Miami Dolphins predictions: Wow, the Cowboys don't have many believers among NFL experts

Hard Rock Stadium hosts one of the games of the year on Christmas Eve when the Miami Dolphins welcome the Dallas Cowboys for some yuletide fireworks. Who will bring their fans some added holiday cheer?

Miami is 10-4 and leading the AFC East by two games after pummeling the New York Jets 30-0. They won without star receiver Tyreek Hill, whose ankle injury leaves him still in doubt for Sunday's showdown. He wasn't needed last week as Tua Tagovailoa went 21 of 24 for 224 yards and a long touchdown to Jaylen Waddle, who had season highs with eight catches and 142 yards. Raheem Mostert also continued his stellar scoring season with his 19th and 20th touchdowns.

Dallas fell to 10-4 after the Buffalo Bills brought them back to earth with a 31-10 drubbing. MVP candidate Dak Prescott threw for just 134 scoreless yards and an interception while wideout CeeDee Lamb had 53 receiving yards and running back Tony Pollard ran for 52 yards on 11 carries. Micah Parsons and the vaunted Cowboys defense were torched for 179 yards by Bills running back James Cook; could Mostert and De'Von Achane follow suit?

Who will win this potential Super Bowl preview? Here's a look at what NFL experts and analysts are predicting:

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY: Dolphins 30-26

"The Dolphins play fairly well at home, with their lone loss coming two weeks ago against the Titans. The Cowboys struggle on the road and are 3-4 away from Arlington. I’m expecting Miami to have a plan to use its speed to exploit Dallas’ rush defense. I think this is a nice candidate for the over."

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Dolphins 30-27

"Dak Prescott's heater ended with a thud in chilly Buffalo. it will be much warmer in Miami temperature-wise for this next epic battle vs. an AFC East foe. The question, with the Dolphins' defense playing well and just coming off a shut out of the Jets, can Prescott thaw in time to outduel a now-limited Tua Tagovailoa? Dallas will be in big trouble with its man defense should Tyreek Hill return to flank Jaylen Waddle, while there could be more explosive leaks vs. the run against speedy Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane. The Dolphins will contain Prescott with some pressure and force Dallas to dig deep with its running game."

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Dolphins 30-29

"This is an enormous game between two really good teams. The Cowboys are playing a second straight road game, which is a challenge after getting beat by the Bills last week. Dallas doesn't play well on the road, while Miami plays well at home. Even so, I think the Cowboys will find a way to hang around in this one."

Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: Dolphins 27-24

"Can Miami beat a good team? Can Dallas win on the road? Something’s gotta give."

Wes O'Donnell, Bleacher Report: Dolphins 31-28

Four of the seven members of Bleacher Report's picks panel went with Miami.

"The Bills figured out how to run the ball against this Dallas defense, and the Dolphins are already much, much better at running the ball, even with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rushing for only 55 yards this year," wrote O'Donnell. "Miami leads the league with 5.1 yards per carry and leads the league in rushing touchdowns scored.

"I'm fine gearing up for a shootout if needed and still backing Miami, but I'll take the Dolphins to follow the Bills' blueprint to plunge Big D into a further state of disarray ahead of the postseason."

Safid Dean, USA TODAY: Dolphins 27-23

"Tyreek Hill (ankle) should be back in the lineup for the Dolphins, who are 6-1 at home and need a win over a contender to show they have a chance to be one themselves this season. Don’t like the Cowboys traveling on back-to-back weeks, and the Dolphins could follow Buffalo’s game plan of pounding the football on the ground to their advantage."

Bill Bender, Sporting News: Dolphins 30-23

"The Cowboys are coming off an embarrassing loss at Buffalo, and now a trip to Miami poses a different test. The Dolphins might get Hill back for this game, and the Cowboys need this one to stay in the NFC East hunt. The Dolphins are 6-1 S/U and 5-2 ATS at home. It's hard to bet against that."

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Dolphins 27-24

"The Cowboys struggle on the road and the Dolphins have benefitted from a soft schedule. This is a game that could change the perception of each team. The Cowboys struggle with pre-snap motion and misdirection plays. The Dolphins run a similar scheme as the 49ers, and Miami has the fastest player in the NFL in Tyreek Hill. Advantage Dolphins."

John Breech, CBS Sports: Cowboys 38-31

"The Cowboys have a secondary that should be able to keep up with the Dolphins' speedy receivers. The Cowboys have given up just 176.9 passing yards per game this year, which is the fourth-fewest in the NFL and a big reason for that is because of the play of Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland.

"Those two will be getting their biggest test of the season going up against a Dolphins offense that leads the NFL in passing yards this year. I don't feel like Bland and Gilmore will fully shut down Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but I do think they'll contain them."

Chris Sims, Pro Football Talk: Dolphins 31-24

Dolphins-Cowboys betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, December 21.

• Spread: Dolphins (-1)

• Over/under: 49.5 points

• Moneyline: Cowboys -110, Dolphins -110

How can I watch Dolphins vs. Cowboys?

• When: 4:25 p.m. Sunday, December 24

• Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• TV: Fox

• Streaming: FoxSports.com (cable subscription needed), NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL+ (out-of-market only), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)

Dolphins vs. Cowboys will kick off at 4:25 p.m. Sunday, December 24.

The game will air on Fox. Kevin Burkhart will be the play-by-play announcer with Greg Olsen as the analyst and Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi as sideline reporters.

Streaming options include fuboTV, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Dolphins schedule 2023

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Dolphins vs Cowboys predictions: NFL experts pick Week 16 game