Week 4 NFL Picks: Prop Bets Advice, Vegas Odds, Spreads and Predictions

The Green Bay Packers are facing some adversity after losing to the Washington Redskins the week after settling for a tie against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.

The Packers (1-1-1) are looking up at the Chicago Bears (2-1) in the NFC North, and that is something that does not go over well in Cheeseland.

Look for a sharp effort from the Packers as they host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Bills have been widely considered one of the worst teams in the league with a low-power offense, but Buffalo is coming off a one-sided win on the road over the Vikings. The Bills were 17-point underdogs in that game but managed to pull off a 27-6 victory.

That victory may or may not turn out to be a fluke, but it has clearly caught Green Bay's attention, and there appears to be no way that the Packers will take the Bills lightly.

Green Bay has perhaps the best quarterback in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers, and he has a pair of first-rate receivers in Davante Adams and Randall Cobb. However, don't overlook No. 3 receiver Geronimo Allison, who has caught 13 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns this year. Adams and Cobb have combined for four TD receptions.

The Packers need to find a way to get Jimmy Graham more involved in the offense. The tight end has caught 13 passes for 148 yards, but he has yet to find the end zone.

Quarterback Josh Allen has moved into the starting lineup for the Bills, and the strong-armed rookie is capable of stretching the defense if he gets decent time from his offensive line.

He does not have high-caliber receivers, as Zay Jones and Kelvin Benjamin are limited. The best option for the Bills is running back LeSean McCoy, who could have an outstanding game against the 23rd-ranked Green Bay defense.

The Packers are 10-point favorites, per OddsShark. We like Green Bay to win and cover here as Buffalo returns to its expected level.

Week 4 NFL Odds

Minnesota at L.A. Rams (-7) | O/U 49.5

Buffalo at Green Bay (-10) | O/U 45

Cincinnati at Atlanta (-5) | O/U 51.5

Detroit at Dallas (-3) | O/U 43.5

Houston at Indianapolis (-1.5) | O/U 47

Miami at New England (-7) | O/U 47.5

N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville (-7.5) | O/U 38.5

Philadelphia (-4) at Tennessee | O/U 41

Tampa Bay at Chicago (-3) | O/U 46.5

Cleveland at Oakland (-3) | O/U 45

Seattle (-3) at Arizona | O/U 38.5

New Orleans (-3.5) at N.Y. Giants | O/U 50

San Francisco at L.A. Chargers (-10.5) | O/U 46.5

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-3) | O/U 51

Kansas City (-4.5) at Denver | O/U 56

All point-spread information according to OddsShark.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

Preseason predictions often mean little, as many of the NFL preview magazines ridiculed the Miami Dolphins and painted them as a team that would finish third or in the division.

Those same publications suggested that the New England Patriots would once again win the AFC East without any trouble. While it's too early to write off either of those predictions, the Dolphins are 3-0, and the Patriots are 1-2.

New England has occasionally gotten off to slow starts. However, there's a big difference between a 2-2 first quarter of the season and a 1-3 getaway.

If the Patriots lose at home to the Dolphins, alarms will be sounding. This is a crucial game for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the shaky New England defense.

The Patriots rank 28th in yards allowed, and they are a brutal 31st against the run. They have to find a way to hold up in that area or they could well drop a home game against Miami—something that has not happened since the 2009 season.

The Dolphins have the 16th-ranked running game in the NFL, but both Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore are excellent-effort backs who will finish every rushing attempt. Head coach Adam Gase will try to establish the run against New England's shaky defense.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is off to a solid start and has completed 73 percent of his passes.

Expect Miami to make this a competitive game into the second half, but the Patriots will take control in the third quarter and put the game away in the fourth.

New England wins the game and covers the seven-point spread.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

San Franciso 49ers at Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers appear to be one of the more talented teams in the AFC, but they have gotten off to a slow start at 1-2.

The Chargers have problems, particularly on defense and special teams. However, those issues pale in comparison to the 49ers'.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Week 3 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Combine his loss with running back Jerick McKinnon's absence (ACL), and the Niners' offense is quite limited.

San Francisco had high hopes coming into the season, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is going to have to find a way to rally his team.

The Chargers will depend on quarterback Philip Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon and wide receiver Keenan Allen to lead the way in this game and the rest of the season. Los Angeles ranks fifth on offense but is 24th on defense. 

L.A. should be able to get the win and cover the number against a team that will have to start backup C.J. Beathard for the foreseeable future.

Prop Bet

Predicting who will score the first touchdown of a game is a popular prop bet. However, we are more interested in which player will score the first touchdown of the second half.

The Minnesota Vikings face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. The Rams are 3-0 and appear to be one of the strongest teams in the league, while the Vikings have underperformed at 1-1-1 in their first three games.

The Rams may get off to a solid start, forcing the Vikings to play with desperation in the second half.

Rams running back Todd Gurley is listed at 7-2 to score the first touchdown of the second half, per Oddschecker, followed by Robert Woods at 8-1, Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray at 17-2 and Cooper Kupp at 9-1.

While any one of those choices makes sense, we are casting our lot with the Rams defense and special teams. Quarterback Kirk Cousins may take a chance with one of his sideline passes early in the third period, and cornerback Marcus Peters could pick it off and take it for a touchdown. The Los Angeles defense and special teams are offered at 17-1, and we will go with that long shot.