NFL Predictions Week 4: Early Odds, Picks and Projections for Upcoming Schedule

A picture of the elite teams in each division is beginning to form as we head into Week 4 of the NFL season. There are three undefeated teams remaining, but even beyond those unblemished squads, there are a few teams that have seemingly announced their ability to seriously contend.

In the NFC North, the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions sit at 2-1, though Marc Trestman's team has some serious injury concerns on both sides of the ball. The Bears' walking wounded got it done against the New York Jets on Monday night, but how long can they hold up?

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the unbeaten teams. They lead the NFC East, but the Eagles will have to find a way to stop digging early holes for themselves in each game. In all three contests, the Eagles have had to come from behind to win.

The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are both 2-1 and leading the NFC South. The Panthers were humbled at home on Sunday night by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they still figure to be tough to handle moving forward.

Surprisingly, the Arizona Cardinals are undefeated and ahead of both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Even without Carson Palmer under center for two of the team's three games, the Cards have proven to be unbeatable thus far.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals have established themselves as the cream of the crop. In their 3-0 start, the Bengals have allowed a league-low 11 points per game. Heck, quarterback Andy Dalton even caught a touchdown pass in the team's Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Bengals are on bye in Week 4, but they will face a significant test in Week 5 when they travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots.

The Denver Broncos still haven't solved the Seahawks. Peyton Manning and Co. were dealt their first loss of the season at CenturyLink Field in Seattle in Week 3. This time, Denver forced OT but still came up short. Still, the Broncos and San Diego Chargers will be battling for division supremacy all season.

The AFC East is still a tough division to figure out. The Buffalo Bills and the Patriots lead the way, but their 2-1 starts still leave you with questions about the teams' long-term stability.

While the Houston Texans lead the AFC South, few would tell you they are the best team in the division. The Indianapolis Colts had a brutal schedule to begin the year. They lost close contests to the Broncos and Eagles, but righted the ship in a major way against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3.

It's only a matter of time before the Colts take over the division.

That's the scene around the league as of now. Here's a look at the Week 4 schedule equipped with odds information (per Odds Shark), projections and more. Just beneath the table is a closer look at three of the more compelling games on the schedule.

Thursday, Sept. 25	Time (ET)	TV	Odds	Prediction
NY Giants at Washington	8:25 p.m.	CBS/NFL	Washington -6	Washington
Sunday, Sept. 28	Time (ET)	TV		Prediction
Green Bay at Chicago	1 p.m.	FOX	Chicago -1.5	Chicago
Buffalo at Houston	1 p.m.	CBS	Houston -3	Buffalo
Tennessee at Indianapolis	1 p.m.	CBS	Indianapolis -6.5	Indianapolis
Carolina at Baltimore	1 p.m.	CBS	Baltimore -2.5	Carolina
Detroit at NY Jets	1 p.m.	FOX	Even	Detroit
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh	1 p.m.	FOX	Pittsburgh -8	Pittsburgh
Miami at Oakland	1 p.m.	CBS	Miami -3.5	Miami
Jacksonville at San Diego	4:05 p.m.	CBS	San Diego -13.5	San Diego
Atlanta at Minnesota	4:25 p.m.	FOX	Atlanta -2.5	Atlanta
Philadelphia at San Francisco	4:25 p.m.	FOX	San Francisco -4.5	San Francisco
New Orleans at Dallas	8:30 p.m.	NBC	New Orleans -2.5	Dallas
Monday, Sept. 29	Time (ET)	TV		Prediction
New England at Kansas City	8:30 p.m.	ESPN	New England -3	New England

Best Potential Games

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

In one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports, you can usually throw the records out the window. In this case, the Packers would love to discard their 1-2 start. Having lost their Week 3 matchup with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay can ill afford another loss this early to any team, let alone a division foe.

These are the kinds of games that if a team loses, it comes back to bite hard where tiebreakers are concerned.

The Bears' offense has looked like a well-oiled machine through three games. Jay Cutler has thrown for 750 yards, eight touchdowns and just two picks. The combination of Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall and tight end Martellus Bennett will give any team fits. Chicago is averaging 25 points per game. In the Windy City, that's the equivalent to the old St. Louis Rams Greatest Show on Turf.

Chicago's biggest concern is health. The team has several injuries in its defensive secondary, per Dan Durkin of CBS Sports. That's alarming heading into a matchup with the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. Still, the Bears have gotten good enough play from its defensive line and corners.

Willie Young has three sacks, defensive tackle Stephen Paea and rookie cogs Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson have played well and Jared Allen is beginning to wreak havoc as well.

Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller has looked like the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year through three games. He should only get better as the year progresses. He already has three interceptions and two forced fumbles through three games.

The Bears will do enough on defense to allow its offense to outgun Green Bay and move to 3-1.

New York Giants at Washington

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

On the strength of an effective running game and Eli Manning's improved ball protection, the Giants captured a 30-17 win over the Texans in Week 3.

As the Giants head into Washington, the defense is the unit that will need to be at its best. Since Kirk Cousins has taken over for Robert Griffin III at quarterback, Washington's offense has been on fire. It scored 34 points in defeat against the Eagles on Sunday, and Washington lit up the Jags for 41 points in the week prior.

Cousins has looked like the perfect fit for Jay Gruden's offense, and the team is playing the best it has in over a year. Playing at home, Washington's firepower will be too much for the Giants, and Cousins will help to lead his team to a much-needed win.

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

At some point, the slow starts will be too much for the Eagles to overcome. The team has showed great poise in fighting off deficits in all of its games, but that is playing with fire.

Speaking of playing with fire, that's exactly what you can expect the Niners to do on Sunday. Facing the possibility of a 1-3 start and two-straight losses in their new stadium, San Francisco will bring its best to this Week 4 matchup.

Colin Kaepernick hasn't been sharp this season. He has as many interceptions and fumbles as he does touchdown passes (four). To beat the Eagles, the Niners must get back to running the ball effectively. Through three games, Kaepernick is averaging 31.3 pass attempts per game.

That's a little too high for this bunch. With Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, the Niners have the backs to pound the rock and control time of possession. That's key against the Eagles' fast-paced offense. 

I say that happens on Sunday, and the Niners hand Philly its first loss of the season.