NFL Picks Week 4: Latest Odds, Over-Under Lines and Predictions

It's time to turn the page on Week 3 and put it to bed. There is no looking back if you want to be successful in the handicapping game.

If you want a model to follow, take a good look at Bill Belichick. No, we are not saying you should bet on the Patriots—although that would have been the way to go in the first three weeks of the season—but we are saying to go about your business the way the Patriots coach goes about his.

He is never impressed or angered by the game that has just been completed. That doesn't matter to him because it is in the past. He learns what he is able to from the game that was just finished and then moves on to the next game.

He works that next game. He studies the matchups, finds his opponent's strengths and figures out how to neutralize them and finds their weaknesses and figures out how to attack.

That's called preparation, and the same things holds true in handicapping. Except you don't have to try to beat the strong games. You can pass on them and find the soft spots.

That's done through research and hard work. 

In this piece, we will look at the Week 4 card and give you an opinion on the games that will be played, going into detail on three of them. All point spreads are courtesy of OddsShark.

Game	Line	Over/Under	Prediction
Baltimore at Pittsburgh	Balt. -1	44	Pittsburgh; Over
N.Y. Jets vs. Miami (London)	NYJ -1	41.5	Miami; Under
N.Y. Giants at Buffalo	Buff. -7	46.5	N.Y.Giants; Over
Oakland at Chicago	Oak. -2.5	44.5	Oakland; Under
Jacksonville at Indianapolis	Ind. -10	47	Indianapolis; Over
Houston at Atlanta	Atl. -7	46,5	Atlanta; Under
Carolina at Tampa Bay	Car. -3	40	Tampa Bay; Under
Kansas City at Cincinnati	NL	--	Cincinnati
Philadelphia at Washington	Phil. -3	47.5	Philadelphia; Under
Cleveland at San Diego	SD -9	44.5	San Diego; Under
Minnesota at Denver	Den. -7	43.5	Minnesota; Under
Green Bay at San Francisco	NL	--	Green Bay
St. Louis at Arizona	Ariz. -7	42	Arizona; Over
Dallas at New Orleans	NL	--	Dallas
Detroit at Seattle	Sea. -10	42.5	Detroit; Under

Despite Big Ben injury, Steelers simply have too many weapons

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like the most dangerous team in football when they took apart the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. However, reality came calling on Sunday when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury against the Rams and will likely be out at least four to six weeks.

"

Ben Roethlisberger has sprained MCL, bone bruise. Out likely 4-6 werks

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 28, 2015"

As a result, the Steelers return home Thursday night to face their hated rivals from Baltimore. The Ravens eliminated the Steelers last January with a wild-card win, and Mike Tomlin would like nothing better than to pay the Ravens back.

The 0-3 Ravens are coming off a heartbreaking loss at home to Cincinnati, and John Harbaugh has quite a bit of work to do if he is going to rescue this season.

It may look like the Ravens have gotten a break because Roethlisberger is out. Don't believe it for a second.

Even though the Steelers will be attacking with backup quarterback Michael Vick, the Steelers simply have too many weapons.

Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams are as strong a one-two punch at the running back slot as there is in the league. Antonio Brown is the top receiver in the AFC, and it's a fight between him and Atlanta's Julio Jones for the top spot in the league. Heath Miller is going to make the tough third-down catches to keep drives alive.

"

Le'Veon Bell hurdles defender, ends up jumping really, really high: http://t.co/PIIl4oOwSt pic.twitter.com/uE7qu6moSQ

— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 28, 2015"

All Vick has to do is take advantage of these weapons. He has not been surrounded by this kind of talent in years, and if he is patient and can make the basic reads, the Steelers should be able to take advantage and move the ball consistently.

If you like the Steelers, this is an opportunity, because OddsShark says they are a one-point underdog at home. We like the Steelers.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Falcons continue early-season roll against underachieving Texans

It was a second-half comeback that put a huge smile on Matt Ryan's face. The Falcons were on the short end of a 28-17 halftime score at Dallas, and it looked like the mountain would be too much to climb because the Cowboys were moving the ball too easily on the Atlanta defense.

However, something strange happened. The Falcons outscored the Cowboys 22-0 in the second half and came away with an eye-opening 39-28 victory. They are 3-0 in the early season and come home to the Georgia Dome with full momentum.

Ryan has been sharp, but even when his passes have been just a bit off, he doesn't have to worry. That's because he is throwing to Julio Jones much of the time, who is too big, too strong, too fast and too talented. Jones caught 12 passes for 164 yards against the Cowboys, and the Texans may not be equipped to stop him.

"

No NFL receiver has ever topped 2,000 yards in a season. Julio Jones might change that. http://t.co/b8tzWGDhjZ pic.twitter.com/FPSxK8TmsU

— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 28, 2015"

Houston has outstanding defensive personnel in J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing, but they don't seem to get the most out of their talent. They squeaked out a 19-9 victory over Tampa Bay in Week 3, and that was their first win after two losses. 

A narrow win at home over the Bucs is not the best way to go into a brutal road game against the resurgent Dirty Birds. Look for Atlanta to jump all over Houston and win by double digits.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles breathing easier after first win

Did you hear it? Did you hear all the snickering prior to the Eagles' Week 3 game against the Jets? The Eagles were 0-2 and had looked miserable in losing to the Falcons and the Cowboys. The Eagles' fast-paced offense was going nowhere, and critics were having a field day at Chip Kelly's expense.

Many were saying that he was not long for the NFL and that this so-called genius was getting his comeuppance.

The Eagles may not have figured things out completely, but they were much better in their 24-17 victory over the Jets in Week 3 than they had been in either of their previous games.

Sam Bradford has not come close to finding his stride, as he is coming off a 118-yard passing performance, but he gets to go up against the Washington Redskins defense. The Giants got well against the Redskins, scoring 32 points against them, and the Eagles should score at least that many points

"

ICYMI: @Andy_Benoit on the major question in Philly. What do @Eagles have in Sam Bradford? http://t.co/8f2mXGMmV8 pic.twitter.com/5GAFT3AXbL

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) September 28, 2015"

The Eagles merely have to cover a three-point spread on the road, and that should not be an issue. The Redskins will have trouble stopping a fast team like the Eagles, and if the game is close in the first half, the Eagles will run them ragged in the second.

Whether you like Kelly or not, his team is always in excellent shape, and that will present problems for the Redskins.