Experts share their picks for the Patriots Week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Mike Reiss, ESPN:
Pick: Patriots 30, Dolphins 13
Mike Vrabel's team finishes strong to enter the playoffs on a high note, with reinforcements such as DT Milton Williams knocking off some rust as he prepares to help the cause.
Matt Bowen, ESPN: Patriots
Mike Clay, ESPN: Patriots
Dan Graziano, ESPN: Patriots
Pamela Maldonado, ESPN: Patriots
Eric Moody, ESPN: Patriots
Jason Reid, ESPN: Patriots
Lindsey Thiry, ESPN: Patriots
Seth Wickersham, ESPN: Patriots
NFL.com
Ali Bhanpuri, NFL.com: Patriots 26, Dolphins 20
Brooke Cersosimo, NFL.com: Patriots 28, Dolphins 20
Dan Parr, NFL.com: Patriots 23, Dolphins 17
Gennaro Filice, NFL.com: Patriots 27, Dolphins 19
Tom Blair, NFL.com: Patriots 27, Dolphins 17
Why Ali picked the Patriots: New England enters this divisional matchup still in play for the No. 1 seed and still at risk of slipping to No. 3. The Patriots are also handling two separate and serious off-field allegations, involving Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore, which are currently being reviewed by the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy. As of now, both players are eligible and expected to play on Sunday, though Barmore missed Wednesday's practice with an illness.
Although the Pats are preparing to start the rest of their first-stringers on Sunday, too, how long the 1s will stay on the field remains unclear. And that uncertainty makes this game particularly difficult to pick. The Dolphins have been a frisky bunch during the second half of the season, winning five of their last seven, including last week's upset of the Bucs. They've vastly improved their run offense, cleaned up their penalty problem and found ways to force turnovers; they have nearly twice as many takeaways over their last seven games as they had through their first nine (13 to 7). Quinn Ewers remains a bit of a wild card, especially if he has to match blows with MVP front-runner Drake Maye for a full 60 minutes. But if the rookie passer is supported by a productive ground game -- like what Buffalo and Baltimore generated against New England in Weeks 15 and 16 -- then the seventh-rounder might be able to make this contest uncomfortably close for New England. However, if the Pats are keen on at least locking up the two seed (which they can do with a win), then their best is still that much better than Miami's.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:
Pick: Patriots 28, Dolphins 19
The Dolphins are playing for nothing, while the Patriots have a chance at the top seed. The cold weather has been a problem for Miami, and this will be a challenge in terms of motivation. Look for the Patriots to roll here as Drake Maye continues his quest for the MVP, but Miami will score with the running game.
Jared Dubin, CBS Sports: Patriots
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: Dolphins
John Breech, CBS Sports: Dolphins
Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports: Patriots
Dave Richard, CBS Sports: Dolphins
Jamey Eisenburg, CBS Sports: Patriots
Pro Football Talk
Mike Florio: Patriots 30, Dolphins 20
Chris Simms: Patriots 31, Dolphins 14
Paul Perillo, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 30, Dolphins 17
Drake Maye closes MVP-caliber regular season with another strong performance.
Mike Dussault, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 28, Dolphins 17
There's still something to play for and I expect the Patriots to come out hard, build a lead and then manage their roster depth and injuries. It's not quite as lopsided as last week against the Jets, but the Patriots top liners do enough to get the win.
Evan Lazar, Patriots.com:
Pick: Patriots 27, Dolphins 17
I'm conflicted on this one because a motivated Dolphins team could give the Patriots a game. I'm going to say that New England builds an early lead and then Miami cuts into it a bit, but the Patriots have too much offense.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
