Miami Dolphins odds — including the spread and moneyline for their wild card game against the Bills — deteriorated amid rumors that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will return from injury and play this weekend.
Miami had been as long as +460 on the moneyline early Thursday afternoon before that number fell to as low as +340 at FanDuel later on in the day.
And while Miami had been as long as +10.5 on the spread at 3:37 p.m. ET, its current market consensus is between +9 and +9.5 (click here for live NFL odds) for Sunday's game.
But on Wednesday morning, ESPN reported Tagovailoa wouldn't suit up on Sunday. That sent the line the other way — in total free fall.
The Bills are now as high as -12 on the spread. The Dolphins are back to as high as +560 on the moneyline.
If this line finishes Bills -11.5 or higher, it would be the highest spread in Wild Card Round history (since 1990).
Tagovailoa suffered his second documented concussion of the season during a Christmas Day game against the Packers. He's been out since and had not been medically cleared.
His first official concussion occurred against the Bengals in late September, after which he missed two games.
And four days prior to that Bengals game — against Buffalo — Tagovailoa hit his head and appeared to stumble afterward. He was placed back into the game after clearing assessments from medical personnel.
The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant involved in his concussion check was later fired by the NFLPA.
The league revamped its concussion protocols entirely in the aftermath of the incident.
For this upcoming postseason game against their division foes, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had been reticent to divulge a timeline regarding Tagovailoa's availability.
"We’ll take it day by day," McDaniel told reporters on Sunday. "And I will not think about any game — whether this year or next year — until he’s fully ready. And that will require medical clearance."
McDaniel added during Sunday's press conference that he wouldn't speculate about Tagovailoa's timeline because doctors had advised it wouldn't be good for Tua.
Without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins' offense has struggled, ranking 19th in total offense over his four-week absence.
With Tagovailoa, the offense has ranked third overall, according to DVOA.
The Dolphins and Bills split their season series, with Miami covering both contests. The 'Fins beat the Bills 21-19 — surviving a "butt punt" — in the sweltering south Florida heat as +4 home dogs.
Buffalo put together an eight-point fourth quarter comeback as -7 favorites to beat the Dolphins in the snow in mid-December.
