Heading into this season, tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup featuring the Miami Dolphins (2-6) heading out west to face the Los Angeles Rams (4-4) looked like a game that would have potential seeding implications for both teams.
The Dolphins could not hold up their end of the deal. Miami opened the season with a win before losing six of their next seven contests. The Dolphins’ wins have come against teams with a combined 5-15 record.
Los Angeles has kept up their end of this bargain. The Rams were struggling to start the year, opening with four losses in their first five games. Once Los Angeles added some receivers and key players back to the roster, the Rams have reeled off three straight contests.
Will Miami – who’s kept games close with opponents since Tua Tagovailoa has returned to the lineup – snap their three-game losing streak against the Rams on Monday Night? We’ll cover that and our three best player prop bets for this primetime matchup.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa OVER 244.5 Passing Yards
Miami survived its four-game stretch without Tagovailoa under center, winning only one of those four contests without him. Since returning, the 6-foot-1 quarterback has thrown for 465 yards and three touchdowns in losses to Arizona and Buffalo over the past two weeks.
The Rams have surrendered passing yards in bunches this season, and their most recent outing against Seattle featured Geno Smith throwing for 363 yards in a losing effort. Tagovailoa should be expected to easily surpass the 245-yard mark against Los Angeles on Monday.
Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua OVER 67.5 Receiving Yards
Los Angeles showcased one of the steals of last year’s draft last season as then-rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua burst onto the scene with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
This season, health has been a concern. The receiver has played in just three games thus far, snagging 12 of his 17 targets for 152 yards. But that’s been an up-and-down role, however. Last week, Nacua caught only one pass for 11 yards.
The previous week, Nacua caught seven of his nine targets for 106 yards against Minnesota. Miami has not had a strong pass defense this season, giving bettors confidence to pick Nacua to cover this player prop bet on Monday night.
Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane UNDER 56.5 Rushing Yards
Miami drafted De’Von Achane in the third round of last year’s draft, expecting the speedy back to become another weapon in their arsenal. Despite playing only eight games last season, the running back logged 800 yards on 103 carries, logging an incredible 7.8 yards per rush average.
This season has been a return to reality for Achane. The 5-foot-9 runner has logged 420 rushing yards on 93 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per rush. With veteran Raheem Mostert snapping up some of his carries – especially against the Rams’ stout rush defense – it's hard to see Achane logging over 56 yards to cover this player prop bet.
Best Bet: Rams (-2.5)
The Rams have been on a tear lately behind the resurgence of their passing attack. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for over 275 yards in back-to-back contests against Minnesota and Seattle.
There’s little reason to believe the Rams cannot do the same against the Dolphins en route to a fourth-straight victory. Miami has allowed 542 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air over their past two games. Bettors can expect the Rams to add to tonight and cover the spread.
