New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins Matchup Preview (12/19/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins Matchup Preview (12/19/21)

As we begin to come towards the end of the NFL regular season, teams are seeking to make their last impressions on the league. Week 15 includes the second matchup between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins. The AFC West teams had a close game last time they met with a score of 24-17. The teams kept a close game by alternating scores and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Ultimately, the Dolphins took home the win, and the Jets remained in 4th place in the AFC West. This time, the matchup in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, December 19th at noon EST. Will the Miami Dolphins continue their explosive five-game win streak, or will the New York Jets find the strength to cause an upset?

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins Betting Odds

This matchup between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins may be lackluster this week. Both teams are struggling with the absence of top-rushing offensive players making this game almost entirely reliant on the passing game. With two young quarterbacks, many fans may be worried about the outcome of this game. For your bets this week, I would focus on the quarterbacks and receivers and maybe question your faith in new running back players. 

The Dolphins are given a considerable favor going into this game. The spread is placed at -8.5 with a moneyline of -380 for the Dolphins. The Jets are given +8.5 for their spread and +290 for their moneyline. The over/under seems a bit high for this game at 43 points, with both teams missing key players. Because of the missing players on both teams, I predict there may be some trouble for both teams to put up large sums of points. The under seems like an easy bet to take since both teams are going to guard the passing game heavily. 

The Dolphins are on a hot win streak and are coming off of their bye week, which gives them ample opportunity to get another win. Their morale is high, and they are fighting to have a Wild Card opportunity to the playoffs, so I don’t see them giving up easily. The Jets have been missing a spark in their play all season, and the absence of key players may prevent them from receiving a spark of confidence. Overall, the Dolphins have a greater chance to emerge victoriously. 

My Prediction: Miami Dolphins Win 20-9

TV Schedule

Date: 12/19/21
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: HardRock Stadium – Miami, FL
TV Coverage: CBS

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins Live Stream

Where can you watch Jets vs. Dolphins online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Jets vs. Dolphins Free Online Now.

New York Jets Analysis

The New York Jets have struggled this year to pull out big wins this season. They are entering Week 15 3-10 and have a 1-5 record for away games. Two of their wins came from shocking upsets of two big-name teams, the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals. Against the Dolphins, the team went neck and neck in many stats. The total yardage of the Jets finished at 380 yards and had one turnover from a fumble. However, this week, the Jets will have their starting QB playing, Zach Wilson, instead of their previous backup, Joe Flacco. This change in personnel could change the trajectory of the Jets’ play.

Zach Wilson was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft coming out of BYU. The rookie quarterback has struggled to find his rhythm in his first career season. He has missed four games so far due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. Thankfully, Wilson had a speedy recovery from his injury and returned in Week 12 for the Jets’ win against the Houston Texans. Wilson has thrown for 1,741 yards and six touchdowns through Week 14. At the beginning of the season, he was having issues with his accuracy, throwing six interceptions within his first two games. But inceptions have become more scarce as Wilson finds his confidence in the league. The Jets are a bottom ten offense, but they rank highly for pass attempts, giving Zach Wilson plenty of opportunities to make plays. However, his receivers and Wilson’s accuracy have caused the Jets to be unsuccessful against many opponents. The Dolphins have a feeble pass defense, so this may be the week the rookie QB shines.

The rush game of the Jets will be significantly hindered in their matchup against the Dolphins because of an extensive injury list of their running backs. Their top rusher, Michael Carter, remains on the injured reserve list from an ankle injury he sustained in Week 11. The team was hoping Carter would only be absent for weeks 12-14, but it seems his injury will leave him on the sideline for one more week. Tevin Coleman, the new Jets starting running back, is currently listed as out for this week’s matchup due to a concussion he received in Week 13. If he can pass all protocols, he has potential for a return, and the Jets would benefit greatly from his return. 

With the rush game of the Jets looking dim, the pressure will rely heavily on the team’s receivers. Wilson will have to look for targets elsewhere with Elijah Moore, the team’s top receiver, out on injured reserve for a quad injury. Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, and Keelan Cole will have to have peak performances to keep the team afloat. Many of the receivers playing on Sunday will have little experience this season and will have to stand out and trust Zach Wilson to pull out a win against the Dolphins.

New York Jets Depth Chart

QB: Zach Wilson
RB1: Michael Carter
RB2: Ty Johnson
RB3: Tevin Coleman
WR1: Jamison Crowder
WR2: Keelan Cole
WR3: Denzel Mims
TE1: Ryan Griffin

Miami Dolphins Analysis

The Miami Dolphins have performed at a much higher standard than expected this season. The Florida team is currently on a five-game win streak, improving their standings substantially. They started the season 1-7 but have risen to a 6-7 record within the past few weeks. Their success can be accredited to the improvement of their young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Tua missed a few games earlier in the season due to a fractured finger on his throwing hand but appears to come back much stronger in his later games. Tua has 1,945 passing yards on the season with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions. However, there may be trouble in the water for the Dolphins due to an extensive COVID list of their players, leaving Tagovailoa fewer options in the offensive game.

After exiting a bye week, the Dolphins offense has been struck with catastrophe. All of the team’s running backs are out due to COVID illnesses. Myles Gaskin, Phillip Lindsay, and Salvon Ahmed all have small windows of opportunity to return to play this Sunday. They all tested positive on Monday, leaving them ten days out of a protocol to return. It is possible the running backs could test negative before Sunday’s match, but the odds are looking grim. Even the fourth string, Patrick Laird, was placed on injured reserve last Wednesday for a knee injury. The team is scrambling to pull other rushing players to their aid, so there will be a chance of saving a rush game. 

With the rush game looking dismal, the offense will be focused solely on the passing game. Jaylen Waddle will be a massive target for Tagovailoa this weekend. Waddle has 849 receiving yards on the season, showing significant improvement from the beginning of the season. The Tua/Waddle connections this season have been stellar. Waddle averages 8.7 targets per game and completes 6.2 receptions of each target. Tight end Mike Gesicki will also be looked to for targets this Sunday. He is second for receiving yards on the team with 642 receiving yards and averages 10.6 yards per reception. He has zero rushing yards so far this season, but the Dolphins may be desperate to hand him the ball. Gesicki will have to become a versatile player this week to overcome the lack of rushers.

Miami Dolphins Depth Chart

QB: Tua Tagavailoa 
RB1: Myles Gaskin
RB2: Salvon Ahmed
RB3: Patrick Laird
WR1: Jaylen Waddle
WR2: DeVante Parker
WR3: Mack Hollins
TE1: Mike Gesicki

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins Daily Fantasy Picks

This matchup has the teams cut to pieces from injuries and COVID illnesses. The run game will almost be eliminated entirely or botched for both teams. This leaves great opportunities for both young quarterbacks and receivers to shine. Jaylen Waddle has been a great asset for the Dolphins offense, racking up an average of 15.3 points per game. I could see him being a huge target for Tua this week, increasing point values greatly. 

This week, Tua may also be a great pick since the Miami offense will be heavily centered on the passing game. He averages 15.6 points per game but has reached values up to 26.54 points when the passing game is crucial. Zach Wilson is always a gamble in fantasy due to his low-scoring games but has potential for growth this weekend. He averages around 10 points per game but has reached 21 against the Eagles. Starting Wilson would be a huge gamble but has potential for a higher reward.