Matt Temple-Marsh previews Thursday night's NFL action, with Miami Dolphins hosting Baltimore Ravens.
NFL betting tips: Thursday night action
3pts Jaylen Waddle 63.5+ receiving yards at 10/11 (bet365)
2pts Lamar Jackson anytime touchdown at 9/5 (bet365)
1pt Derrick Henry 91.5+ rushing yards at 10/11 (bet365)
1pt Jaylen Waddle 90+ receiving yards & anytime touchdown at 41/10 (bet365)
Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins
- Kick-off time: Friday, 00:20 GMT
- TV: Sky Sports Main Event
- Spread: Ravens -7.5 @ 10/11
- Total: Over 50.0 @ 5/6
Week nine of the 2025 NFL season kicks off with the Baltimore Ravens travelling to Miami to face the Dolphins – a battle of two teams who are having beyond disappointing seasons.
The Ravens entered this season as one of the favourites for the Super Bowl, but some shock defeats & the loss of former MVP Lamar Jackson has derailed their season. They now sit at 2-5, after thankfully snapping their four-game skid with a 30-16 win over the Bears last time out. The majority of their injured defensive starters returned for that game, and the good news is that Lamar Jackson is back for Thursday night.
Miami too managed to snap their losing streak with a shock 34-10 dominant win against the Falcons – just one week after getting embarrassed 31-6 by the Browns. There are major concerns with Miami – they lost star WR Tyreek Hill for the season, Tua’s play has been erratic to say the least and their defence ranks as one of the worst units in the league.
Miami’s rush defence
The Dolphins rank as the fourth best matchup to running backs – they concede the fifth most rushing yards per game in the league. We’ve seen big games from:
- James Cook – 19 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
- Rico Dowdle – 23 carries, 206 yards, 1 TD
- Kimani Vidal – 18 carries, 124 yards
- Quinshon Judkins – 25 carries, 84 yards, 3 TDs
It’s been an up & down season for Derrick Henry, but over the last two weeks he’s seen 20+ carries (season highs) in both games, racking up 193 yards & two touchdowns.
The return of Lamar Jackson only helps Henry by the headache it gives the defence. His line is set at 91.5 which may seem high – but in a game where the Ravens are favoured by over a touchdown, we can expect a positive game script and thus more rushing opportunities for Henry.
And another chink in Miami’s defence is containing rushing quarterbacks. They’ve conceded more rushing TDs to quarterbacks than any team in the NFL.
Due to his return from injury, Lamar Jackson is priced at 9/5 for a touchdown – a mark he won’t have been near in years. The Ravens fully cleared him with no injury designation – this is a plus spot for Lamar.
Waddle one to watch
Since Tyreek Hill’s injury Jaylen Waddle has been by far Miami’s best threat through the air – with 319 receiving yards & two touchdowns in four games.
He now faces a Ravens secondary who rank as the sixth best matchup for WRs, and they’ve conceded 10 TDs to the position through 7 games, third most in the NFL.
Waddle’s last game against Baltimore saw him haul in 11 of 19 targets for a huge 171 yards & two touchdowns. The WR has gone over 90 yards in three out of last 4 games, and his line is set at just 63.5.
Posted at 1410 BST on 29/10/25
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