Eagles-Dolphins: Personnel picks, betting odds and more for Week 7
It’s finally Kelly Green week, but the Eagles enter the season with a lot of anxiety that still stems from last week’s loss to the Jets.
They’re banged up, have some notable deficiencies to address, and will face a Miami Dolphins offense that can absolutely make you laugh if you’re not careful.
| Book | Spread | Money line | Total (O/U) |
| DraftKings | PHI -2.5 | MIA +114 PHI-135 |
52 |
| FanDuel | PHI -2.5 | MIA +122 PHI-144 |
51.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -2.5 | MIA +120 PHI-145 |
51.5 |
| UniBet | PHI -2.5 | MIA +120 PHI-143 |
51.5 |
| PointsBet | PHI -2.5 | MIA +125 PHI -150 |
51.5 |
• PREDICTIONS •
Jimmy Kempski
@JimmyKempski | Email | stories
2023 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 5-1
PICK: Eagles 32, Dolphins 31
After the Eagles’ alarming loss to the Jets in Week 6, I had the thought that the Birds were ripe for a loss to the Dolphins, a team with incredible speed at the skill positions, which is particularly concerning given the Eagles’ injury problems their secondary school.
But the more I looked at the Dolphins roster, the more it became clear to me that this was a flawed team. They rank 27th in defensive DVOA and their current biggest weakness – their offensive line – could be vulnerable against the Eagles’ outstanding pass rush. What’s less notable is that they rank 30th in special teams DVOA.
The Dolphins’ speed at wide receiver and in their backfield is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form one of the fastest wide receiver tandems of all time and have the ability to make game-changing plays in an instant. Keeping these guys – as well as speedy RB Raheem Mostert – in check will be Sean Desai’s toughest challenge of the season so far.
But ultimately, the Eagles’ wide receivers are just as capable of inflicting pain on opposing secondaries as the Dolphins’, who could be without their two starting cornerbacks. Setting aside the WR-DB mismatches that every team has, the Eagles have a better roster, especially in the trenches.
MORE: Kempski’s Week 7 picks
Evan Macy
@evan_macy | Email | stories
2023 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 4-2
PICK: Dolphins 34, Eagles 28
I’m not really convinced that the Eagles’ broken secondary can stop Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. I also don’t think the broken and makeshift middle of the defense can stop Miami’s ridiculous running game.
Maybe the Eagles can get vertical and keep up with the Fins offensively, but this game could come down to turnovers – a battle the Birds haven’t won recently.
I think the Eagles lose in a Kelly Green battle.
Shamus Clancy
@shamus_clancy | Email | stories
2023 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 5-1
PICK: Dolphins 30, Eagles 21
The mood is just gone. The injuries are piling up and the offense is stagnating. Miami has so many explosive qualities that scare any opponent.
A division title is certainly still in sight, but Philadelphia could face a (brief) relegation.
MORE: Eagles-Dolphins injury report, with analysis
Nick Tricome
@itssnick | Email | stories
2023 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 4-2
PICK: Dolphins 24, Eagles 17
I think my choice depends a lot on the health of Lane Johnson. He’s been practicing with his ankle injury since Thursday, which suggests he can play, and hopefully he’s effective, because if Jack Driscoll has to step in for a significant number of snaps, there will be trouble.
I continue to be very concerned about defending in midfield. It’s a vulnerability, and the better the quarterback – and the more weapons he has – the more exploitable it becomes. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are simply a bad mix.
I think Sunday night will be very frustrating and ultimately a big wake-up call for the Birds, for better or worse.
MORE: NFC hierarchy/obituary
Eytan Shander
@shandershow | stories
2023 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 4-2
PICK: Dolphins 24, Eagles 20
The Eagles are in a tough spot this week for obvious reasons, but there’s another issue that concerns me. The Birds should bounce back from an ugly loss to the Jets – they return home and should look better on offense against an overall worse defense. While that’s true and the Eagles have a great chance to win this game by a significant margin from a trend perspective, I’m more concerned about the nature of the Dolphins’ matchup than my optimism at the moment.
Jalen Hurts and the offense missed another opportunity to run the ball, nearly forcing passes against a banged up Jets secondary. While New York is far better at running than passing, the Eagles played like it was a foregone conclusion that they couldn’t run. The Dolphins are a weaker opponent, but will the Eagles take advantage of what lies ahead? They didn’t do it last week, they didn’t even try.
There’s also Miami’s offensive firepower – particularly Tyreek Hill – that concerns me. The Birds thrive on forcing the opposing QB to make poor decisions, especially through immense pressure. While they sacked Zach Wilson five times, their secondary was still exposed. Coaching and execution in the secondary are big concerns for the defense. The Eagles, for whatever reason, seem to insist that their two new coordinators, particularly on offense, do everything on their own. Sean Desai appears to be struggling with the same issues as Jonathan Gannon as he had to be rescued by the pressure at the top.
The offense has faltered in consecutive second halves, a far cry from the genius we saw from Nick Sirianni and Hurts last year. Miami currently has the better quarterback, the better coach and the better overall offense. That could change next week, but for now it’s the reality.
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