Miami Dolphins (1-1) +4 ½, o/u 36 ½ at Carolina Panthers (2-0), 8 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Fox
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
The Miami Dolphins look to get their rehabbing projected starting quarterback a little more work when they visit the Carolina Panthers in the third exhibition game of the season for both teams Thursday night in Charlotte.
Miami fell to Jacksonville 31-26 in the exhibition opener for both teams two weeks ago (a game that easily went over the posted total of 33), then beat Tampa Bay 13-10 last Saturday.
So far this exhibition season, the Dolphins running game, which ranked 12th in the NFL last season, has garnered a 3.4 yards per carry average. But the Miami defense has held opponents to 121 rushing yards and a 3.0 YPC average over those two games.However, the Dolphins pass defense has allowed five TD passes of 48 yards and longer in those two games.
Carolina beat Buffalo 14-13 in their first exhibition game of this season, and then defeated Jacksonville 17-10 last Saturday. The first team offense has scored just one touchdown so far this exhibition season, and that was helped along by a pass interference call in the end zone. But the Panther first team defense has held foes to three points in three quarters of play, and has scored two defensive TDs.
These two teams hooked up in a week three regular-season game last year, with the Dolphins upsetting Carolina 27-24 in South Florida. Miami rushed for 144 yards and held the Panthers to 61 ground yards. The game easily surpassed the posted total of 35 ½.Reports from around the football Interweb indicate both teams will play many of their starters into the third quarter Thursday night.
Daunte Culpepper is expected to start for Miami Thursday night. Culpepper, coming off that terrible knee injury 10 months ago that happened right here at Bank of America Stadium in a Viking loss to the Panthers, has completed eight of 11 pass attempts for 88 yards in limited action thus far this pre-season. Fellow former NFC Norther Joey Harrington, who’s 18 of 34 for 180 yards in two games with the Dolphins, will relieve Culpepper. The other back-up QB expected to see some action Thursday night for Miami is Cleo Lemon, who’s completed 14 of 22 pass attempts so far for 134 yards.
Carolina’s Jake Delhomme is 15 of 24 for 193 yards and a touchdown so far this exhibition season. Delhomme is backed up by Chris Weinke (9-15-58) and Stefan LeFors (9-15-77).The Panthers will again be without the great Steve Smith, who hasn’t played yet this season because of a bad hamstring and injured toe.
In their first season under new head coach Nick Saban last year, Miami went 1-4 straight up in exhibition games, 0-3-2 against the spread.
Carolina coach John Fox is 12-7 SU and 11-8 ATS in pre-season games.
The Panthers opened up as 3 ½-point favorites for Thursday’s game, but that number was bet up to as much as six. It has since come back down to 4 ½.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: We like the Dolphins.
