Titans vs. Dolphins Monday Night Football Pick: Snoop’s Up
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Jason Lake
- September 26, 2024
NFL Pick:Dolphins +1 (–115) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
Who wants to be an NFL quarterback? The Miami Dolphins could use you; Tua Tagovailoa is on IR with a concussion, and Skylar Thompson took one in the ribs during last week’s 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (–4 at home). Thompson is listed as day-to-day heading into Miami’s Monday Night Football matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
There was a time when online sportsbooks would “circle” a game like this and wait until the starting quarterbacks were named before posting anything on their NFL odds board. Here in the fantastical year of 2024, the Dolphins (1-2 SU, 0-3 ATS) opened as 2-point home faves before getting pounded down to a pick’em in early action.
Apparently, bettors don’t care much whether it’s Thompson, third-stringer Dan Boyle or recent signee Tyler “Snoop” Huntley under center this Monday. However, they should; Huntley is the most accomplished of the three, and while Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has yet to tip his hat, the word on the street is that Huntley will get the start against Tennessee (0-3 SU and ATS).
Don’t forget to join BMR Forum’s Free $20K NFL 2024 Pick’em Pool contest for a shot at huge prizes throughout the regular season.
Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins
Monday, September 30, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium
Is Tyler Huntley Any Good?
He’s a Pro Bowl quarterback. Granted, Huntley was a late fill-in back in 2022-23 for the injured Josh Allen, and that was after making just four starts in relief of his injured teammate with the Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson. Like they say, the most important ability is availability.
Huntley is available for Miami this week after they signed him off Baltimore’s practice squad. That was Huntley’s second go-around with the Ravens; after barely seeing the field in 2023, the former All-Pac-12 first-teamer with the Utah Utes signed with the Cleveland Browns this past March, then got cut when nobody wanted to trade for him.
Baltimore scooped Huntley back up to be their third-stringer behind Jackson and Josh Johnson, but they left him on the practice squad, so clearly they didn’t value Huntley all that much. And it’s hard to argue when you look at the advanced stats, with Huntley delivering minus-44.6 Elo points per game across his nine NFL starts according to nfelo.
That’s still a big step up from Thompson (minus-108.8 Elo) and Boyle (minus-131.4 Elo). It’s also much better than Tennessee starting QB Will Levis (minus-97.1 Elo), who’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this year. Huntley hasn’t had much time to absorb McDaniel’s playbook, but I’d take him over Levis at this point.
What’s Wrong With the Titans?
Their offense. It’s easy to pile on Levis – and that’s exactly the problem. Despite having the great Bill Callahan coaching their offensive line, this unit ranks dead last in the league according to Pro Football Network.
Here are the starting five on Tennessee’s OL, with their Pro Football Focus ratings included:
- LT JC Latham (72.8)
- LG Peter Skoronski (59.0)
- C Lloyd Cushenberry III (57.0)
- RG Dillon Radunz (64.9)
- RT Nicholas Petit-Frere (52.4)
Latham was the No. 7 overall pick out of Alabama this year, and has done an admirable job protecting Levis’s blind side (one sack allowed) after moving over from right tackle/guard. The remaining linemen have allowed 14 sacks on Levis in three starts; he’s made some bone-headed decisions under pressure, but what do you expect from a second-round pick in his sophomore campaign?
The Pick
More than this, to be honest. Miami’s pass rush hasn’t been very good, and the Titans have played league-average on defense, so we’re not going to recommend betting the farm on the Dolphins – just a haystack or two. And we’ll gladly take that extra point at Bookmaker to make it Miami +1 in exchange for five cents in vigorish, in what promises to be a low-scoring affair.
Bet accordingly.
NFL Pick: Dolphins +1 (–115) at Bookmaker
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
