The New England Patriots (4-3) visit the Miami Dolphins (1-5) on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in a Week 8 AFC East game that sportsbooks list with New England as a touchdown favorite. This Patriots vs. Dolphins preview covers how to watch, the betting lines, Wednesday’s injury report and the matchups most likely to decide the game.
Our earlier look at the Bears loss and the trip to Miami covered the Chicago game in detail. For season coverage, schedules and past stories, see our Patriots team page.
How to watch Patriots at Dolphins
- Kickoff: Sunday, Nov. 1, 4:25 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
- TV: CBS (local markets)
- Streaming: Paramount+, which carries CBS’s NFL broadcasts
- Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
New England is 1-3 on the road this season, while Miami is 0-2 at home, according to ESPN’s odds page for the game. The Patriots are 2-0 against division opponents and come off a mini bye after their Thursday night loss in Chicago. Miami earned its first win of the year last Sunday, 28-25 over the New York Jets.
Patriots vs. Dolphins odds and betting lines
FanDuel Sportsbook lists New England as a 7-point favorite (-105), with Miami at +7 (-115). FanDuel’s moneyline has the Patriots at -330 and the Dolphins at +265, and the over/under is 44.5 points, according to FanDuel Research. BetMGM opened the week with the Patriots at -7.5 and a moneyline of -350, with Miami at +290, the sportsbook’s blog reported on Oct. 27.
The history against the number favors Miami. Sports Illustrated’s betting desk noted that the Dolphins are 8-2 against the spread in the last 10 games between the teams, and the over has hit in four of the last five meetings. This season the Patriots are 4-3 against the spread, and Miami is 2-4. Lines move during the week, so check a licensed sportsbook for current numbers. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Patriots injury report: nearly a full roster at practice
For the first time this season, every player on New England’s active 53-man roster took part in practice, NESN reported after Wednesday’s session. The official report released by the team lists no Patriots as non-participants. Four players were limited: wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle, knee), guard Ben Brown (knee), defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (back) and right tackle Morgan Moses (foot).
Eight Patriots practiced fully, including quarterback Drake Maye, who remains listed with a right shoulder issue. The others were tackle Marcus Bryant (ankle), safety Kevin Byard III (chest), cornerbacks Channing Canada (hamstring), Carlton Davis III (neck) and Karon Prunty (hamstring), and linebackers Christian Elliss (chest) and Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder). Davis has not played since the Oct. 4 win at Buffalo, Pats Pulpit reported, and Ben Brown returned to practice after missing one game. Thursday’s report had not been posted when this story was published, and final game statuses come out Friday.
Miami’s report is longer. Cornerback JuJu Brents (neck, concussion) and offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor (concussion) did not practice Wednesday. Limited for the Dolphins were wide receivers Malik Washington and Jared Wayne (both knee), tight ends Greg Dulcich (ankle) and Will Kacmarek (hamstring), safeties Michael Taaffe (neck, foot) and Dante Trader Jr. (shoulder), cornerback Reese Taylor (quad) and long snapper Tucker Addington (shoulder). Quarterback Malik Willis (groin), running back Jaylen Wright (foot, quad) and edge rusher Rob Beal Jr. (hamstring) were full participants. Running back De’Von Achane is on injured reserve.
Key matchups: Maye vs. a soft third-down defense
Drake Maye vs. Miami’s defense. Maye has completed 65.9% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and ranks sixth in the NFL in adjusted EPA per play, according to Sports Illustrated, a measure of how much each snap adds to a team’s expected points. Opponents convert 52.1% of third downs against Miami, the second-highest rate in the league, and the Dolphins have forced just five turnovers, the fourth-fewest, according to 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Patriots run game vs. Miami’s front. The Dolphins’ best defensive trait is stopping the run. They allow 3.8 yards per carry and only 0.88 yards before contact, sixth-best in the league, per the station’s breakdown. Rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez leads the team with 61 tackles, and edge rusher Chop Robinson has a team-high 20 pressures, though only two sacks.
Patriots pass rush vs. Malik Willis. Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal to leave Green Bay this offseason. In his games with Miami he has completed 87 of 151 passes (57.6%) for 1,057 yards, has been sacked 16 times and has three rushing touchdowns, Pats Pulpit reported. “Looking at the stats, he’s basically second on the team in rushing,” Patriots cornerback Kindle Vildor told Patriots On SI.
Christian Gonzalez vs. a young receiver room. Washington leads Miami with 26 catches for 289 yards, with rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell also getting heavy snaps. “They’ve shown they can make plays,” Gonzalez said Wednesday.
Ball security and red-zone defense. New England is minus-7 in turnover margin with 14 giveaways, both 31st in the league, and missed 16 tackles in Chicago, PatsFans.com noted. The same outlet reported that Miami has no kicker on its active roster, which raises the value of red-zone stops.
Recent Patriots-Dolphins head-to-head results
New England swept the 2025 series. On Sept. 14, 2025, the Patriots won 33-27 in Miami as Maye completed 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score, while Rhamondre Stevenson added 54 rushing yards and 88 receiving yards. In the Jan. 4, 2026, regular-season finale at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots won 38-10, with Stevenson running for 131 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, according to 98.5 The Sports Hub.
South Florida has still been hard on New England. The Patriots are 18-43 all-time in Miami and 14-25 at Hard Rock Stadium, according to PatsFans.com. For the longer history of the series, read our Patriots-Dolphins rivalry explainer, and for how last week went wrong, see our recap of the 30-24 loss to the Bears.
Our Take
This section is opinion, not reporting. The Patriots have the healthier roster and the better quarterback, and a third-down offense that sustains drives should find room against Miami. The worries are New England’s turnovers and the team’s long record of trouble in Miami, and seven points is a wide margin for a division road game. Our lean: Patriots win, by less than a touchdown.
Sources
- Patriots.com: Week 8 injury report, Patriots at Dolphins
- FanDuel Research: Patriots vs. Dolphins odds for Week 8
- BetMGM: Patriots vs. Dolphins odds, Week 8
- Sports Illustrated: Patriots vs. Dolphins odds, injuries and trends
- ESPN: Patriots vs. Dolphins odds page
- 98.5 The Sports Hub: Get to know the Miami Dolphins
- PatsFans.com: Patriots-Dolphins Week 8 key matchups
- NESN: Patriots get encouraging offensive line news
- Pats Pulpit: Wednesday injury report
- Pats Pulpit: Players to watch for Week 8
- Patriots On SI: Secondary not taking Dolphins receivers lightly
Read next in Sports
Most read this week
- Wu Proposes Restaurant Zoning Changes to Cut Takeout Reviews
- Elected School Committee, 311 Review on Council’s Oct. 28 Agenda
- Christopher St. Plan in Fields Corner Cut to 99 Apartments
- Boston City Council Asks Congress to Restore Public Housing Funds
- Boston Approves $31.5M in Tax Abatements to Restart 1,400 Homes
Latest
- U.S. Sanctions Rwanda’s Defense Ministry and Zigama Bank Over M23 Support
- EU Reopens €21.3 Billion in SAFE Defense Loans, Urges Joint Projects With Ukraine
- Taiwan Maps 53 Chinese Ships From Japan to the Philippines
- Taiz Asks UN to Probe Claimed Houthi Use of Toxic Shells in Yemen
- Far-Right Protesters Clash With Police in Madrid Over Spain Train Crash, Target Sánchez