Advertisement

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL playoff matchup

The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills meet for a rubber match to kick off the Sunday slate of first-round postseason games. Which AFC East team picks up the win?

With Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa out, the Bills are favored heavily in this wild-card weekend matchup. Can the Dolphins' offense keep up with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the Bills' offense? The game is expected to kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium.

Here's a look at the betting details and USA TODAY's NFL staff picks for the Dolphins vs. Bills first-round postseason game on wild-card weekend:

Dolphins at Bills odds, moneyline and over/under

NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Lions knock out Packers, send Seahawks to final NFC wild-card berth

HOW TO WATCH: When do the NFL playoffs start? Matchups, game times, TV info leading up to Super Bowl 57

NFL WEEK 18 WINNERS, LOSERRS: Buffalo Bills cap emotional week; Green Bay Packers fail in win-and-in

NFL playoff bracket odds, predictions and picks

Seahawks vs. 49ers | Chargers vs. Jaguars | Dolphins vs. Bills | Giants vs. Vikings | Ravens vs. Bengals | Cowboys vs. Buccaneers

Lorenzo Reyes: Bills 35, Dolphins 16

This is a spot where you should closely monitor the Dolphins' quarterback situation as it gets closer to game time. Yet, even when Tua Tagovailoa was on the field late in the season, Miami's passing game stagnated. The Bills are playing with an injection of energy following Damar Hamlin's recovery and Miami's defense has too many deficiencies in the face of Buffalo's speed.

Safid Deen: Bills 34, Dolphins 14

The Dolphins have questions at quarterback, while the Bills don’t. Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined after his second reported concussion, while backup Teddy Bridgewater has a dislocated finger, leaving rookie Skyler Thompson to man the offense. It won’t look good for Miami, going up again against one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL next week in Josh Allen, and the emotion Buffalo will play with following Damar Hamlin’s recovery.

Richard Morin: Bills 28, Dolphins 16

Even with Tagovailoa, it will be a tall task for the Dolphins to take down the Bills in Buffalo with a playoff atmosphere. The forecast looks clear for kickoff, but the Bills could win by multiple scores if Tagovailoa remains sidelined.

Jarrett Bell: Bills 24, Dolphins 13

Nate Davis: Bills 33, Dolphins 6

Tyler Dragon: Bills 28, Dolphins 17

32 THINGS WE LEARNED: Takeaways from NFL Week 18: Eventful final day of regular season cements playoff field

NEW BUCKETS: The NFL has returned alternate helmets in 2022: Ranking all 13 from best to worst

IN-DEPTH: The NFL coaches project

NFL salaries: These are the highest-paid NFL players

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See applicable operator site for its terms and conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21 or older to gamble.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: Game predictions, picks, odds