Going out on a limb here folks. Too much time has gone by with this team being berated and told they have no chance in this game by the national media. The point spread on this one has gone from 7 to 13. That's an insult to any man with any sense of pride. I'm not saying the Dolphins are going to win this game, although that's a distinct possibility, but I am telling you to take the points and bet on them, because I think they're gonna come out fighting in this one. Since the inception of the BCS National Championship game, no championship game in any sport has resulted in a greater percentage of wins by the underdog. Why? Because unlike in other sports, the game is played an entire month after the teams are decided, and the underdog sits around and listens to everybody talk about how they have no chance. After a month of hearing that, they come out pissed off and whip some ***. Same thing is gonna happen here today folks. Expect this Dolphins team to come out pissed and ready. I know I'm pissed and ready this morning, and I'm not even on the team.
The spread jumped that high because every "sharp" AND every square is putting $$ on Houston and I'm guessing Vegas is dying for some Miami money to even it out. I'm an avid gambler but this is much to tricky of a game to lay down any cash on IMO.
And that's exactly what will piss off the Dolphins -- the perception that nobody thinks they can win. "Us against the world" is very powerful.
They're going to have to be Hulk pissed to bridge the talent gap between the two teams. I hope they can find a way to do it.
Of course the other factor, however, is that Houston stands to be complacent after hearing everybody talk about how there's no chance they can lose. When you pair one team with an "us against the world" mentality with another team that's complacent, you have the stuff of shocking upsets. You essentially have one team whose mentality is maximizing its talent, and another whose mentality is getting far less from its talent than it can. Consequently, like you said, the talent gap is bridged if not exceeded.
While I hope your right, opening day at home and as healthy as they have been....Houston mentality will be at a high level as well.
I wouldn't bet on emotion and I'm pretty darn sure the spread jumping won't effect the dolphins at all. The players aren't going to know or care about a spread and collectively play better because of it. In fact it's something a fan would think. Can you imagine how ridiculous it would sound in the lockerrooms if Philbin came out in pre game speech and said: "Vegas is disrespecting us! Spread went up to 13!"....worst pre game speech ever.
Opening day at home against a team you're favored to beat by 13 points can create a conflicted emotional experience, however. It would be easier to get geared up to play in front of your home fans on opening day against a team that posed a challenge. Then your internal experience would be congruent -- having the fire to impress your fans on opening day, and having the fire generated by the challenge of a quality opponent. The incongruence between wanting to impress your fans on opening day and playing a team nobody thinks can beat you can cause some problems IMO. That's the stuff of coming out completely flat. When you "don't know how" to feel, you feel nothing.
I sincerely doubt any NFL player has ever drawn any sort of extra desire to win from a points spread.
If you think the players aren't acutely aware of the chances they're thought to have of winning this game by the masses, I think you're mistaken.
I just watched the NFL playbook segment on NFL.com for this game. Those guys aren't giving us a prayer of course. Usually that irritates me but I'm not sure I can really blame them this time. They think Arian Foster is going to run wild and that we won't be able to get anything going on offense.
It's kinda funny, but those same "experts" said that there was no way the Giants would lose in week one either. Oops! Anything is possible on the gridiron on any given day. Screw the media, the experts, and even the league sources; the game isn't over until the clock expires. Saying that the outcome is a certainty before kickoff is idiotic.
And that's the kind of stuff that pisses off the players on one team, while making the players on the other complacent.
Pride doesn't win football games. Character doesn't win football games. Team culture doesn't win football games. Talent does...
I have a bad feeling that the last time we even sniff the point spread is some time late in the 2nd Quarter........hope I'm wrong. Either way, I'm not betting a nickel on this game.
I disagree on all counts Nasty lol, but that's a whole nuther thread.. Here's the way I look at this game, If I knew this team was together and ready to play hard I would bet the game and play the dolphins..with all the inside info we've had this offseason, I still don't know if that's where we're at. The Docta is usually right.
This reminds me of the old pump and dump Yahoo stock message boards. You trying to lower the spread so you can get an extra bet in at 12? Even though I think 13 is a ridiculous spread for week 1, I would focus on under/overs. Overall there appear to be too many high point totals. Since I only gamble for the fun of it, I have my weekly 10 dollar 5 team parley this week, all on U/O.
Schaub is returning after an injury caused the likes of TJ Yates to play well in the playoffs. There was serious discussion about trading Schaub, albeit outside the Texans front office. Their defense lost Mario Williams and they've spent all offseason hearing about how worse off they are now. There is no way the Texans come out compliant and lazy, IMO. They have things to prove too. Because "any given Sunday" isn't actually true. The NFL has successfully convinced its fanbase that parity exists in its domain and that any team can beat any other team. Not true. The NFL may be the least equalized league in professional sports.
I think we get blowout by 24. I have no faith that this team can compete with a good team like Houston.
Opening day in their home stadium? I can guarantee the Texans are not complacent. And their QBis in his prime and was out last year, he will want to throw and throw often. If he doesn't have 300 yards I will be shocked.
If all the oddsmaker hype about this game is to be taken seriously, we've lost already, so we have nothing to lose. There is no pressure. Let the guys play relaxed, attempting to be spoilers, because no one expects them to win. Worst case, the young guys learn and the vets get on the same page against high quality competition. Best case, we pull an upset.
I got us losing 24-17. And I think it's going to be closer than that. I still remember in 2003 when we lost a season opener at home against the same Texans when everyone had it as the one game that would not be an upset. So why not again except the shoe on the other foot this time?
Careful, sounds like your over thinking things....anyone who has played sports knows that the "first game" is a big deal. They won't be lacking focus nor motivation.
Right, but very infrequently is it the case that a team's first game is thought to be so woefully lopsided. That creates an interesting emotional state IMO. What I suspect is that the Texans come out looking very driven, probably getting a quick score, and then that transforms to emotional flatness immediately thereafter.
Dolphins will be expected to lose every game this year, so what. They don't watch point spreads and adjust their effort accordingly which is what this dumb thread suggests.
The added factor of opening up with a Baltimore may dial it up a notch for obvious reasons, but I sure doubt we catch this team sleeping either. The upside to that is along with 1st game motivation comes first game jitters....the "nerves and excitement" can also lead to mistakes. And especially for Schaub who has to be itching to prove that HE is an important factor in that offense, considering TJ Yates took the to the divisional round.
Yes this thread. You're telling people to bet on the dolphins because players will be motivated knowing the spread moved...fail.
The Dolphins played like they were pissed for a little over a quarter and a half. After that, it was the Texans who appeared pissed that their fans were booing them for their play against the Dolphins. Hopefully no one on this forum took the Dolphins and the points.