The Detroit Lions (5-2) head to South Florida on Sunday looking to extend their winning streak to four when they take the field at Hard Rock Stadium against the Dolphins (1-6). The NFC North is crowded with the Lions sitting third despite having but two losses. Miami is in the cellar in the AFC East.
Lets get the obvious out of the way. The difference between these teams is substantial: Detroit is averaging 29.0 points and an NFL-best 395.4 yards per game, while Miami is averaging only 16.7 points and 290.0 yards.
Detroit’s latest victory was arguably its most impressive of the season, a 19-15 win over the previously unbeaten Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field last Sunday. The Lions trailed 7-6 at halftime before Jahmyr Gibbs broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Minnesota regained the lead at 15-12 with 8:44 remaining, but Jared Goff responded by directing a seven-play, 69-yard drive and finding Jameson Williams for the go-ahead seven-yard touchdown with 4:35 left. Goff finished 18-of-25 for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Gibbs carried 23 times for 153 yards and a touchdown and Williams caught four passes for 70 yards including the decisive score. The victory came at a cost, however, as linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a neck injury and was listed as doubtful on the early Week 9 injury information.
The Dolphins are coming off a game that typified their frustrating season, blowing a 13-3 halftime lead in a 24-19 loss to the New England Patriots. Malik Willis and the Miami offense were in control early, but New England erupted for 21 unanswered second-half points, including touchdown passes of 43 and 48 yards from Drake Maye, to turn the game around. Miami finally answered when Willis connected with rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 35-yard touchdown with 2:04 remaining, but the Dolphins failed on the ensuing two-point conversion and New England recovered the onside kick. Willis finished 21-of-32 for 211 yards, two touchdowns and an interception but was sacked five times, while Miami managed only 269 total yards and 74 on the ground.
Although the Lions and Dolphins meet infrequently, their most recent games have been surprisingly competitive. Miami leads the all-time regular-season series 8-5, but Detroit won three straight meetings from 2010 through 2018 before Miami answered with a 31-27 victory at Ford Field in 2022. That most recent meeting was an offensive showcase: Tua Tagovailoa threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns, Tyreek Hill piled up 188 receiving yards and the Dolphins rallied from a 27-17 deficit to win, despite Goff throwing for 321 yards.
Let’s dive further 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: Lions vs. Dolphins
- Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
- Time: 1:00P
- Site: Hard Rock Stadium
- City: Miami Gardens, FL
- TV/Streaming: FOX
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Latest Game Odd: Lions vs. Dolphins
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Detroit Lions (-355), Miami Dolphins (+280)
- Spread: Lions -7
- Total: 50.5
Money has come in on the visiting Lions pushing the number up a half point from where it opened (Lions -6.5). The Total has ballooned a full three points from its opening number of 47.5.
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Expert Picks & Predictions: Lions 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 Lions and the Dolphins:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Lions -7.0.
- Total: NBC Sports is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 50.5.
Here’s why the Game Total OVER 50.5 is the best bet:
Both defenses are genuinely broken. Detroit ranks 32nd in yards allowed (417.43 per game), 32nd in passing yards allowed (320.86 per game), 32nd in receptions allowed (27.0 per game), 31st in plays allowed (67.29 per game), 29th in touchdown percentage allowed (5.1%), and 24th in yards per play allowed (6.2). Miami ranks 30th in touchdown percentage allowed (5.13%), 32nd in completion percentage allowed (76.92%), 30th in yards per pass attempt allowed (8.64), and 23rd in yards per play allowed (6.06). The Dolphins have allowed 25% of plays run against them to come in the red zone in the first half this season — worst in the NFL (league average is 15%). And Detroit has run 30% of its plays in the red zone in the second half this season — best in the NFL (league average is 16%). That’s a collision that produces points. The Lions’ offense is the engine. Detroit ranks 1st in total yards (428.57 per game), 3rd in passing yards (297.14 per game), 3rd in points scored (29.0 per game), 3rd in touchdowns (3.43 per game), 4th in yards per play (6.44), 5th in touchdown percentage (5.15%), and 5th in completion percentage (67.74%). Jared Goff has thrown 15 touchdowns to just one interception with a 110 passer rating.
The one number working against the Over is Detroit’s recent form — the last two Lions games have hit the under. But every Detroit game not against a divisional opponent has hit the over, and Miami’s last three games have all gone over as the Bengals, Jets and Patriots piled up points.
Lions vs. Dolphins: Betting Trends and Stats
- The Lions are 2-4-1 against the spread this season
- The Dolphins are 4-3 against the spread this season
- Detroit is 5-2 to the OVER this season
- Miami is 4-3 to the OVER this season
Quarterback Matchup: Lions vs. Dolphins
- Lions: Jared Goff
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 1964 Passing Yards, 15 TDs, 1 INT, 110.0 RTG, Sacked 16 times - Dolphins: Malik Willis
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 1268 Passing Yards, 6 TDs, 5 INTs, 79.7 RTG, Sacked 21 times
Lions vs. Dolphins: Top Playmakers
Lions
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 157 carries for 773 Yds, 8 TDs / 34 receptions on 44 targets for 285 Yds, 2 TDs - WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 53 receptions on 76 targets for 571 Yds, 5 TDs - WR Jameson Williams
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 27 receptions on 44 targets for 437 Yds, 5 TDs
Dolphins
- RB Ollie Gordon II
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 91 carries for 408 Yds, 4 TDs / 6 receptions on 8 targets for 14 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Malik Washington
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 31 receptions on 45 targets for 329 Yds, 1 TD - TE Greg Dulcich
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 22 receptions on 28 targets for 256 Yds, 0 TDs
Lions vs. Dolphins: Injury Update
Lions
- C Cade Mays (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- RB Jacob Saylors (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Jack Campbell (neck) is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game
- CB D.J. Reed (hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Brian Branch (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Kerby Joseph (knee) has been declared OUT for Sunday’s game
- LB DJ Wonnum (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Dolphins
- LG Kadyn Proctor (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DT Jordan Phillips (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DE Malik Herring (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
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