The Dolphins didn’t just lose in Week 1 - they also earned a brutal first look at what Week 2 might bring.
Miami is sitting as the biggest underdog on the board for its matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The number opened with the Dolphins catching 13.5 points, a steep climb after they were only getting three against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday before falling by 14.
That spread says plenty about how the market views Miami right now. The opener against Las Vegas didn’t do anything to lift confidence, and the 49ers are lined up as a massive favorite heading into Sunday’s meeting.
The over/under is set at 45.5 points, which puts the pressure on San Francisco to do most of the scoring if the game is going to push past that number.
Elsewhere on the Week 2 slate, the biggest spreads behind Miami are both 8.5-point lines. The Baltimore Ravens are favored by 8.5 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon, and the Los Angeles Rams are also 8.5-point favorites for their Monday Night Football matchup with the New York Giants.
San Francisco comes in off a 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL’s first game in Australia. The 49ers played Thursday, so they’ll have extra time to get ready for Miami, though the betting line suggests they may not need much help.
The Dolphins and 49ers meet at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, September 20, at 4:25 p.m. Eastern.
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Even so, Miami fans have not turned sour on the direction of the franchise. In SB Nation Reacts polling, roughly 79-80% of Dolphins supporters have said the team is headed the right way, and that feeling has held steady from preseason into the regular season. For a fan base staring at a difficult stretch, that kind of patience stands out, especially with confidence in AFC East rivals running higher for Buffalo and New England and lower for the Jets. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Hafley Brings One Immediate Question Dolphins Fans Can't Ignore
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Dolphins Loss Exposed Problems Miami Fans Were Hoping Not To See
The Dolphins 2026 opener in Las Vegas did not take long to reveal the kinds of issues Miami was hoping would stay buried until deeper into the season. In a 27-13 loss to the Raiders, the defense never found a steady answer for the home offense, the pass rush lacked bite, and special teams gave up too much ground on return plays. Miami did manage to show a little life with a second-half touchdown drive, but the broader picture was one of a team that spent too much of the afternoon chasing the game.
For a fan base that wanted cleaner tackling and more stability in the kicking game, the early returns were hard to ignore. Missed tackles showed up alongside the coverage problems, and the Raiders were able to build comfortable field position far too often. The Dolphins have only one game on the books, but the opener already put a spotlight on the same areas that can change the tone of a season quickly if they are not cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]