Ride Bills First Quarter Momentum

Dolphins vs. Bills, 1:05 ET

The Bills have been in the news for obvious reasons lately, and that will likely be part of the conversation the rest of the entire season. At the beginning of the year, the Bills were the favorite to win the Super Bowl, and now they start their march toward the trophy with many supporters behind them and a bit of luck.

The Dolphins are admirable foes for the Bills, but unfortunately, they will not have their starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They have all of the skill players in the world and should probably be happy they made the playoffs anyway. With all of the injuries and lineup fluctuation, they were not a team you could count on from week to week. The start of the season was great, but they took a turn after Tua was injured early. Even when he came back they weren't quite the same. They were brutal on the road to begin with and now it will be even tougher for them in Buffalo. Don't just expect the Dolphins to roll over and die for the Bills, but it will absolutely be an uphill battle. They played the Bills pretty well this year. They won the first Buffalo matchup in Miami, and they lost by three in Buffalo. In order to win, I think they need to milk the clock as much as possible and keep Josh Allen off of the field. Judging by the low total, I think that is somewhat of the expectation.

The Bills are a bit lucky that they don't need to face Tua and a full-strength offense. No one will feel sorry for the Dolphins, and there won't be an asterisk next to the victory if the Bills get it, but you have to think that Buffalo is happy about not facing a complete offense. Especially because they know that Cincinatti is likely to await them in the next round. So what will Buffalo look to do here? I expect them to come out fired up. Their defense will probably get a 3-and-out on the first set from the Dolphins and I expect the Bills to score the first time they get the ball. Josh Allen was doing everything for the Bills offense most of the season, but they are getting a bit more balanced while Allen is giving up a few too many turnovers for my liking.

I am playing the first quarter of this game. The momentum is all going to be on the Bills side and I expect them to score an opening quarter touchdown. I will play the Bills -3.5 at +100. I'd prefer -3 at -110 or even -120 if you can find it, but this is what I'm seeing right now. As far as the full game, I actually think the Dolphins can keep it somewhat close as long as they manage the clock.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Gabe Davis at +750 to get the first touchdown.

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