Hope springs forever, they say, although when it comes to following the Miami Dolphins any streak of optimism should always be tempered with patience. The current 2022 season certainly gives us a lot of hope, but patience will no doubt be equally required as we move towards an exciting conclusion to the NFL regular season campaign.
Currently shared at the top of the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills, only a narrow win over them in September splits the difference while the Miami Dolphins maintain their position at the top of the division. But after four straight wins, coach Mike McDaniel’s side have every reason to be optimistic after the bye week. Before heading into the decisive phase of the game plan, buoyed by some great results lately.
Aiming to end years of disappointment
Despite building a strong legacy in the 1990s, making the postseason NFL playoffs for the Miami Dolphins has been a rarity throughout the 21st century to this day. After back-to-back appearances in 2000 and 2001, fans had to wait until 2008 for their next opportunity, which ended abruptly in a wild card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Then it took even longer until 2016 when the Dolphins were again in the wild card playoffs. On that occasion, there was a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which prematurely ended hopes for more years. In fact, the Miami franchise hasn’t made it to the postseason campaign since then, going another six full seasons without making it that far.
However, as the current leaders of the AFC East Division with a positive 7-3 record, there are growing hopes for the 2022 regular season, along with encouraging signs that it could end with another long-awaited NFL Playoff appearance. But while this prospect is undoubtedly exciting, our excitement should also be tempered with caution. The remaining seven games will all be tough encounters, despite a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel.
Only three of those remaining seven games will be played on home turf at Hard Rock Stadium, while the other four are potentially tricky road trips. So far, the Dolphins have won 3 away games and lost 2, sending out very mixed signals, albeit on a positive note overall. Three away games in December could make all the difference, starting with the San Francisco 49ers, followed by the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills.
Sports betting gives positive indications
One way to calculate progress for the Dolphins is to measure their most recent odds, which means checking SBO ratings for top betting sites could be a good place to start, covering those available in the United States and internationally . After their expert analysis of the most competitive odds and promotions, shortest futures are sure to make interesting reading when comparing the best options available in the NFL futures markets.
The immediate goal for the Dolphins will be to win the NFC East, with multiple sportsbooks tipping the division to provide this season’s Super Bowl winner. This is largely due to the Buffalo Bills, who are considered clear -210 favorites to top the list. Meanwhile, although both share the same 7-3 record after 10 games, the Dolphins are slightly more conservatively rated and have +300 odds to stay on the division top.
Inevitably, as we take a deeper look at future markets, we can’t ignore how odds makers rate potential Super Bowl winners. Once again, the Buffalo Bills are the absolute favorites at +450, closely followed by the Kansas City Chiefs at +470. Considered underdogs at best, albeit with real potential, the Miami Dolphins are considered over 1800 potential contenders for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Looking at the bigger picture, barring a sudden collapse of the team over the next few weeks, there are solid signs that the odds makers are refusing to let the Dolphins go. But will the franchise and fans actually get some joy from the NFL Playoffs this year? Well, that remains entirely open to discussion, although everyone will surely be crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
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