Vernon Croys Week 4 NFL Betting Preview

This weekend will mark the quarter mark of the season for many teams and it seems like its went by extremely fast. While we’re learning a lot about some teams, the truth is we still have a long way to go. Many of the teams that look good now, will not look so good at the end of the year and vice versa. Therefore, don’t underestimate an underdog at this point. You never know when an underdog is just starting to gel and start winning. What should we expect this week?

Oakland vs. Houston (Houston -9.5). As long as the Raiders have Jamarcus Russell at quarterback, don’t expect them to do much in the way of offense. While they looked decent in the first half of Week 1, they haven’t looked good since. Although they seemed like a good running team, they haven’t even been able to run much with the terrible play of Jamarcus Russell under center. The Texans are looking good on offense, but it remains to be seen whether they can stop anyone.

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville (Tennessee -3). The AFC South is one of the hardest divisions to play in in the league. Every week, there is some “knock-down, drag-out” matchup that comes down to the wire. Last week it was Jacksonville and Houston and this week should be about the same with this game. Will Maurice Jones-Drew be able to continue his magic against the Titans defense? Chris Johnson should have a big game against the Jacksonville defense.

New England vs. Baltimore (New England -2). The Patriots put up a good game last week against the Falcons, winning easily. However, their opponent this weekend will not go down without a fight. Many believe that the Ravens are the best team in football and this should be a great game. Can Tom Brady start to get in sync with his receivers again? Or will Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense seize the day?

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland (Cincinnati -5.5). Will the Cleveland offense ever be able to move the ball? This week “Mangenius” will try get things going by starting Derrick Anderson. Will Anderson actually make a difference? For the Bengals, Carson Palmer looks like he’s back at full strength and should be able to move the ball against Cleveland. Look for this division rivalry to be a close game.

New York Giants vs. Kansas City (New York -8.5). The Chiefs looked terrible last week against the Eagles. However, just because they looked bad, don’t count them out against the Giants. How many times have you seen a team look completely awful and then come out the next week and look like world-beaters? It happens all the time in the NFL. This might be another blowout, but don’t rule out a close game at Arrowhead.

Detroit vs. Chicago (Chicago -10). Detroit got its first win in the last two seasons last week. This week they get a much better Chicago team that has already knocked off Pittsburgh. Matt Forte should have a great game against the Detroit defense and get the ball in the end zone. Will Matt Stafford be able to keep his offense moving against the Bears?

Tampa Bay vs. Washington (Washington -7). This could be the least attractive game on the schedule this week. Both of these teams look terrible and they’re actually going to play each other this week. Anytime you’re an underdog to a team that just lost to the Lions last week, things are not looking good. That is the position that Tampa finds itself in this week after benching Leftwich.

New York Jets vs. New Orleans (New Orleans -7). This could be the best game of the week as two unbeaten teams match up. The Jets look to keep things going behind rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. On the other side of the field, the Saints have the best quarterback in the league in Drew Brees. Will the Jets defense be able to slow down the vaunted Saints offense? Look for an entertaining game in this one.

Buffalo vs. Miami (Buffalo -2). Miami looks like they’re out to prove that last year was a fluke as they have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-3 start. The Bills haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire, but they’ve looked better than Miami so far. Last week, T.O. was held without a catch for the first time in 13 years and he probably won’t be happy about it this week. Look for him to start a new streak this week.

St. Louis vs. San Francisco (San Francisco -9.5). The Rams look like they might challenge last year’s Detroit team for the worst in the league. They lost their quarterback and haven’t looked very good at any point this season. The Niners, on the other hand, have looked good for all but the last play of their third game. On paper, this doesn’t look like a very even matchup, but anything can happen.

Dallas vs. Denver (Dallas -3). The Cowboys have looked like a juggernaut at times and awful at others. A lot of it depends on how Tony Romo is playing in each game. If he can keep from throwing picks, look out for the Cowboys. This should be a good test to see if Denver’s defense is for real or just a mirage of bad scheduling.

San Diego vs. Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh -6.5). Pittsburgh comes into this game as the favorite even though they are 1-2 on the season. Usually the oddsmakers give you the benefit of the doubt when you just won the Super Bowl. This should be a pretty even game as the Chargers are a talented football team. Look for a game that goes right down to the wire here.

Green Bay vs. Minnesota (Minnesota -3.5). This game is all about the Brett Favre saga, but it should actually be a pretty good game between two teams. This one will be talked about all week, leading up to the game.

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Picks for Week 4 of the NFL season.

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