As the New York Jets have shown us already this season, fortunes can change very quickly in the National Football League.
The Jets, and the circus that surrounds them, finish off a Week 3 of Sunday football when they travel to Miami for an early-season AFC East battle with the 2-0 Dolphins (8:20 pm Eastern, NBC).
Earlier this week
BetJamaica.com opened Miami as a 1-point favorite for Sunday night's game, with an OVER/UNDER of 35. As of Friday afternoon the line had remained the same, while the total had been bumped a half-point, to 35.5.
The Jets are also getting +115 on the BetJam NFL betting moneyline, with the Dolphins giving -135.
New York began this season as one of the hot picks to click among experts and bettors alike, going off at +135 to win the AFC East and +500 to win the AFC at
BetJamaica.com. But the Jets opened with a thud, losing 10-9 at home to Baltimore and looking bad doing it. New York then quickly fell behind the Patriots last Sunday, and the season looked lost. But the Jets sucked it up and scored the last 21 points of the game to beat New England 28-14, and looked like they had returned to contender status.
However, the Jets are also now dealing with a couple of key personnel problems. CB Darrelle Revis, who held out much of training camp, tweaked a hammy last week chasing Randy Moss, and is out for this weekend. And WR Braylon Edwards got nabbed for DUI earlier this week; supposedly he won't start but will play Sunday night.
Also, New York C Nick Mangold is nursing a sore shoulder.
Miami opened the season with a 15-10 win at Buffalo, then upset Minnesota in the Metrodome last Sunday 14-10, after they stopped Vikings RB Adrian Peterson on a fourth-and-the-game near the goal line in the waning moments.
The Dolphins outgained the Bills 296-166, but got outgained by the Vikes 364-226. Also, one of Miami's TDs last week came on a fumble recovery in the end zone.
Last year the Fish swept the season series from the Jets, winning 31-27 at home on a memorable Monday night and 30-25 three weeks later in New Jersey. New York led that first game 13-10 through three quarters, and the game looked like it would play UNDER its BetJam total of 36. But the teams combined to score five touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last with three seconds left that gave the Dolphins the victory. Miami outgained the Jets that night 413-309.
That second game was tied at 3-3 at halftime, but Miami scored twice on KO returns by (now-departed) Ted Ginn Jr. and on a fumble return, all in the third quarter, on its way to the win. New York outgained the 'Fins that day 378-104, and that game also played OVER its BetJam total of 40.
Bettors may also want to consult BetJam's NFL futures betting market, and the props pages for some extra-curricular football action.