Could Damar Hamlin Emotional Boost and No Tua Boost Bills to Blowout Win vs. Miami?
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The news about Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin has only gotten better in recent days – Hamlin was first released from the Cincinnati hospital he was originally taken to after the cardiac arrest he suffered on the field against the Bengals on Jan. 2, then released from the Buffalo hospital Thursday, now back home with his family.
Hamlin's Emotional Boost to Bills
Bills coach Sean McDermott has said the team will leave it up to Hamlin to decide when he would like to return to the team facility. He has had a “remarkable recovery,” no doubt about that.
Rosters and matchups are one thing, but can you imagine the emotional boost for the team when Hamlin returns to that facility?
Even being back home in Buffalo, talking to him, getting those words of encouragement from both Hamlin as well as his father, that all they want is for the Bills to do their job on the field now, adds a cherry to the top of the Bill’s talent advantage against Sunday’s opponents in the NFL Wild Card game, the Miami Dolphins.
How Sunday's Matchup is Taking Shape
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not be playing, out with concussion issues – he was productive in the two previous meetings between the two teams this season, 30-of-48, 420 passing yards and three TDs, overall. The Bills and Dolphins split those two games.
Starting running back Raheem Mostert has a broken thumb. Good luck gripping the ball in that cold. Third string quarterback Skylar Thompson, who has appeared in seven games this season, makes the start Sunday (Game time is 1 p.m.; weather forecast is for a high of 33, low of 28, precipitation pretty much gone by game time, winds gusts up to 12 mph game time).
The Dolphins’ defence has their hands full, up against a Bills' offence that ranked second in scoring this season – 28.4 points per game. They were eighth in yards passing (4,129), ninth in rushing yards (2,232), fourth in total yards (6,361).
How Sportsbooks See Bills vs. Dolphins
PointsBet has the line at Bills -13.5 (Opening Line was Bills -10.5), with Spread Bets 76 per cent Bills and Spread Handle 88 per cent Bills. Moneyline at PointsBet is now Bills 1.13 – with the Bills taking 89 per cent of the Moneyline Bets, 94 per cent of the Moneyline Handle.
Over at BetRivers it’s even more extreme – Spread is Bills -13.5, Moneyline 1.11 (O/U is 43.5). Ninety-eight per cent of the money on the Spread is on the Bills, and 97 per cent of the ML money on Buffalo.
Bettor interest in Ontario for the Bills is huge, according to a PointsBet trading content analyst. Football is the most popular sport they see in the province, the only regulated, competitive sports betting market in Canada, and Bills' action has been greater than all other teams (including the Raptors and the Leafs).
Who to Bet on In Bills vs. Dolphins Game
This past week, the Bills were saying all the right things about their opponents. But this is a city and a team starved for a Super Bowl, maybe more than any other organization in the NFL currently, considering the Opera-like past playoff disappointments. It’s Super Bowl or bust with this squad.
“We need to play a complete game in all three phases,” McDermott told reporters this week. “Their special teams have been a challenge for us in the first two games we have played against them this year. They are skilled, fast, across the board on their football team, they have great team speed.
“They’ve beaten us once, and we’ve beaten them once. What it comes down to our focus and our level of execution. They’re a good football team, well-coached. We’ll have to be ready to go this weekend.”
Then there is a good, old-fashioned home-field advantage – the Bills were 7-1 at home this season.
Pick: Take the Bills and the points.
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