‘Monday Night Football’ Betting Preview: Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are riding a three-game winning streak, and the team that was once thought to be ready to tear up the roster and build for the future, can stay within a half-game of first place with a win.

The Miami Dolphins have lost three straight games, and they need a win to climb out of sole possession of last place. Perhaps they needed to tear things down and rebuild for the future instead of looking ahead to a rather bleak existence for the remainder of the season.

Game Line: Rams (-2.5)

Six two-win teams remain, and the Dolphins are hoping to leave that group of bottom feeders and join the three-win teams, which includes the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Carolina Panthers. Not exactly a Who’s Who of playoff contenders, but it’s better than the bottom.

There also has to be some concern about the future of head coach Mike McDaniel, who is closing out his third season as the Dolphins leader, and is still going to be without a playoff win. Losing Tua Tagovailoa for five weeks because of a concussion clearly hurt their offense. But they are 1-3 with Tua in the lineup. At a certain point, the buck stops with McDaniel.

Rams head coach Sean McVay is in L.A. as long as he wants to be. He spent most of the season without his two best wide receivers, and his offensive line was in tatters. And yet, here the Rams are, in the mix for a division title.

When the Rams hit their bye in Week 6, they were paying +775 to make the playoffs. Today those odds are +230.

Quarterback Proposition Bets

This is one of the best quarterback matchups of the weekend. A healthy Tua is averaging 232.5 yards and 1.5 touchdown passes since returning from his concussion. Matthew Stafford is averaging 289 yards and three touchdown passes since his wide receivers returned to the lineup.

The over/under on passing yards for Stafford is 257.5, and for Tagovailoa, the line is 244.5. For passing touchdowns, Stafford is -150 to go over 1.5, and Tua is -110 to go over 1.5. If Stafford throws for three or more touchdowns, he pays +270. Tua is +360 to throw for three or more.

Running Back Proposition Bets

The most consistent running back in the NFL not named Derrick Henry is the Rams Kyren Williams. He has scored touchdowns in seven of his eight games, and in four of the eight games, he has rushed for the over. For Monday’s game, his over/under on rush yards is 85.5, and that jumps up to 104.5 when you combine rushing and receiving yards.

Williams is -235 to score a touchdown, and he is the +350 favorite to score the game’s first touchdown.

De’Von Achane of the Dolphins is also at 104.5 for total rushing and receiving yards in the game. His rushing yards only prop bet has a line of 57.5. Raheem Mostert has a rushing yards line of 32.5.

Achane has found the end zone in four games this year, and he is -110 to score a touchdown. Mostert has been limited to five games this season, and he has a touchdown in only one of them. He’s +140 to score on Monday.

Pass Catcher Proposition Bets

Tyreek Hill showed up on the injury report on Friday because of a banged-up wrist. He made the flight to Los Angeles, but he is a true game-time decision. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for him to miss practice and still play, but bettors beware. His current over/under on receiving yards is 75.5, and even if he does play, there is no guarantee he gets a full load.

Jaylen Waddle would be the main target without Hill, and his over/under is 42.5 receiving yards. It’s worth noting, however, that he hasn’t gone over 46 yards since Week 1, and in two of his last three games, he has 11 yards and -2 yards.

Tight end Jonnu Smith is at 34.5 receiving yards and Achane has a passing yards prop line of 46.5. Hill is +130 to score a touchdown, Waddle is paying +145, and Smith is +220.

For the Rams, the pregame leader is Puka Nacua at 68.5 receiving yards. Cooper Kupp is at 67.5, and Demarcus Robinson has a line of 30.5. Nacua is +130 to score a touchdown (it would be his first of the season), Kupp is +140 (he has TDs in two of four games played), and Robinson, who has scored two touchdowns in each of the last two games, is +225 to score on Monday.