Tim Boyle’s college stat line is not something you see from an NFL quarterback in the modern era. It’s not even one you see from a college quarterback.
At UConn, Boyle threw one touchdown with 13 interceptions. Really. Yet, he got a shot in the NFL and stuck. He has been in the NFL since 2019. His results haven’t been much better, with three touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Boyle was still considered an upgrade over Zach Wilson. The New York Jets benched Wilson for Boyle this week, because they were ready to try anything else.
Will Boyle make a difference? The Jets are a 9.5-point underdog against the Miami Dolphins at BetMGM for the NFL’s first ever “Black Friday” game.
It’s probably going to look like every other Jets game this season. The Jets defense will play well, the offense will do practically nothing and the team will pray to get one big play from the offense or maybe a score from the defense to steal a win. The Jets are 4-5-1 against the spread with that formula.
It’s a big game for the Dolphins too, because there’s a little skepticism about them. They still haven’t beat a team that has a winning record (though the Denver Broncos might join the over-.500 group this week and give Miami one quality win), and losing in an exclusive national window on Friday to a quarterback most fans haven’t heard of wouldn’t help their reputation.
Which side you prefer Friday depends on a simple question: Can the Jets score enough to cover? The Dolphins should put up points, even against a really good Jets defense. They have, however, been held under 20 points twice: 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles and 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins have scored 20 or more in every other game, and that seems like a good baseline. Can the Jets score 11 or more to cover?
It’s fine to take a home underdog with a good defense who might rally around a change at quarterback. But it would make for a pretty frustrating afternoon.
Here’s the first look at the sports betting slate for Friday:
Plenty of college football
There are 13 college football games on the board at BetMGM for Friday. There are some good matchups but only one between ranked teams: A huge game between Oregon and Oregon State. No. 6 Oregon, which has hopes to get in the College Football Playoff, is a 13.5-point favorite. No. 16 Oregon State is 8-3 and will be up to face its biggest rival.
There are some decent but not great games across the rest of the schedule. That includes Texas Tech at Texas (-14) and Air Force at Boise State (-7).
College basketball too
It has been a good week in college hoops, and there are good matchups Friday. It starts with Texas A&M as a 3.5-point favorite against Florida Atlantic, one of last season’s Final Four darlings. Texas A&M could win a loaded SEC this season and if FAU can beat them, it would be an impressive win. That’s an 11 a.m. Eastern time tip-off.
The championship game and the consolation game at the Battle 4 Atlantis should be good. Memphis and Villanova play for the title, with Villanova as a 3.5-point favorite. In the third-place game, North Carolina is a 4.5-point favorite against Arkansas. There are some other good games throughout the day if you’re just getting into the college hoops season.
NBA has 10 games
The NBA took Thursday off but returns with a good slate. The first game, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, pits a very good Boston Celtics team against the Orlando Magic, perhaps the biggest surprise in the NBA so far. The Magic are coming off a win over the Denver Nuggets and are 10-5. Orlando is a 6.5-point underdog.
Perhaps the best game in the evening is the Sacramento Kings at the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are off to a fantastic 11-3 start. Minnesota is a 4.5-point favorite.
What’s the best bet?
While there is plenty to pick from, the NFL always rules so let’s pick that game. I’ll take the Dolphins. An underrated part of Miami’s season is how the defense has improved once cornerback Jalen Ramsey returned to the lineup. I think the defense could score on Friday or at very least set the offense up with some short fields. I’ll go with the Dolphins, even laying a pretty big number.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
