A banged up wide receiving corps for the Bengals (2-2) may make Sunday’s game in Miami against the Dolphins (0-4) a little more interesting than it would otherwise have been.
Approximately 42% of all receptions by Bengals’ players belong to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Both are questionable for Sunday’s game against the hapless Dolphins. Chase is in concussion protocol, and Higgins has an issue with his abductor. Their mere presence on the field force opposing defenses to dedicate their best resources to defending this elite duo. Should they be sidelined, others will need to step up and in theory, those others will not need the same attention in order to slow them down.
With all that being said, Cincy’s opponent Sunday is a Dolphins’ team that is averaging a mere 11.5 points per game while allowing 24.2 points per game.
Cincinnati opened the season with back-to-back victories before dropping consecutive games, while Miami is still searching for its first win. The Bengals enter the week tied in a crowded AFC North race, whereas the Dolphins sit at the bottom of the AFC East with few expecting Miami to escape the cellar at any point this season.
The Bengals are coming off a frustrating 22-17 home loss to the Jaguars. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards despite playing much of the game without Chase, who exited after suffering a concussion, but Cincinnati could not complete a late comeback. It was the Bengals’ second straight loss after opening the season 2-0. Miami, meanwhile, showed totaled just seven first downs in a 15-10 loss to the Vikings last weekend. Maybe because Minnesota’s offense is offensive, but the Dolphins were competitive throughout and actually outgained Minnesota on a per-play basis.
These two teams did play last December with Cincinnati rolling to a 45-21 victory over Miami. Before that, the last Dolphins-Bengals matchup was Cincinnati’s 27-15 win on Thursday Night Football in September 2022.
Let’s dive into the numbers and see if we can’t find an additional sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Bengals vs. Dolphins
- Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Time: 1:00PM ET
- Site: Hard Rock Stadium
- City: Miami Gardens, FL
- TV/Streaming: FOX
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Latest Game Odds: Bengals vs. Dolphins
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Cincinnati Bengals (-345), Miami Dolphins (+275)
- Spread: Bengals -7
- Total: 42.5
The People have spoken and they like Cincinnati in this one pushing the number up from its opening mark of Bengals -5.5. The Total has plummeted from 48.5 to where it currently sits.
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Expert Picks & Predictions: Bengals vs. Dolphins
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between the Bengals and the Dolphins:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports is recommending a play on the Bengals -7.0.
- Total: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Total of 42.5.
Here’s why the Bengals -7 is the play:
Miami has scored 46 total points – and never more than 13 – in their four games this season. The Dolphins have scored just four touchdowns all season. Cincinnati’s defense is positioned to limit the Miami offense. They have 14 sacks, level with Houston, and only Minnesota and Jacksonville have a better red-zone rate against at 30.8%. Expect a comfortable afternoon for the Bengals.
Bengals vs. Dolphins: Betting Trends and Stats
- The Bengals are 2-2 against the spread this season
- The Dolphins are 1-3 against the spread this season
- Cincinnati is 2-2 to the OVER this season
- Miami is 1-3 to the OVER this season
Quarterback Matchup: Bengals vs. Dolphins
- Cincinnati: Joe Burrow
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 1171 Passing Yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs, 99.5 RTG, Sacked 9 times - Miami: Malik Willis
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 712 Passing Yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 73.0 RTG, Sacked 11 times
Bengals vs. Dolphins: Top Playmakers
Bengals
- RB Chase Brown
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 58 carries for 207 Yds, 1 TD / 21 receptions on 24 targets for 103 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Tee Higgins
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 25 receptions on 39 targets for 401 Yds, 1 TD - TE Mike Gesicki
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 11 receptions on 15 targets for 155 Yds, 3 TDs
Dolphins
- RB Ollie Gordon II
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 29 carries for 148 Yds, 2 TDs / 5 receptions on 5 targets for 14 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Malik Washington
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 17 receptions on 28 targets for 219 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Chris Bell
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 5 receptions on 12 targets for 92 Yds, 0 TDs
Bengals vs. Dolphins: Injury Update
Bengals
- WR Tee Higgins (abductor) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Colbie Young (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DT B.J. Hill (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- FS Bryan Cook (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Swayze Bozeman (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Kyle Dugger (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Dolphins
- WR Caleb Douglas (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DT Jordan Phillips (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DE Robert Beal Jr. (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Jackson Woodard (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- SS Dante Trader Jr. (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Reese Taylor (quad) has been ruled out of Sunday’s game
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