The Dolphins get another shot to stop the slide on Sunday, and the Bengals may not be at full strength when they arrive in Miami.
Cincinnati is listed as a 6.5-point favorite, but the injury situation is a big part of the conversation. Both starting wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgs, are dealing with injuries and may not be available for the game.
Miami, meanwhile, is still trying to find its footing after opening the 2026 season with four straight losses, even if the team has shown improvement each week. The catch is obvious: the Dolphins are still the youngest team in the league, and those rookie mistakes keep showing up.
For Miami, Sunday is also about getting to the bye week with something to build on. For Cincinnati, it’s about halting a two-game skid after starting the year 2-0.
Our contributors have weighed in on the matchup, along with their straight-up winners for the rest of the Week 5 slate.
The week starts with a bye for the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Elsewhere, the schedule features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (-9.5), followed by a Sunday lineup that begins with Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (-7.5) in London.
At 1 p.m. Eastern, the slate includes Chicago Bears (-1.5) at Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings (-1.5) at New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans (-7.5) at Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots (-3.5), Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5), Cleveland Browns at New York Jets (-1.5), New York Giants at Washington Commanders (-3.5), and Denver Broncos (-3.5) at Los Angeles Chargers.
The late window brings San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (-3) and Detroit Lions (-5.5) at Arizona Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. Eastern.
Sunday Night Football has Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons (-3.5), and Monday Night Football wraps the week with Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams (-3.5).
Last week, Marek Brave went 11-5, while Sumeet Jena and Kevin Nogle both finished 10-6. The Phinsider Community also went 10-6, and James McKinney ended up 9-7.
Through Week 3, the overall standings have James McKinney at 40-24, followed by Marek Brave at 38-26. The Phinsider Community and Kevin Nogle are tied at 37-27, and Sumeet Jena sits at 32-32. Sumeet Jena’s overall record reflects the nine games he did not pick in Week 2 as losses.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Be Missing A Key Passing Game Piece Again
Caleb Douglas has been stuck on the sideline since Week 2 with an ankle injury, and the Dolphins still have not gotten him back onto the practice field. Head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday that Douglas was out but improving, which at least keeps the door open for a return soon even if the timeline remains murky.
Miami could use the help. The offense has been fighting for rhythm without Douglas, with the passing game producing limited receiving yards and passing touchdowns through the first four weeks. For a unit looking to find more consistent answers through the air, his recovery has become another important subplot to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Still Waiting On Kenneth Grant's Week 5 Reality
Kenneth Grant has taken the first real step toward getting back on the field for Miami, opening his 21-day return window and getting back to practice with the team. For a Dolphins defense that could use another body inside, his comeback is about more than simply filling a roster spot. It gives Miami a chance to add some much-needed versatility to the defensive tackle rotation if the recovery keeps moving in the right direction.
For now, though, Week 5 remains unsettled. Jeff Hafley said Grants activation and playing status will depend on how he continues to respond, and no call has been made yet on whether he will suit up. Miami does have one open roster spot available, so the path is there, but the timing still matters, and the Dolphins are waiting to see whether Grant is ready soon enough to matter this week. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Will Need To Check This Weeks Unusual TV Setup
The Dolphins second home game of the 2026 season brings a familiar AFC opponent to Hard Rock Stadium, but the TV setup is a little different from what viewers around South Florida are used to. Miami will host the Bengals on FOX, with Eric Collins, Mark Schlereth and Jen Hale handling the broadcast because the networks regular crew is tied up elsewhere.
For fans trying to find the game, the wrinkle is distribution: this one is being carried regionally, with the Dolphins-Bengals matchup shown in southern Florida and the Cincinnati area while other NFL games are spread across different networks and time slots around the state. For Miami supporters, it means a quick check of the local listings before kickoff instead of assuming the usual Sunday afternoon slot will sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]