The 2024 season didn’t go as planned for the Miami Dolphins. After a promising 11-6 campaign in 2023, expectations were high for a deeper playoff run. However, they finished the season with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs and leaving analysts to question the team’s direction.

It’s not only analysts who are skeptical about the Dolphins’ chances to turn things around next year, as sportsbooks have set their win total for 2025 at 8.5.

Betting on the NFL is becoming increasingly popular. From win totals to the Super Bowl winner, many fans are already putting their money on who they believe will rise or fall in the upcoming season. They’re not only doing business with cash but also with digital currencies, as betting with Bitcoin continues to attract new audiences due to enhanced convenience and fast transactions.

For those looking to back the Dolphins, the 8.5 win total poses an interesting challenge as the team that looked set to break through as a true contender just a season ago now finds itself in another difficult position.

The 8.5 line suggests that oddsmakers predict another struggling season for the Dolphins, similar to what was going on in the 2024 season.

Many things could affect the outcome, with Tua Tagovailoa’s health being among those most critical. When he’s healthy and in rhythm, Miami’s offense looked good in 2024, but the quarterback missed 6 games in total. With him, the Dolphins were 6-5, while Skylar Thompson’s only start resulted in a blowout, and Tyler Huntley was 2-3.

However, even with Tagovailoa healthy, the Dolphins saw a decline in several key stats compared to the 2023 season. The best example of this are only three plays of 40+ yards in the entire season, two of which came in their Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The explosive play from the 2023 season just wasn’t there, and the team will have to work hard to return to that level next year.

The Dolphins’ running game also went down significantly, with the team averaging 4.0 yards per rush attempt.

Raheem Mostert, who led the league in touchdowns in 2023, was a non-factor in 2024 and has since been released, upon which he joined the Las Vegas Raiders. The performances from De’Von Achane were slightly better, but nowhere close to his absurd average of 7.8 yards in his rookie season.

The offseason is one of the key times when teams can turn things around, and the Dolphins’ moves haven’t been exactly flashy.

Guard James Daniels was signed on a three-year, $24 million deal, making him the biggest acquisition of the offseason. The contract is based on his performances for the Steelers before his Achilles injury, and if he gets back to form, he should be a significant upgrade at the guard position. Even if things don’t work out, the Dolphins have an out in his contract with minimal cap pain next offseason.

Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is viewed as another key signing due to his strong performances with the Tennessee Titans last year. The Dolphins also got him on a cap number of $1.6 million for the 205 season, making the deal even better. 

The Dolphins also brought Zach Wilson, who’ll act as a backup for Tagovailoa in case he misses a few games next season. In the 2024 preseason, he showed enough to be kept as Denver’s No. 3 quarterback, but he still has a lot to prove if he wants to get rid of his bust label from his time at the New York Jets.

Other key additions include S Ifeatu Melifonwu, S Ashtyn Davis, RB Alexander Mattison, and TE Pharaoh Brown.

The majority of the fans have graded their offseason moves with a C, but the recent Jalen Ramsey situation may bring the overall grade down even further.

The upcoming draft will prove to be crucial for Miami’s offseason, with the team holding the No. 13 overall. The most recent Tankathon mock has them picking T Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Texas but Alabama’s Tyler Booker and Oregon’s Derrick Harmon also remain potential targets.

They might also look to bring in another running back and several defensive players with their remaining picks.

The 2025 season is months away, and there’s no doubt that more things will happen that will determine what the next season for the Dolphins will look like. At the moment, sportsbooks and their 8.5 line remain cautious about their prospects.

Despite some solid moves in the offseason, the poor year behind the team will continue to overshadow the optimism and linger over the Dolphins as they prepare for 2025. Sportsbooks may adjust their lines as the offseason progresses, but at the moment, it doesn’t seem like they see the Dolphins’ chances improving.