After a season filled with ups and downs, Josh Allen and the Bills head to Miami for the 272nd and final game of the 2023 NFL season, looking to steal the AFC East from Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins.
Three months ago, Miami went to Buffalo riding high off of its historic performance against the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins would trip over themselves come gameday and lose to the Bills, 48-20. The paths these teams would take to get to Week 18 with the stakes as high as they are have varied drastically.
We have seen Miami struggle against teams with records over .500, including their 56-19 blowout loss at the hands of the AFC’s No. 1 seed in Baltimore last weekend, and have left just enough room as a result of these losses for Buffalo to catch back up in the division. To come away with one more win and secure the division, Miami will need to play more as they did in Week 16 against Dallas as opposed to the lackluster performances in their losses against teams like Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Consequently, we watched as Buffalo stumbled through most of October and November, firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey as a result before finally winning their way through December to find themselves one win away from claiming the division and the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The easiest path for Buffalo to clinch a playoff spot (and the division) is to win this game. With a loss, their playoff hopes would depend on a Jaguars or Steelers loss. Josh Allen and company must be ready to do battle in this game and silence the doubters once again.
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Game Info
Date: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024
Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Miami, FL.
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
TV Info: NBC, NFL+, Sunday Ticket
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Point Spread: BUF -3 (-110), MIA +3 (-110)
Moneyline: BUF (-162), MIA (+136)
Over/Under: O/U 49.5 (-108)
Miami enters as a very slight underdog at home.
What To Watch For
Dorsey’s firing six weeks ago sent Buffalo’s wild season into overdrive. Subsequently, not many expected the Dolphins to have been dragged out to the 17th and final game, especially after they went into December holding a comfortable lead in the division. To come away with this win would require a game where either side makes very few mistakes and takes advantage of every mistake their opponent makes.
This will be a postseason where the AFC playoff field does not have to go through Kansas City. As a result, both teams would love to come away from this game with the win and raise the realistic possibility that the Chiefs would have to come to their stadium on Divisional Weekend, something the Bills would love given their recent history against Andy Reid‘s unit.
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