NFL Odds Week 4: Early Locks and Best Bets on the Schedule
We got another Monday night doubleheader to finish Week 3 of the NFL season, and it's already time to look ahead to Week 4.
This week's slate will kick off on Thursday with a fantastic matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Both teams are 2-1 and looking like legitimate contenders in the NFC. The Packers are at home and are two-point favorites, but picking a winner at this point in the week is tricky. Green Bay played without several key players on Sunday and might not have them back on a short week.
Let's examine a few other games with much more favorable early lines.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Philadelphia Eagles -7 Versus Washington Commanders
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The Washington Commanders are 2-1 and have some potential in second-year quarterback Sam Howell. The problem is that they have done an extremely poor job of protecting the young signal-caller.
The 23-year-old has been sacked a whopping 19 times in three games, and he was sacked nine times against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday alone. It's a significant issue because he is still learning, tends to hold onto the ball too long and can be pressured into mistakes.
"I gave up some situations where I was trying to get the ball out of my hands and trying to avoid a negative play, and I kind of forced something," Howell told reporters after the Bills game.
Against Buffalo, the North Carolina product threw four interceptions. He's likely in store for another rough day against the Philadelphia Eagles and their vaunted defensive front.
Philadelphia may not blow out the Commanders as the Bills did in Week 3, but unless Washington uncovers some secret recipe for improving pass protection, the Eagles should win by more than a touchdown.
Los Angeles Chargers -5.5 Versus Las Vegas Raiders
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Larger lines in divisional games are tricky, but the Los Angeles Chargers are intriguing as long as the line remains below a touchdown.
The Chargers lost wide receiver Mike Williams (torn ACL) for the season in Week 3, and star running back Austin Ekeler is still dealing with an ankle injury. L.A. is also saddled with a defense that just isn't very good.
However, the Las Vegas Raiders have been too inconsistent offensively to hang with Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen and the Chargers on the scoreboard.
The 1-2 Raiders have been embarrassed in consecutive weeks, and they produced a mere 17 points in Week 1 against a Denver Broncos defense that surrendered 70 points on Sunday.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was supposed to be the efficient game-manager who limited mistakes and allowed Josh McDaniels to run his offense. Instead, he's been error-prone and ineffective. He has thrown six interceptions and failed to get much going when not targeting Davante Adams in the passing game.
The 31-year-old is now in the concussion protocol, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra, and there's a good chance Las Vegas leans on journeyman Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O'Connell. That leaves some uncertainty for Las Vegas, but it shouldn't change much for L.A.
If the Chargers can find a way to limit Adams, they should win big. Even if Adams runs wild, as he did against the Pittsburgh Steelers, L.A. should force enough Garoppolo mistakes to win by a touchdown.
Arizona Cardinals +14 at San Francisco 49ers
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The Arizona Cardinals pulled off the upset of the year so far on Sunday, beating the Dallas Cowboys by double digits as double-digit underdogs.
Don't expect them to do the same against a balanced, deep and supremely talented San Francisco 49ers team in Week 4, but they can cover a two-touchdown spread on the road.
While Arizona isn't loaded with big-name talent, it has played as an organized team under head coach Jonathan Gannon—something it didn't do under Kliff Kingsbury. The defense can get after the quarterback (11 sacks), while the offense has found ways to generate big plays.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs is playing respectably (98.1 rating), and it's clear the players and coaches have no interest in tanking for a 2024 QB prospect. Arizona may only be 1-2, but it has outscored opponents and is fresh off a thorough handling of a playoff-caliber opponent.
The Cardinals shouldn't win this one, but they can do enough to keep it relatively close against their divisional foes, just as the Los Angeles Rams did against San Francisco in Week 2.
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