confidence that they can close out the season with a five-game win streak considering a home game with the Panthers and a winnable contest in Atlanta are up next.<\/p>\n The Saints produced a shutout of Brady and hoped to ride the Hill-to-Alvin Kamara ball control train to try and keep their defense as fresh as possible but will now need Book to at least be serviceable. Sean Payton is looking to come back after being shelved due to COVID protocols but has a major challenge on his hands. At this point, post-Drew Brees, New Orleans is at its best with its defense dictating and the offense doing just enough.<\/p>\n Dennis Allen has done an excellent job despite missing multiple key figures in his front seven and in the secondary at various points this season so it wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see him wind up with another head coaching job after going 8-28 through two-plus seasons with the Raiders from 2012-14.<\/p>\n The Dolphins flirted with disaster despite defeating the Jets, falling behind and letting back in the game before finally going ahead late courtesy of a Tua Tagovailoa touchdown pass to Devante Parker. Tagovailoa was to blame for the game being as close as it was since New York took full advantage of his miscues, but he also showed great resolve in not folding and producing a win. Tagovailoa remains a polarizing figure in South Florida but has nonetheless produced a six-game winning streak that has the team in the AFC playoff hunt.<\/p>\n Unexpected help also surfaced with the emergence of Duke Johnson, who came up with his first 100-yard effort as a pro and scored a pair of touchdowns in his debut with the Dolphins. The University of Miami product has bounced around with the Browns and Texans prior to this season and failed to make enough of an impact to stick with the Jaguars but has been thrust into a key role at a crucial juncture of the season.<\/p>\n The Dolphins get WR Jaylen Waddle and free safety Jevon Holland back from protocols and are catching a break with Saints tackles Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead unlikely to be healthy enough to play. Getting points, it\u2019s worth backing Miami to keep playoff hopes alive in New Orleans.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc40\ud83e\udd11 @thegoldsheet<\/a> is feeling the Holiday Spirit! From today until January 2nd, you can have FREE ACCESS to the Gold Sheet. \u2014 WagerTalk (@WagerTalk) December 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n
\n NFL Week 16<\/th>\n Betting Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Point Spread:<\/td>\n Miami Dolphins -2.5 at New Orleans Saints<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Total:<\/td>\n 37.5 Points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Game Time:<\/td>\n 8:15pm ET \/ 5:15pm PT on Monday, December 27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Stadium:<\/td>\n Caesars Superdome in New Orleans<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n TV:<\/td>\n ESPN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins Predictions<\/h2>\n
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