by Rod Pearson
Friday, Sep 18, 2026
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, September 20, 2026
Venue: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Dolphins +12.5, 49ers -12.5; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Dolphins +13.5, 49ers -13.5; Over/Under: 45 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Dolphins +13.5, 49ers -13.5; Over/Under: 45 points
Season Record
Miami Dolphins: 0-1 (3rd place, AFC East)
San Francisco 49ers: 1-0 (1st place, NFC West)
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Miami Dolphins: lost their last game on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders 27-13.
San Francisco 49ers: won their last game at a neutral site against the Los Angeles Rams 27-7.
Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers Preview and Analysis
The Dolphins are entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the Las Vegas Raiders 27-13. Malik Willis was the starting QB and he completed 15/27 passes for 220 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Malik Willis led the team in rushing yards with 39 and 1 TD. Caleb Douglas led the receivers with 94 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Jacob Rodriguez led the defense in that game with 14 solo tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Michael Taaffe and Dante Trader Jr. each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
The 49ers are entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 1-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Los Angeles Rams 27-7. Brock Purdy was the starting QB and he completed 25/34 passes for 205 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Christian McCaffrey led the team in rushing yards with 68. Demarcus Robinson led the receivers with 50 receiving yards on 2 receptions and 1 TD. Fred Warner led the defense in that game with 11 solo tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Renardo Green came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Dolphins vs 49ers Prediction
The current betting odds have the 49ers listed as a 12.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The 49ers have looked good in their games this season with their 1-0 record overall and their 1-0 record in the division. They haven't played any home games yet and will be playing their home opener here. Meanwhile, the Dolphins haven't looked good in their games this season with their 0-1 record overall so far. They haven't been a good road team either with their 0-1 road record this year. The Dolphins are coming off a 27-13 loss to the Raiders in their last one and they got destroyed by one of the worst teams in the NFL. They Raiders had the 1st overall pick in the draft after last season, yet they looked a lot better than the Dolphins who don't have a ton of talent left. They picked up Malik Willis in the off-season, but they lost a lot of their other talent and now have a new head coach too. There isn't a lot of talent left on both sides of the ball in Miami and they have the potential to be the single worst team in the NFL this season. Now they have a 2nd straight road game to open up the season and they are playing in the Western time zone again. The 49ers are coming back from Australia so they aren't going to be at their best here, especially after that big win over the Rams, but they aren't going to need to be at their best to win this game. They played that game on Thursday too, so they have had some time to readjust and they have a lot more talent all over the roster. The offense and the defense both looked great against the Rams who are supposed to be the Super Bowl favorite and the 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last few years now. The Dolphins don't have the talent to compete with the 49ers, so look for the 49ers to run away with this game in their home opener. The best way to place a bet here is on the 49ers to cover the spread in this game.
Dolphins 49ers Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 20, 2026 (4:25 pm ET start time) is 49ers 31 Dolphins 6.
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NFL Betting Trends
Miami Dolphins: 4-10 ATS as a road underdog. 1-7 ATS in a road game where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 9-14 ATS in games played on a grass field. 8-2 OVER off a road loss. 11-4 OVER after playing their last game on the road.
San Francisco 49ers: 3-0 ATS as a home favorite of 7.5 to 14 points. 4-1 ATS in the first two weeks of the regular season. 6-3 OVER in non-conference games. 8-3 OVER after playing a division game.
Key Injuries
Miami Dolphins: R. Harrison Jr. (LB) Injured - Hamstring. T. Addington (LS) Injured - Shoulder. C. Robinson (DL) Injured - Concussion. S. Traore (TE) Injured - Thumb. D. Trader Jr. (S) Injured - Hamstring. M. Willis (QB) Injured - Toe.
San Francisco 49ers: K. Black (RB) Injured - Groin. N. Bosa (DL) Injured - Rest. D. Greenlaw (LB) Injured - Rest. C. McCaffrey (RB) Injured - Rest. E. Pineiro (K) Injured - Illness. D. Stribling (WR) Injured - Ankle. T. Williams (OT) Injured - Rest. K. Juszczyk (FB) Injured - Finger. K. Kareem (DL) Injured - Shoulder. G. Kittle (TE) Injured - Achilles. K. White (DL) Injured - Back. U. Stout (CB) Injured - Achilles.
Notable Quotes
“We have to coach better and we need to play better. A lot of guys were out there who were out there for the first time. Some of them had to take a deep breath and settle in a little bit.” - Jeff Hafley after his team’s loss against the Raiders in their last game.
“It was definitely worth it to come a little bit early. We definitely got acclimated. All the guys attacked it. We didn’t complain. We actually enjoyed being here in Melbourne.” - Mike Evans after their win against the LA Rams in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Miami Dolphins
WR Bell, Chris
WR Douglas, Caleb
WR Washington, Malik
TE Dulcich, Greg
QB Willis, Malik
RB Achane, De'Von
FB Herman, DJ
San Francisco 49ers
WR Evans, Mike
WR Robinson, Demarcus
WR Samuel Sr, Deebo
TE Kittle, George
QB Purdy, Brock
RB McCaffrey, Christian
FB Juszczyk, Kyle
Statistical Leaders
Miami Dolphins
Passing: Malik Willis (220)
Rushing: Malik Willis (39)
Receiving: Caleb Douglas (94)
Touchdowns: Malik Willis (1)
San Francisco 49ers
Passing: Brock Purdy (205)
Rushing: Christian McCaffrey (68)
Receiving: Demarcus Robinson (50)
Touchdowns: Demarcus Robinson (1)
Coaches:
Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley (1st season)
San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan (10th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
