NFL Picks Week 4: Underdogs Who Will Win Sunday

Week 4 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night when the New York Giants take a visit to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Redskins. Last week had some thrilling games, and this week should be no different.

As usual, there are several intriguing matchups on the slate. The focus today will be on which underdogs will be able to overcome the odds and take home a victory.

Here is the entire Week 4 schedule with picks along with analysis on which teams will pull off an upset.

Away	Home	Spread	Pick
New York Giants	Washington	WAS -4	WAS
Carolina	Baltimore	BAL -3	CAR
Green Bay	Chicago	GB -1	CHI
Buffalo	Houston	HOU -3	HOU
Tennessee	Indianapolis	IND -8.5	IND
Detroit	New York Jets	Even	NYJ
Miami	Oakland	MIA -4	MIA
Tampa Bay	Pittsburgh	PIT -9	PIT
Jacksonville	San Diego	SD -14	SD
Atlanta	Minnesota	ATL -3	ATL
Philadelphia	San Francisco	SF -5.5	SF
New Orleans	Dallas	NO -3	DAL
New England	Kansas City	NE -3	NE

Chicago over Green Bay

The Chicago Bears host division rival Green Bay Packers this weekend in a game Green Bay nearly has to win. The Pack dropped to 1-2 last weekend after an awful performance in Detroit. Another loss would put them in a hole even Aaron Rodgers would have a hard time digging them out of.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Perhaps Green Bay’s situation is why the team is labeled as the favorite, because it just doesn’t make sense. Not only does Chicago have a better record and play this week at home, but it has looked better too. The Bears improved to 2-1 on Monday night with a win against the Jets.

Chicago poses a lot of problems for the Packers, who rank 28th in scoring defense. Jay Cutler has proven he can move the ball around with help from players like Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. The Bears offense ranks among the top 10 in scoring with 25 points per game.

Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, Chicago’s D ranks 12th in scoring and has been sparked by the play of rookie corner Kyle Fuller. The 22-year-old has three interceptions and two forced fumbles already.

Green Bay’s offense has been surprisingly non-existent. It ranks 28th in yards and 27th in points. Vegas probably has a hunch Green Bay will rise to the occasion, but Chicago is the pick.

Dallas over New Orleans

The next upset this week is the Dallas Cowboys getting the win on Sunday Night Football over the New Orleans Saints. Although the Cowboys are always a risk to bet on, the Saints have been even more inconsistent in 2014.

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

The Saints won their must-win game last week at home against Minnesota. Similar to Green Bay, the high-powered offense we’ve come to expect from New Orleans hasn’t been hitting on all cylinders just yet.

New Orleans’ real issue revolves around the defense. It’s taken a big step back from last year when it ranked among the NFL’s best. The Saints give up 24 points per game and rank 24th in yards surrendered.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, are 2-1 after an incredible comeback win in St. Louis last week. The offense flexed its muscle scoring 34 points after being down 21-0.

DeMarco Murray has been crucial for Dallas, despite having a bit of a fumbling issue. He currently leads the league in rushing with 385 yards. With quarterback Tony Romo still not at 100 percent, Dallas will continue to feed Murray. It’s worked thus far helping keep possession longer and allowing the defense to rest.

Speaking of defense, Dallas’ has been a huge surprise the first three weeks. It’s not leading the league in any major category; however, it’s been significantly better than many people expected. The unit seemed to take a step back last week, but the team hopes linebacker Rolando McClain can return to the field Week 4.

This is shaping up to be a really good matchup from beginning to end. If it were in New Orleans, this pick would be different, but the Cowboys are the choice at home.