Detroit Lions Vs Miami Dolphins: Las Vegas Line & Pick Against the Spread

Detroit Lions Enjoy Second Straight Week in Florida when They Play Miami Dolphins

Todd Jacobs, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Dec 19, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The Detroit Lions will play their second consecutive game in the state of Florida when they play the Miami Dolphins on December 26th. This game holds the utmost importance to the Miami Dolphins and is a building block game for the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions may want to move to Florida if they win their second consecutive road game in Florida against the Miami Dolphins. Detroit won a dramatic overtime victory over a young Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. the Miami Dolphins dropped another home game to AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills in an embarrassing performance in front of their home crowd.

Detroit Lions Offense vs Miami Dolphins Defense

The Detroit Lions offense should be getting a boost from the return of quarterback Shaun Hill. Hill was settling into the starting quarterback job when he suffered what was thought to be a season ending injury. The Detroit Lions have already lost their first overall NFL Draft pick for the season when Matt Stafford's recurring shoulder injury ended his 2010 season. Calvin Johnson will benefit from the return of Hill and this offense could find some opportunities with the deep ball against a tough Miami Dolphins defense.

Karlos Dansby and the Miami Dolphins defense has been steady this season but not spectacular. They are plugging along and going unnoticed for the most part. Against the run the Miami Dolphins defense has contained most of the running backs they have faced.

Opponents are averaging under 100 yards per game on the ground and opposing quarterbacks are averaging just over 200 yards per game through the air. The Miami Dolphins defense has the edge over the Detroit Lions offense.

Detroit Lions Defense vs Miami Dolphins Offense

Ndamukong Suh and the Detroit Lions defense has impressed many NFL teams with their quickness and physical play. Suh and his defensive linemates have been making it tough on running backs and quarterbacks all season.

The Detroit Lions numbers may not reflect their success at stopping the run. They are giving up over 120 yards per game on the ground. Although their pass rush is one of the best in the NFL, the Detroit Lions are allowing 219 yards per game through the air. This is average in the NFL this season.

The Miami Dolphins offense has been borderline awful all season. They are averaging 106 yards per game on the ground and the passing game is averaging 214 yards per game. Chad Henne is back in the fold as the quarterback but the Miami Dolphins wildcat offense has not been as successful this season as in previous years. Ricky Williams may be wearing down as a big banger running back and Ronnie Brown has been ineffective on the option. The Detroit Lions defense and the Miami Dolphins offense are equal.

Detroit Lions Vs Miami Dolphins -5.5: Pick Against the Spread & Breakdown

The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook has made the Miami Dolphins a 5.5 favorite over the Detroit Lions. The Miami Dolphins are not the best home team in the NFL. In fact, they are the worst NFL home team this season. The Detroit Lions are 3-4 against the spread on the road and 9-5 agains the spread overall. The Miami Dolphins are 2-5 against the spread when playing in Miami and they are 9-5 against the spread overall. Take the Detroit Lions +5.5 over the Miami Dolphins but the Miami Dolphins will win straight up.