Steve Starr
- The Miami Dolphins (8-4) are favored by a field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers (6-6) in Week 14
- Tua Tagovailoa faces Justin Herbert in a battle of 2020 first-round picks
- NBC’s Sunday Night Football kicks off from SoFi Stadium on December 11 at 8:20pm ET
The Justin Herbert vs. Tua Tagovailoa debate has set Twitter on fire this fall. While the Dolphins were initially ridiculed for taking the Alabama quarterback one spot ahead of the Oregon signal caller in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tua has lit up defenses in his third season while Herbert continues to struggle.
Before we check the odds on this Sunday Night Football matchup between Miami and Los Angeles, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2022.
Chargers vs Dolphins
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Miami Dolphins | -3 (-120) | -170 | Ov 52 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +3 (+100) | +150 | Un 52 (-110) |
Tua vs Herbert
A fringe MVP candidate before Week 13, Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions and struggled with accuracy throughout Sunday’s 33-17 loss to the Niners. Still, Justin Herbert would kill to be in Mike McDaniel’s Miami offense with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Chargers quarterback was sacked five times in a 27-20 defeat to the Raiders.
While Tua has been throwing passes to wide open receivers all season, Herbert has been forced to check down repeatedly in one of the NFL’s most boring attacks. Despite having a cannon for an arm, the 24-year-old ranks 26th in yards per attempt (6.5), compared to Tagovailoa’s league-leading 9.0 YPA.
Week 14 brings us @chargers vs @MiamiDolphins
Which 2020 draftee would you rather be building around –
Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa? pic.twitter.com/k617fROAyg
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 6, 2022
Coaching matters
While the jury is still out on which franchise chose the best quarterback, the Chargers hire of Brandon Staley has returned a guilty verdict. Staley got the gig in 2021 after a successful season coaching a Rams defense with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. But, despite being hired for his defensive acumen, his Bolts are allowing the third-most points per game (25.8).
Meanwhile, Mike McDaniel spent more than 15 seasons learning from offensive genius Kyle Shanahan. In his first year with the Fins, Miami is averaging the second-most passing yards per game (290.5) in the NFL. They’re also top ten in points per game (24.9) despite Tagovailoa missing multiple games with concussion issues.
Chargers vs Dolphins
Los Angeles is a 3-point home underdog on Sunday Night Football. A game that NBC mercifully flexed into to avoid showing Russell Wilson and the Broncos get beatdown by Kansas City. Losers of three of their past four, the 6-6 Chargers need this game to keep pace with the Jets in the AFC playoff hunt. But, it feels like they’re catching Miami on the wrong week.
The Dolphins had scored 30-plus points in four straight games before being held to just 17 in a Week 13 loss to the 49ers. Facing a swiss-cheese LA defense permitting 151.6 yards per game on the ground (fourth-worst), both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson will find much more success than they did against San Francisco.
Mike McDaniel is one of a kind. But he is also far more than meets the eye. From ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown… My essay on the Dolphins’ quirky coach: pic.twitter.com/WYuSj4jAM3
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 4, 2022
Best Bet
Even though this game has the second-highest total on the slate, we like the OVER on 52 points. Miami’s defense has been far from special and there’s simply no way Staley will find an answer to whatever McDaniel throws his way.
In a fun, high-scoring matchup that will have Herbert supporters and “TuAnon” going back and forth, we like the Dolphins to cover.
Final Score Prediction: Miami 35, Chargers 30
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