The Week 16 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday should be an interesting game despite both teams being out of playoff contention. The Bengals (4-10) travel to face the Dolphins (6-8) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with Quinn Ewers set to make his first NFL start for the Dolphins. Can he lead the Dolphins to a win at home? Continue reading to find my Bengals vs Dolphins prediction here.
Our Bengals vs Dolphins Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals vs Miami Dolphins
- Date & Time: Sunday, December 21, 2025, 1:00 p.m.
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Broadcast: CBS
Key Storylines
Although neither Cincinnati nor Miami is playing for postseason positioning, there are compelling stories to keep an eye on heading into this Week 16 contest. The Dolphins have officially been eliminated from playoff contention following a 28-15 road defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, placing their coach under pressure to evaluate personnel and clarify the team’s direction for 2026. Miami has benched veteran starter Tua Tagovailoa after he led the league in interceptions this season, and rookie Quinn Ewers is set for his first NFL start.
On the other side, Cincinnati has struggled to find consistency all year, standing at 4-10 and out of the playoff picture. The Bengals endured a recent 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, with Joe Burrow throwing multiple interceptions in that outing. Despite their offensive woes, Cincinnati still has a high-end passing attack when operating at full strength, and they enter as road favorites thanks to their superior quarterback continuity.
Quarterback Play
Quarterback play will be extremely important in this contest. For Miami, Ewers is stepping in for his first pro start. While his college resume was strong, his NFL experience is extremely limited, posing added risk for Miami this week. The hope will be that Ewers injects enthusiasm and capable decision-making against a Bengals defense that has been beaten by a ton of signal callers over the last few years.
For Cincinnati, Joe Burrow has stated that his goal is to finish the season strong and help his team win some games. Burrow’s elite completion rate and connection with his top weapons could be enough to exploit a Dolphins secondary that has had mixed results against the pass throughout the year.
Betting Trends
- Cincinnati is 2-5 on the road this season.
- Miami is 4-3 at home going into this game.
- Miami is 7-7 against the spread so far this year.
- Cincinnati is 6-8 against the spread entering Sunday’s game.
- Miami is 7-5-2 to the over entering this week.
- The Bengals have gone over the total in 8 of their 14 games.
Bengals vs Dolphins Model Projection
Final Thoughts
