The Dolphins seem like a team going nowhere fast, but the fact is they're 4-4 and have only been blown out once over their last five games (a Thursday night debacle with Matt Moore at QB). Their defense has done a solid job all year, ranking 12th in yards per drive allowed. On the Panthers side, this is a team that can't consistently score points or move the ball all that well. The low total for this game basically is giving the game away, as a lower-scoring game makes it hard for a huge favorite to cover. Take Miami and expect both teams in the teens.

My simulations don't agree with this line at all. I make the Dolphins just +3 underdogs on the road in Carolina. Cam Newtown has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this season and I think that trend will continue. The Dolphins didn't lose anything by trading Jay Ajayi. Take the points!

As bad as the Dolphins have looked the last two weeks, they are still 4-4 and have a chance to earn a playoff spot. It's Monday night and the entire league is watching, so I think we will get a great effort from the Dolphins. Jay Cutler has one more game under his belt after sitting out two weeks with an injury. Kenyan Drake did a nice job at running back last week versus the Raiders. Carolina has been up and down this year. The Panthers have scored only 40 points the last three weeks but have given up just 37! With the Carolina offense struggling and what should be a low-scoring game, the points are valuable. Take the dog.

The Dolphins are one of the worst 4-4 teams the NFL has seen recently. They rank last in yards per play, and they got shut out the last time they ventured on the road. Carolina's elite defense will control this one, with Cam Newton and the offense doing enough to cover.

The Dolphins have been one of the NFL's most erratic teams, but they should play well ATS on Monday night. The league's worst offense put up nearly 400 yards and converted all of its red-zone chances in a 27-24 loss to the Raiders last week. A defense that failed to get a number of key second-half stops felled Miami against Oakland. Carolina's two-game winning streak has been on the strength of a defense that allowed just 20 total points to the Bucs and Falcons. But its own limited offense should allow Miami to slip inside the number.

The Panthers and Dolphins are essentially the same team. Both are solid on both sides of the line of scrimmage and both are still trying to find their way offensively from a consistency standpoint. To me, that means we'll have a tight ballgame. Take the points.