Dolphins Chargers Line

Written by Steve Janus

The Miami Dolphins will look to avoid an 0-4 start to the 2011 season when they go on the road to take on the San Diego Chargers. The Dolphins looked like they were on their way to beating the Browns last week, but allowed a touchdown with 43 seconds to play to lose 16-17. It was the Dolphins sixth straight loss in the regular season, as they ended last year with a three game skid. The Chargers were able to hold off Kansas City for a 20-17 win to improve to 2-1, but it wasn’t the type of performance everyone was expecting against a Chiefs team that had lost their first two games by a combined 78 points.

Taking a look at the week 4 NFL lines, oddsmakers currently have San Diego favored by 7-points over Miami with the total set at 44.5 points.

Miami Dolphins:

It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins respond after blowing a game they should have never lost last week. Another loss could force the Dolphins to part ways with head coach Tony Sparano.

Miami isn’t really doing a whole lot on either side of the ball that has me thinking this team will turn things around. Miami has scored just two offensive touchdowns in their last two games, and a big reason for that has been the poor play of quarterback Chad Henne. After throwing for 416 yards and two scores against the Patriots in week 1, Henne has thrown for just 425 yards and two scores and has been awful when it matters most in the fourth quarter.

Rookie running back Daniel Thomas has been one of the few bright spots offensively of late. The rookie back has rushed for 202 yards in his first two NFL games after sitting out the opener against New England. While Thomas has played well, Reggie Bush has been a huge disappointment. The free agent addition has rushed for just 69 yards and has only 71 yards receiving.

Wide out Brandon Marshall has caught a team-high 17 passes for 261 yards, but has found the endzone just once. Marshall had just three touchdown grabs all of last season.

A lot of people thought the Dolphins defense was going to be what kept them in games this season, but instead it hasn’t done a whole lot right early on. Miami has especially struggled against the pass, giving up 311 yards per game.

San Diego Chargers:

While the Chargers haven’t looked as sharp as they would like, getting off to a 2-1 start is a big step in the right direction. San Diego has routinely struggled early in the season, but can really set the tone for 2011 with a win over Miami.

The Chargers have to feel a little lucky to even be 2-1 when you consider how poorly Philip Rivers has played in his first three games. Rivers has just four touchdowns passes to six interceptions, throwing two picks in each game. Rivers has been able to pick up his game when it matters the most. He leads all quarterbacks with a 136.5 passer rating in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

The struggles of Rivers have been eased by the play of second-year running back Ryan Matthews, who is finally looking like he the player the Chargers envisioned when they traded up to take him in the first round of last year’s draft. Matthews leads the team with 207 yards and three scores on the ground and is second on the team with 186 receiving yards.

Wide out Vincent Jackson leads the team with 266 yards and two scores, while backup running back Mike Tolbert has caught a team-high 20 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers will once again be without Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates, as he continues to battle a toe injury that has plagued him since last season.

Betting Trends:

Miami is 20-6 ATS in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, but are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

San Diego is 23-7 ATS in their last 30 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0, but are just 2-6-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.

If you are looking for some expert advice on who to take this week. Be sure to stop back and check out what Steve Janus has to offer in week 4 of the NFL.

Comments

Got something to say?