Dolphins vs. Bears: Opening odds have Miami small favorite in Week 9

The Miami Dolphins are coming off a big offensive performance against the Detroit Lions, beating their Week 8 opponents 31-27 behind a strong performance from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Miami improved to 5-3 on the year with the win. Looking ahead toward their Week 9 opponents, the Dolphins are scheduled to head out on the road for the second-straight week, this time headed to Illinois to face the Chicago Bears.

Chicago fell to 3-5 for the season with a 49-29 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Bears have seen an increase in their offensive production in recent weeks as they allowed quarterback Justin Fields to run more, rather than trying to force him to be a pure pocket passer. Against the Cowboys, Fields was 17-for-23 for 151 yards with two touchdowns. He was sacked six times, but he also ran eight times for 60 yards and a score.

Miami feels like they are coming into this game firing on all cylinders, with the potential to dominate the game. The oddsmakers think it is going to be a closer game than maybe the fans believe. The Bears have the ability to control the clock with their running game, potentially taking the ball away from Miami’s offense - all of which could account for a closer spread and a low point total.

DraftKings Sportsbook released their opening odds for the game, with Miami favored by 4.5 points. The point total for the game is set at 45, while the money line has Miami -200 for the straight-up win, while the Bears are +170. It feels like this line should be closer to 5.5 or even 6 points, but that may be the Dolphins fan in me expecting Miami’s offense to start to be feared around the league.

We will continue to watch the line as the week progresses. Kickoff for the Dolphins and Bears is at 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 6.