Pennington Leads Red-Hot Dolphins against Favre and Former Team

It won’t take long for veteran quarterback Chad Pennington to get a crack at making his former team pay for releasing him!

The Miami Dolphins, (1-15 SU, 5-8-3 ATS, 9-7 O/U), have been infused by the addition of Pennington, winning their final three preseason games after losing their opener before ever signing the former New York Jets’ starter to a two-year deal.

Miami beat the New Orleans Saints 14-10, (as I predicted in the BetUS Sportsbook) in their final preseason game on Thursday, after shutting out the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-0 on Aug. 23 and surprising expected Super Bowl contender Jacksonville 19-14 on Aug. 16.

Miami’s Week One opponent just so happens to be the very same Jets, (4-12 SU, 6-9-1 ATS, 6-9-1 O/U in 2007), team that released Pennington in favor of Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Brett Favre.

New York is coming off a solid 27-20 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday just five days after beating the New York Giants 10-7.

Now, the clubs head into their Week One 2008 NFL regular season showdown with similar agendas on making some immediate improvements after last season’s respective meltdowns.

Last season, the Dolphins narrowly avoided becoming the first team in NFL history to go an entire 16-game regular season schedule without winning a single game, finishing with a dismal 1-15 record.

The Jets also got a rude wake-up call in 2007, posting a pitiful 4-12 record just one season after head coach Eric Mangini led the club to an unexpected 10-6 mark in his very first season in 2006.

Members of the BetUS NFL wagering community should know that both teams recorded uninspiring, losing ATS records in 2007.

Here is a look at some of the key football trends for tonight’s matchup, followed by my analysis and NFL Free Picks.

The Dolphins are 8-3-2 ATS in their last 13 games in Week 1.

The Dolphins are 17-35-2 ATS in their last 54 vs. AFC.

The Under is 4-0 in Jets last 4 games overall.

The Over is 4-1 in Dolphins last 5 games overall.

The Jets are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Miami.

The Jets are 19-4-2 ATS in their last 25 meetings.

The Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

NFL Odds

New York Jets -3 -120

Miami Dolphins +3 Ev

Over 36 -110

Under 36 -110

Analysis: Maybe it’s me, but I’m thinking that – not only do the Dolphins have a legitimate shot at covering this point spread as home underdogs - but that they can actually win this game outright.

With a better-than-expected defense and some steady play on the offensive side of the ball, thanks to Pennington, I’m going to take the Dolphins to win this contest at home over the favored Jets as Miami has looked really solid on both sides of the ball this preseason.

The best wager on this contest may be to take the ‘Over’ as I expect both teams to put up their share of points.

Take the Dolphins and the Over in this matchup to get the 2008-09 NFL betting season started off on the right foot.

NFL Free Pick: Dolphins 24 Jets 20