Florida NFL Betting Preview— Buccaneers, Jaguars, And Dolphins Oh My!

NFL fans in Florida have it all right now. Their state is the home of the Super Bowl Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of their three teams will feature the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. As for the other Miami Dolphins, they are considered an up-and-coming team. From an NFL betting perspective, these three teams are all over the place.

Tampa Bay is going to be heavily favored and have shorter odds in most cases. On the other hand, Jacksonville will have long odds and be the underdog just about every week (except for when they play the Texans).

Miami falls somewhere in between. As an up-and-comer, their odds are not insanely long like Jacksonville’s, but they will not be short like Tampa Bay’s either. In some weeks, they will be the underdog and in others the favorite.

It is almost like Florida NFL fans are Goldilocks, and the Jaguars, Bucs, and Dolphins are the three bears. But instead of a chair, porridge, or a bed—we are talking about NFL betting odds. So, who should you bet on if you want your betting story to have a happy ending from week one all the way to the Super Bowl?

Let’s examine each team and their odds.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It has been over 15 years since the last time a Super Bowl champion was able to repeat (New England Patriots, Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX). Why so long? Because it has become harder for teams to hold onto their core. Of course, injuries will always play a factor, as will veteran players retiring. But the killer is typically guys chasing a big payday with other teams.

However, that did not happen with the Buccaneers. Somehow, they managed to get every starter on offense and defense back. Factor in a solid draft class, and the Buccaneers appear to be prepared to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in years.

There is one thing that should concern fans, though, Tom Brady’s health. While he appeared to be fine last season despite his age, we know now that he was not. Not only did he have a knee injury he had to deal with all season, but he had it before the year even began—and it was bad enough that he needed surgery to fix it!

Could that be the chink in the armor Brady-haters have been waiting for? Is it the beginning of the end for Tom Brady? Will that ailment be one of the first of many awaiting the 43-year-old quarterback, or is it an isolated incident?

Miami Dolphins

The turnaround for the Miami Dolphins began in 2019 but took a giant leap forward last season. Led by the sixth-best scoring defense in the league and the combined quarterback play of Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins finished the year 10-6.

The Dolphins are hoping they can keep moving forward this season. But with their safety net, Ryan Fitzpatrick, now in Washington, it will be up to Tua Tagovailoa. He struggled at times to get the ball downfield, but the team is hoping the addition of Will Fuller and rookie Jaylen Waddle will help.

It would be nice if they had upgraded the offensive line, but it seems that the Dolphins are good with hoping their young line improves with experience.

From an NFL betting perspective, the Dolphins are not an easy call. Defensively, Miami appears to be in good shape, much like it was last season. But if Tagovailoa struggles in the offense, they will not have Ryan Fitzpatrick to bail him out. So, if the Dolphins are going to win, it will be up to Tagovailoa improving his overall game.

Can he be counted on to do just that?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars fans had hope in the form of Gardner Minshew following his surprisingly good play in 2019. But whether he was the issue or the poor team around him was, the Jaguars were the definition of struggle bus last season. Their offense was one of the least productive in the league, and their defense was just as bad.

Such play tends to lead to a poor record (1-15) and a regime change (which also happened). But the Jaguars did not go out and get just anyone to take over the team. Instead, Jacksonville got former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer will have his hands full turning the Jaguars around, but it looks like he already has his franchise quarterback in former Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence. In addition, he will have a solid running backs group to work with led by a Clemson teammate, Travis Etienne.

As for his receivers, he could do a lot worse than the ‘Juniors’– Marvin Jones Jr., DJ Chark Jr., and Laviska Shenault Jr. But the key will be the Jaguars young offensive line (which is returning all five starters) taking a big step forward this year.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Jags brought in some help via the draft and free agency but not a lot. They may be counting more on seeing improvement because they will not be on the field as much (because the offense will be better).

NFL Betting Tips And Recommendations

When it comes to the Jaguars, it is not hard to make an NFL betting recommendation. The only good bet regarding the Jags is for them not to make the playoffs. Defensively, they did not do nearly enough to improve the unit in the offseason. On offense, they are too dependent on a rookie quarterback and running back.

First-year head coach Urban Meyer has never coached in the NFL before and has been out of coaching for a few years.  Jacksonville might improve this season, but there is no reason to believe they will win the make the playoffs or win the AFC South, AFC, or Super Bowl.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season, they had to work out the kinks as the season progressed, and they still won the NFC and Super Bowl. Theoretically, since they have both starting units coming back, the Bucs should hit the ground running.

With Drew Brees no longer running the offense in New Orleans, the Bucs should cruise to their first division title since 2007. Barring an injury to Tom Brady, they are a great bet to make the playoffs, win the AFC, and possibly win the Super Bowl.

Miami’s future is a little harder to judge than the Bucs and Jaguars. Defensively, they are in good shape, and they have some playmakers on offense. But they are counting on their young offensive line getting better with experience.

More importantly, they will need Tua Tagovailoa to take a big step forward. During his rookie season, he was good at times, but the team leaned on Ryan Fitzpatrick (who is no longer on the roster) in crunch time. Tagovailoa must progress as an NFL quarterback, or the Dolphins season is done before it starts.

So—should you bet on them? It is hard to make a good NFL betting case for Miami to win the AFC East, AFC, or Super Bowl. But it is not hard to see them making the postseason this year.