Dolphins vs. Seahawks prediction, odds, pick for NFL Week 3

09/20/2024 12:43 PM

Week 3 of the NFL season is finally here and we’re ready to bring you another betting prediction and pick for this upcoming cross-country showdown. The Miami Dolphins (1-1) will visit the Seattle Seahawks (2-0) as both teams look to cement their identities moving forward. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Dolphins-Seahawks prediction and pick.

The Miami Dolphins come into this game following a Week 2 loss on Thursday Night to divisional rival Buffalo. More importantly, Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another concussion and will miss time after being placed on IR. Third-year man Skylar Thompson will start in relief of Tua and hopes to lead his team to a victory.

The Seattle Seahawks are hot out of the gates with wins over Denver and most recently at New England. Both games were decided by less than a touchdown, but QB Geno Smith has shown great poise in leading this team in games down to the wire. They’ll deal with an extensive injury report heading into this game as betting favorites.

Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Dolphins-Seahawks Odds

Miami Dolphins: +4.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +188

Seattle Seahawks: -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -225

Over: 42.5 (-105)

Under: 42.5 (-115)

How to Watch Dolphins vs. Seahawks 

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET/ 1:05 p.m. PT

TV: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why The Dolphins Could Cover The Spread/Win

It was a worst-case scenario for the Miami Dolphins last Thursday as they lost their leader in Tua Tagovailoa. Even more intense were the details surrounding the injury and Tagovailoa’s previous issues with concussions, so the sole focus will be monitoring his health and making sure he gets all the rest needed to recover. Still, the Dolphins have games to play and Skylar Thompson will have to run this offense for the time being. He last saw action during 2022 where he played seven games, recording just one touchdown to three interceptions. While he’s not experienced at all stepping into this spot, he’s had three years learning the offense and taking reps in practice. He also has the benefit of a long week to prepare for this upcoming game, so we should see him play much more steadily than he did in relief last Thursday.

The Dolphins are also dealing with injuries to Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. in their backfield, so there will be a ton of added pressure on De’Von Achane to produce out of the backfield. He’s been a Swiss army tool for them in terms of looks in the running game, but they’ll need to get creative and open up some holes for him on the offensive line for him to sustain success. Tyreek Hill will also have to improvise on his routes in order to find open field with a new quarterback throwing to him. Either way, expect these two playmakers to be the focal point of the Dolphins’ game plan.

Why The Seahawks Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Seahawks were able to escape Gillette Stadium with a win last week after a clutch field goal from Jason Myers to ice the game in overtime. While their defense broke and allowed a touchdown in the fourth quarter, they stepped up in a huge way forcing the key 3-and-out on the Patriots’ first overtime possession. Geno Smith once again displayed his ability to move this offense down the field in a hurry and he’s been coming up big when they’ve needed him the most. They also had to play a bit of catch-up during the second half of their game vs. Denver, so the Seahawks will be intent on starting this game strong at home and leaning on their defense to flip fields and give Smith & Co. a chance to win this game.

The story of the week for the Seahawks will be their injury report, which features Kenneth Walker, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Noah Fant all listed as questionable ahead of the game. Both Walker and Metcalf sat practice out on Wednesday, so it’ll be a tight window for them to get into game shape and make the start. Their absences would certainly be felt, but we saw RB Zach Charbonnet play well last week with 14 carries and a receiving touchdown. Expect him to see an extended role even if Walker is able to make the start. Either way, the Seahawks’ success will stem from their defense and Geno Smith taking care of the ball on offense.

Final Dolphins-Seahawks Prediction & Pick

We’re still awaiting to see what this Miami Dolphins team looks like with Sylar Thompson under center, but we should immediately expect a new-look game plan centered around handing the ball off and moving their speedy receiver in motion across the line. The Seattle Seahawks defense should be more than prepared for what’s coming and playing this game in their home stadium will make a huge difference in throwing Miami’s offense off beat.

Ultimately, we like the Seahawks’ ability to move the ball down the field and if we see Zach Charbonnet get the start, he should be more than capable of a big day on the ground as we’ve seen him do it in the past. As for the Miami Dolphins, we’re not confident enough to back them with money until we can see Thompson effectively run this offense. Let’s roll with Seattle to win this game outright.

Final Dolphins-Seahawks Prediction & Pick: Seattle Seahawks ML (-225)

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