NFL Predictions Week 4: Can't-Miss Picks and Matchup Guide

With the first wave of bye weeks hitting the NFL in Week 4, bettors have less options and more difficult decisions to make than usual.

There aren't many easy picks on the board in Week 4, but close point spreads are often advantageous since less variables come into play. Those in survival pools have an especially difficult task, though, since Week 4 pales in comparison to Week 3 in terms of slam-dunk selections.

With that said, there are still a few games on the Week 4 slate that should appeal to bettors. Here is a full rundown of picks for every game as well as special focus on the week's best selections.

*Point spreads courtesy of Odds Shark.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Pick Straight Up	Pick ATS
Thursday, Sept. 25	8:25 p.m.	New York Giants at Washington (-3.5)	WAS	NYG
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens (-3)	CAR	CAR
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Green Bay Packers (-1) at Chicago Bears	GB	GB
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (-3)	BUF	BUF
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-9)	IND	IND
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Detroit Lions at New York Jets (Even)	DET	DET
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Miami Dolphins (-4) at Oakland Raiders	OAK	OAK
Sunday, Sept. 28	1 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers (-9)	PIT	TB
Sunday, Sept. 28	4:05 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers (-14)	SD	JAC
Sunday, Sept. 28	4:25 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Minnesota Vikings	ATL	ATL
Sunday, Sept. 28	4:25 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers (-5)	SF	PHI
Sunday, Sept. 28	8:30 p.m.	New Orleans Saints (-3) at Dallas Cowboys	NO	NO
Monday, Sept. 29	8:30 p.m.	New England Patriots (-3) at Kansas City Chiefs	NE	NE

Buffalo Bills (+3) at Houston Texans

Both the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans entered Week 3 with 2-0 records, but the surprising upstarts were humbled. They will meet in Week 4 with the chance to start 3-1 on the line, and the Texans are currently favored by a field goal as the home team.

In many ways, the Bills and Texans feel like mirror images of each other. They excel at running the ball on offense and rushing the quarterback on defense. They also have question marks at quarterback with EJ Manuel and former Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick, respectively, so the performance at that position is very much a wild card.

Neither team played particularly well last week, but Buffalo's showing was certainly more encouraging. The play of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was the main difference in the Bills' loss, but they managed to hold running back Donald Brown to just 62 yards on 31 carries.

The Texans were quite the opposite, as New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings gashed them for 176 yards on 34 totes. As pointed out by John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans simply couldn't stop the G-Men from pounding the ball inside:

That bodes well for a Bills offense that is at its best when featuring a heavy dose of C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. If Houston's front seven plays anything like it did in Week 3, Buffalo should have a field day on the ground.

In addition to that, one of the Texans' top stars could very well have to sit out. Houston was without running back Arian Foster last week, and his status is once again uncertain entering Week 4. According to ESPN.com, Foster intends to take a cautious approach as it relates to his ailing hamstring.

"I've played through a lot in this league, and hamstrings are the hardest thing to gauge because you don't know how it's going to fatigue, how it's going to react to a certain cut," Foster said. "You've just got to let it rest...having things heal on their own time. You can't push it or it'll relapse on you."

The Texans will likely rely on backup Alfred Blue if Foster can't go, and there will be even more pressure on Fitzpatrick as well. Fitz struggled to the tune of three interceptions while carrying a heavier burden last week, and the result will be similar in Week 4 with Buffalo coming out on top.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+14) at San Diego Chargers

With the San Diego Chargers boasting consecutive wins and the Jacksonville Jaguars sitting at 0-3, one might think that a blowout is in order when these two teams meet in Week 4. While the Bolts should be able to prevail at home, this will be a much closer encounter than most anticipate.

For starters, the Chargers are due for a bit of a letdown. San Diego upset the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago before following that up with a strong road win over the Bills. Coming back home to face a seemingly listless Jags team has trap game written all over it.

Despite an 0-3 start, the Jaguars have some momentum on their side. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles looked good in relief during a Week 3 loss, and he will get his first career start on Sunday, according to Around The NFL:

That should provide Jacksonville with a spark, and it also makes the offense far more dangerous. Not only does Bortles have a big arm, but he is capable of moving around and making plays with his legs in conflict situations.

Also, the Jaguars defense has quietly amassed the most sacks in the league so far this season, per the team's official Twitter account.

That means they should be able to get to Rivers and force him into making some hasty decisions. Perhaps the Chargers will attempt to counteract that by running the ball, but with both Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead on the shelf, that all falls on Brown's shoulders.

He averaged a mere two yards per carry last week and didn't look explosive at all. Rivers should have enough plays in him to help San Diego escape with a victory, but 14 points will be more than enough for Jacksonville to cover.

Indianapolis Colts (-9) vs. Tennessee Titans

With the possibility of an 0-3 start staring them right in the face, the Indianapolis Colts broke out in a big way in Week 3. Indy thrashed the AFC South rival Jaguars 44-17 on the road, and it has a great deal of momentum entering a Week 4 encounter with the Tennessee Titans.

Following a great effort against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, the Titans proceeded to lose to the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals in blowout fashion over the past two weeks. The Colts and Titans are two teams heading in opposite directions, which is why Indianapolis is a nine-point favorite at home.

Along with current form, the Colts have history on their side. According to Rich Nye of WTHR in Indianapolis, the Colts are in the midst of a dominant run against the Titans and the AFC South as a whole:

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck turned in arguably the best performance of his young career in Week 3 with 370 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The Titans need signal-caller Jake Locker to be at his very best in order to counteract that, but his status for Sunday's game is uncertain.

Per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, it is unclear if Locker will play in Week 4 due to a wrist injury:

If Locker is unable to suit up, then backup Charlie Whitehurst will likely get the starting nod. Whitehurst hasn't started a game since 2011 with the Seattle Seahawks, and he has a career record of just 1-3.

Even though the Colts defense can be shaky in its own right, it is difficult to imagine Whitehurst doing much damage if he starts. At the same time, Locker may not be able to play to his fullest potential if he starts because of the wrist injury.

The Titans are in a tough position going up against a Colts team that has finally hit its stride, and all the pieces are in place for Indianapolis to roll past Tennessee for the sixth consecutive time.

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