Patriots vs. Dolphins: Monday Night Football Features AFC East Rivals

The New England Patriots (0-0) and Miami Dolphins (0-0) are set to open their respective schedules with an AFC East division opener on Monday Night Football.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST at Sun Life Stadium and will be shown to a national audience on ESPN.

New England captured resounding wins in the two meetings a year ago, including a 41-14 win as one-point road underdogs in South Beach on Oct. 4, 2010, which also occurred underneath the bright lights of this prime-time production.

Casual and sharp bettors have driven this line nearly four points since opening a few months back, placing New England as 7.5-point road favorites.  The total has settled in at 46.

The Patriots have tallied a 4-4 against-the-spread record as a road favorite on Monday Night Football, while the Dolphins are 9-4 ATS when receiving points in front of their home fans in this situation.

Tonight's contest will serve as the seventh time these two franchises have opened a season against one another, with each team winning three times.

Quarterback Tom Brady has thrived against division rivals since taking over the starting quarterback role in New England, entering tonight with a 36-21 ATS mark versus AFC East opponents.

The Patriots have registered a dominating 48-14 SU record in regular season games within the division, which is the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL since the start of the 2001 campaign.

Head coach Bill Belichick has led New England to a 13-5 ATS record as road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points.

Miami knows it has its hands full in the opener and will be looking to improve upon its 6-12 SU record when facing Brady in 18 prior meetings.

A prime-time matchup on Monday Night Football is nothing new for these fanbases, as the two teams will be banging helmets for the 11th time, with nine of the previous 10 occurring in South Beach. The Dolphins hold a 5-4 SU mark in those contests.

Last year's 41-14 defeat did supply some positives for the Dolphins, finishing the game with a 400-265 edge in total yards.

Second-year defensive coordinator Mike Nolan applied pressure to Brady in that contest, compiling three sacks, while limiting him to just 153 passing yards and a single touchdown.

Don't be surprised if the home underdogs don't give the visiting Patriots everything they can handle, as the Dolphins won both prior meetings when opening a season in South Beach in 1994 and 1996.

Miami is also 11-3 ATS in its last 14 opportunities as an underdog.