The first three weeks of the NFL season have gone by and the front runners and bottom dwellers have already revealed themselves. This is shaping up to be an interesting year in the NFL’s 100th season with seven teams that are 3-0 and six teams that are 0-3. Clearly there will be a few powerhouses this year, as well as some teams who already have their sights on the 2020 Draft.
This is a very intriguing board for week 4, and I have a pick for every time slot for this week’s slate of games.
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (-4): Thursday 8:20 PM
There are some guys in the league that you do not bet against, and Aaron Rodgers is one of those guys. It is a short week for both teams, and the 15-year veteran is clearly experienced enough for the bright lights.
The Eagles are coming off a tough loss against the Lions at home, and they will be shorthanded with CB Ronald Darby and WR Desean Jackson both ruled out for this Thursday Night game. Philly’s game against the Lions showed there are a lot of holes in this Eagles’ offense that could not be fixed over the course of four days.
Green Bay had a disappointing season last year, but they are healthy once again and are ready to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy. This should be an easy cover for the Packers, and I would advise to sprinkle a little on the U/46 as all three Thursday Night games have went under this year.
New England Patriots (-7) at Buffalo Bills: Sunday 1:00 PM
You should hammer New England -7 in this game as this is the easiest bet you will win all year. The Patriots have had a fairly easy schedule so far, but they have blown out all three teams in dominating fashion. New England is 2nd in the league in points per game in 5th in the league in yards per game. Their offense is clearly the real deal this year, but their defense is far more impressive.
New England’s defense has yet to allow a single touchdown this year, and they are the #1 defense so far this year by only allowing 199 yards per game. The 2nd ranked defense in terms of yards per game is nearly 100 yards behind the Patriots, so this defense is clearly tough to move the ball on. Buffalo is going to have a tough time scoring on this defense.
The Bills are undefeated and at home, which is why the line is only -7 NE, but they still pose no threat against the Patriots. They have scratched and clawed their way to a 3-0 record against teams that have a combined record of 1-8 this season. Buffalo will not be able to compete against New England in this game.
Seattle Seahawks (-5) at Arizona Cardinals: Sunday 4:05 PM
The Cardinals are going to be a bottom dweller in the NFL season, while the Seahawks are poised for another playoff run. Seattle’s Russell Wilson led offense should easily cover the -5 point spread, while Arizona has struggled so far this season as their 0-2-1 record shows. This is a team that could improve to 5-11 this year once Kyler Murray gets acclimated to the NFL, but this is a game they are going to lose by at least one touchdown.
Seattle’s defense has struggled so far this season, but this should be a week that favors them. Kyler Murray is making his 4th career start, and he should run into trouble against Pete Carroll’s defense.
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints O/47: Sunday 8:20 PM
This is a game that could go either as it is a fairly close match-up. The Cowboys are -2.5 point favorites, but the Saints are at home, and they still have a great offense led by Alvin Kamara in Drew Brees’ absence. This is far too close of a match-up to bet on a winner, so I like the Over/47 in this game.
Last week, Teddy Bridgewater took over for the injured Drew Brees, and he seems to have a firm grasp on this offense as the Saints put up 33 points against the Seahawks in Seattle. The Saints are home in this game, so they should be able to score a plethora of points.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys also have a great offense led by Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, and Amari Cooper. Dallas has scored at least 30 points in all three of their games this season, and I expect this game to be no different. This game will be a shootout, so the over is a safe bet.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers U/43.5: Monday 8:15 PM
I am not a big fan of this Monday Night game as I do not have a solid read on either of these teams. Both the Bengals and Steelers enter this game with an 0-3 record, so one of these teams should walk out with their first win of the season. The Steelers do get the advantage in this game simply because they are the home team, but I would not be surprised if the Bengals pull of an upset on Monday night.
I do not like either team enough to pick an outright winner, but I do like the under in this game. 43.5 is a fairly high O/U for two teams that have not had the easiest time of moving the ball this year. Under/43.5 is a good bet in this game as I expect several three and outs with Steelers QB Mason Rudolph only making his 2nd career start and with the Bengals still trying to figure their offense out.
Those are five bets that I like for week 4 of the NFL season. Follow along with The Wrightway Sports Network for more gambling advice in the future.
