NFL Predictions Week 4: Vegas Odds, Spreads and Picks for All Games

As we head into Week 4 of the NFL season, the best and worst teams in the league are starting to separate themselves. This could lead to a few blowouts throughout the weekend.

While the season is still early enough that we can't necessarily trust records, each squad has shown enough to get a general idea of its true ability. This lets us know there could be some one-sided battles with the favorites covering large lines throughout the weekend.

A lot can change until the start of games, but here is an early look at picks for Week 4.

Away	Home	ATS Pick
Baltimore Ravens	Pittsburgh Steelers	BAL (-2.5)
New York Jets	Miami Dolphins	MIA (+2.5)
New York Giants	Buffalo Bills	NYG (+6)
Oakland Raiders	Chicago Bears	OAK (-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars	Indianapolis Colts	IND (-8.5)
Houston Texans	Atlanta Falcons	ATL (-6.5)
Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB (+3)
Kansas City Chiefs	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN (-3)
Philadelphia Eagles	Washington Redskins	PHI (-3)
Cleveland Browns	San Diego Chargers	CLE (+7.5)
Minnesota Vikings	Denver Broncos	DEN (-6.5)
Green Bay Packers	San Francisco 49ers	GB (-9)
St. Louis Rams	Arizona Cardinals	ARI (-6.5)
Dallas Cowboys	New Orleans Saints	N/A
Detroit Lions	Seattle Seahawks	DET (+10)

Note: All spread info courtesy of OddsShark.com.

Top Picks

Denver Broncos (-6.5) over Minnesota Vikings

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

With a lack of a run game and Peyton Manning's struggles to look like Peyton Manning, the Broncos don't appear likely to blow out anyone. However, the defense is for real, and it will make a major difference on Sunday.

Through three weeks, the defense ranks first in yards allowed per game and third in points, including solid work against both the run and the pass. The squad has big-time playmakers at each level of the defense to make stops and force turnovers.

Mike Rice of 850KOA discussed what we have seen from this unit:

Although Adrian Peterson looks like we expected so far this season, the same can't be said for Teddy Bridgewater, and it has made the Minnesota Vikings one-dimensional again. As a result, the group could end up struggling to get points and even yards against Denver.

If the offense can hold up its end of the bargain at home, this should be an easy win for the Broncos.

Arizona Cardinals (-6.5) over St. Louis Rams

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Rams have a good defense, starting with a lot of talent on the defensive line. They were able to keep the Pittsburgh Steelers in check Sunday even when Ben Roethlisberger was on the field. That said, the Arizona Cardinals might be too good to contain at the moment.

While the New England Patriots are in the midst of their "Tom Brady revenge tour," it's actually the Cardinals that lead the NFL with 42 points per game.

Carson Palmer has been excellent, throwing nine touchdown passes while earning a total quarterback rating of 91.1 to rank second in the NFL, per ESPN.com. His play has also rejuvenated Larry Fitzgerald, who has five touchdown receptions over the past two games.

Add in the ability to get touchdowns from defense and special teams, and this is a tough squad to keep up with on the scoreboard.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg had high praise for the Cardinals:

The Rams will get better as the year progresses and running backs Todd Gurley and Tre Mason get up to full strength, but the offense has struggled behind Nick Foles at quarterback. The only touchdown scored over the last two games was a 40-yard pass to Kenny Britt against the Washington Redskins.

Even if the offense moves the ball slightly better against Arizona, it won't get nearly enough points to match the opposing offense. The Cardinals will continue their impressive play to start the year and move to 4-0.

Oakland Raiders (-3) over Chicago Bears

After adding Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to an offense that has young stars in the making in Derek Carr and Latavius Murray, this Raiders squad is for real. The team has now looked impressive two weeks in a row, and the mindset is changing across the franchise.

Veteran Charles Woodson discussed the locker room atmosphere:

Head coach Jack Del Rio doesn't even think he's seen the team's peak:

There are certainly question marks about the defensive secondary, but overall, the Raiders have improved a great deal from last season and are ready to be taken seriously in the NFL.

On the other hand, the Bears have only gotten worse from last season's 5-11 team. Thanks to departures and various injuries, the offense now consists of quarterback Jimmy Clausen handing the ball to Matt Forte…and little else.

Not only did Chicago get shut out by the Seattle Seahawks, but it was also never really close to scoring. The offense punted 10 times on 10 possessions and managed just 146 total yards from scrimmage. Even against a weaker Oakland defense, there simply isn't reason to expect a much better showing in Week 4.

Especially if Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery remain on the sidelines, this could be a relatively easy road victory for the Raiders.

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