Saints at Dolphins: Preview, prediction, odds and pick

Football will begin early on Sunday morning when the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins clash in London. Which team gets the nod in this game?

In Week 2, in what was the season opener for the Miami Dolphins, Jay Cutler and company got away with one in a 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. That wasn’t the case last Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The ‘Fins were pushed around by the previously winless New York Jets.

Meanwhile, after watching their much-maligned defensive unit pushed around in consecutive weeks by the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints rose to the occasion in a trouncing of the Carolina Panthers. These two intriguing clubs will be the first game on tap Sunday morning (9:30 am ET) as this interconference series is renewed for the first time since 2013 – in London’s Wembley Stadium, no less.

Odds

Line: Saints (-2.5)

Over/Under: 49

This is truly a road game for the Saints, who are not only the designated away team but the game is in London, England. And yet, Payton’s club (via SportsBook Review) is the favorite against a club that was a playoff team in 2016. It will be interesting to see if that over/under is crushed this week given the Brees and Cutler’s capabilities.

More fansided.com: NFL power rankings, Week 3: Falcons fly to top, Ravens fall

Was last week’s defensive performance at Carolina more a product of Dennis Allen’s unit or the struggles of Cam Newton? We lean more towards the latter. You can look for Dolphins’ running back Jay Ajayi to rebound with a big performance. Meanwhile, Cutler will make his share of big plays downfield. And don’t be surprised if former Saints’ wide receiver Kenny Stills comes back to haunt his former employer.

Pick: Dolphins 34, Saints 28