Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals – NFL Week 9, 2020

The Dolphins are not joking and will look for another NFC West scalp when they visit the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sunday, November 8.

Last weekend, the Phins beat the LA Rams 28-17 as 3.5-point home dogs to improve to 4-3 on the season. They are sitting at the second spot of the AFC East standings, establishing themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.

The upcoming weekend brings a tall task for the in-form Dolphins, as the 5-2 Cardinals are coming fresh off a bye. Anyway, excitements are guaranteed in this one, as well as a lot of intriguing markets to choose from, so here’s my best Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals pick for Week 9.

The 4.5-point spread is a tricky one whoever you want to grab here. The Dolphins have been outstanding lately, going 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their last five outings. On the other side, the Cardinals are 3-0 SU and ATS in their previous three.

The bookies don’t expect to see a bunch of points in this one. Miami’s defense is a pleasant surprise of the 2020 NFL season, and the Cardinals are have done a solid job on that end of the ball thus far.

It sounds strange, but the Miami Dolphins are yielding the fewest points per game in the NFL (18.6) through the first eight weeks. They are 21^st in rushing yards allowed (125.1) and 20^th in passing yards allowed (250.9), but the Phins impressed in some other categories.

Miami is tied with Chicago for the fewest touchdowns surrendered through the air (8). The Dolphins allow their opponents to convert only 33.3% of their 3^rd downs which is the second-best record in the NFL.

Although they racked up just 145 total yards last Sunday, the Phins had no problems to outlast the Rams. They picked off Jared Goff twice and recovered a couple of fumbles. Andrew Van Ginkel returned 78 yards for a TD on one of Goff’s fumbles, while Jakeem Grant scored an 88-yard punt return.

Tua Tagovailoa won his first NFL start while tossing for only 93 yards and a TD. The rookie signal-caller will have to wait for Week 9 to get his first serious challenge.

The Cardinals are yielding just 20.9 points per contest (9^th). They are tied with the Colts for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (4) even though the Cardinals are surrendering 131.1 rushing yards per game (25^th).

On the other side of the ball, Arizona is scoring 29.0 points per outing (8^th) on 419.1 total yards (1^st). The Cardinals’ ground game is the second-best in football, racking up 160.7 yards per game, while Kyler Murray has tossed for 1,847 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven picks so far.

Murray also has 65 carries for 437 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cardinals are without RB Kenyan Drake (ankle), so Kyler will probably have to run more, while the Cardinals have a couple of players tested positive for COVID-19 including LB Devon Kennard.

This interconference clash will be a joy to watch, as two young and very talented teams take on each other. They haven’t met since 2016, and the Cardinals are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in their last four matchups with the Dolphins. The over is 4-0 in that span.

I expect to see a dramatic showdown at State Farm Stadium this weekend. It will be a proper test for both sides, and I think the Cardinals will win it narrowly.

Both Miami and Arizona are playing in an excellent form, but the Cardinals look like a better offensive team than the Dolphins. Arizona’s ground game should be a key factor, while the Cardinals can lean on a great receiving corps, too.

Miami’s D exploded against the Rams. The Phins’ have been spectacular defensively over the last few weeks, and they could easily regress against the Cardinals’ fluid attack.