NFL Week 4 Preview
Week four is packed with some of the most exciting games of the first half. My pick for best game of the week is a three-way tie between the Jets at the Saints, Chargers at the Steelers and the Green Bay Packers at the Minnesota Vikings. Brett Favre had a big week four in 2008; throwing six touchdown passes against the Arizona Cardinals. Can he repeat this week against his former team?
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Week four team bye weeks are, the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears
Line: Chicago -10 (Total 39)
These two NFC north rivals will face off with the Lions (1-2) coming off their first win in 19 games after beating the Redskins in week three. Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford threw no interceptions, after throwing five in his first two NFL games. He will look for target Calvin Johnson to create big plays. The Bears’ (2-1) Jay Cutler completed 21 of 27 for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a win against the Seahawks. The Bears are still struggling to get their rushing game going, but their offense will be enough to beat the Lions at home.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns
Line: Cincinnati -5 (Total 38)
The Browns are 0-3 and have scored only one offensive touchdown. Starter Brady Quinn was yanked at the half during Sunday’s 34-3 loss to Baltimore and back up Derek Anderson fared no better in the second half of play. Quinn’s quarterback rating of 62.9 ranks 29th among the league’s 32 starting quarterbacks. The Bengals (2-1) are coming off a close win against the Steelers. QB Carson Palmer and receiver Chad Johnson are still yet to gel this season. This will be a sloppy game with Bengals edging out Cleveland at home.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Seattle Seahawks @ Indianapolis Colts
Line: Indianapolis -9 (Total **)
This may prove to be one of the best QB duels of the season if Matt Hasselback is cleared to play on Sunday against Peyton Manning and the Colts (3-0). Manning threw 24-35, 379 yards and 4 TDs in a win over the Cardinals in week three, while Hasselback remained sidelined with a cracked rib. The Seahawks (1-2) running back Julius Jones finished with 98 yards on 20 carries for a 5.2 yard-per-carry average in a loss to the Bears last week. The Colts D will hold off most of what the Seahawks will throw at them and edge out a win at home in this one.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs
Line: New York -9 (Total 42)
The Chiefs (0-3) Matt Cassel has not lived up to his 124.5 passer rating thus far as he threw just two TD passes and no interceptions, but for just 90 yards in his last outing against the Eagles. The Giants’ (3-0) Eli Manning will have no problems dissecting the Chiefs weak secondary. New York will get an easy win, hitting Kansas City with an effective run-pass combo.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots
Line: New England -2 (Total 45)
This could be the game of the week, as the Ravens (3-0) will bring their dominating defense head-to-head with the Patriots (2-1) explosive offense. The Pats will have their work cut out for them as the Ravens have allowed just 17.6 points per game. Baltimore will attack with the running game using RB Willis McGahee against the Pats front line. This will be a tight one with the Pats eeking out a narrow win on a fourth quarter drive.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins
Line: Washington -7 (Total 37)
The Bucs (0-3) are coming off a 24-0 loss to the Giants in week three, and are changing quarterbacks as Josh Johnson will replace Byron Leftwich under center for Sunday’s game at Washington. The Redskins are going to need to bounce back after their loss to the Detroit Lions last week. Washington needs to get their running game going early and will rely heavily on RB Clinton Portis to get it done. The Redskins will take this one at home.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Line: Tennessee -2 (Total 41)
The Titans (0-3) will look to get their fist win of the season on the road in Jacksonville this weekend. Tennessee find themselves not only in last place in the AFC South, but now needing to find quick fixes for every aspect of the team as they continue to find new ways to lose. The Jags (1-2) are coming off their first win of the season beating Houston on the road. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 119 yards on 23 carries and 3 TDs, against the Texans. Jacksonville wins this one at home as the Titans fall to 0-4.
Sunday, October 4 1:00 pm – Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans
Line: Houston -9 (Total 41)
The Raiders (1-2) are coming off a lopsided 23-3 loss to Denver and have gotten little in return for their investment of high draft picks – combining for a 25-74 record, the NFL’s worst since 2003. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, completed 12 of 21 passes for just 61 yards and had two interceptions against the Broncos on Sunday. Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 overall pick in 2009, has one catch in three games for 17 yards. The Texans (1-2) Matt Schaub continues to impress and was 26-35, for 300 yards and 3 TDs, with just 1 INT despite a 31-24 lost to Jacksonville in his last outing. Houston wins this one at home.
Sunday, October 4 4:05 pm – New York Jets @ New Orleans Saints
Line: New Orleans -7 (Total 46)
The Saints (3-0) has become the first NFL team since 2001 to score 40 points or more in the first two games of a season while piling up 936 total yards. The defense has also played well allowing just 18.6 points per game. The Jets are all about defense, but lets not leave out the fact that rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez is having a great first year, including going 17-30, for 171 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 4 runs for 10 yards and 1 TD, in a 24-17 win over the Titans in week three. This will be a high scoring affair with the Saints Drew Brees proving to be too much for the Jets, ending their unbeaten streak.
Sunday, October 4 4:05 pm – Buffalo Bill @ Miami Dolphins
Line: Buffalo –2 (Total 37)
The Bills (1-2) managed just seven points against the Saints last week as Terrell Owens was held without a catch for first time since his rookie season in 1996. I don’t see the Fins keeping TO out of this one. The Bills will need to bounce back and QB Trent Edwards will be relied upon to get the team back on track. The Dolphins (0-3) are yet to win a game with their latest loss to San Diego. It appears that Fins starting QB Chad Pennington is out for the season with a torn capsule and headed for the third shoulder operation in his 10-year career. So the future now belongs to back up Chad Henne. The Bills come up with a big road victory in this one.
Sunday, October 4 4:15 pm – St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
Line: San Francisco –10 (Total 38)
The Rams lost their third consecutive game Sunday; the 13th straight for the Rams, the longest streak in the league, and the Rams have now started the last three seasons with records of 0-8, 0-4 and now 0-3. With QB Marc Bulger possibly sidelined with a shoulder injury, St. Louis will look their running game and RB Steven Jackson. Jackson played well in Sunday’s game with 117 yards on 27 carries. San Francisco (2-1) lost a close one to the Vikings on the road in week three and could be this years Cinderella story and NFC West winner. They will rely heavily on RB Frank Gore to plow his way through a weak Rams defense leading then to a win at home.
Sunday, October 4 4:15 pm – Dallas Cowboys @ Denver Broncos
Line: Dallas -3 (Total 43)
The Cowboys’ (2-1) QB Tony Romo bounced back from a horrific performance in week two against the Giants and led the Cowboys to their first victory at new Cowboys Stadium beating the Carolina Panthers, 21-7. Romo will need a solid performance when the team takes on the Broncos at Mile High Stadium on Sunday. The Broncos (3-0) despite the loss of QB Jay Cutler in the off-season, are sitting atop the AFC West. Bit their schedule will get much tougher starting this week against Dallas, then New England and San Diego. The team has come a long way since a choppy first game of the season, and pushed the Raiders around in a 23-3 win last week. Quarterback Kyle Orton has been solid and has stepped up since Cutler’s departure. The defense has allowed only 16 points in three games and Denver is showing they are a tough, physical team. Broncos win this one at home.
Sunday, October 4 8:20 pm – San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Line: Pittsburgh -6 (Total 43)
The Chargers (2-1) explosive offense will face off against a Steelers (1-2) defense that has shown signs of weakening in their last two outings. The Steelers have forced only two turnovers in three games — an interception and a fumble recovery. They will need strong performances on both sides to the ball, and rely on veteran QB Ben Roethlisberger to have a good outing. The Chargers after being pushed around by the Raiders and Ravens in their first two games beat the Dolphins in week three despite a running game that is only averaging 66 yards per game. Replacement RB Darren Sproles has averaged only 30 yards per game since replacing the injured LaDainian Tomlinson. Despite a hiccup to their running game San Diego will put up the needed numbers to pull of the upset at Heinz Field.
Monday, October 5 8:30 pm – Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
Line: Minnesota –3 (Total 47)
In a highly anticipated Monday Night Football match up, Brett Favre will suit up against his former team — the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings’ (3-0) Adrian Peterson will put on a running display in front of a national audience, chewing up decent yardage against a so-so Packers run defense. The Packers (2-1) will look to QB Aaron Rodgers to make the big plays, keeping Green Bay in it until Minnesota’s defense forces a big turnover late in the fourth, keeping the Vikings win streak alive.
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Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
4 replies on “NFL Week 4 Betting Odds”
My top two games this week are Baltimore@New England and Green Bay @ Minnesota. We will get a chance to see if Baltimore is as good as we think and will Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre come out on top in that showdown.
Poor commentary: “They will rely heavily on RB Frank Gore to plow his way through a weak Rams defense leading then to a win at home.” He’s injured… Wake up y’all!
Frank Gore has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks. Michael Robinson and Mr. Coffee will be running in his place in the San Fran backfield by committee.
You are correct JJ, but that was not determined until late Monday. He had also suffered the same type of ankle sprain against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 20, and was cleared to play. It was not offical at the time of this writing. It has since been announced that Gore will miss the next two games.