Week 4 is the final week of the NFL preseason, and it is two weeks before the beginning of the regular season.
Every NFL team will play its final preseason game on Thursday, Aug. 30. GetMoreSports will have odds, analysis, previews and predictions for all 16 preseason games for Week 4. All odds are from BetDSI.com, and new members can join and receive a 100 percent welcome bonus of up to $500.
The final week of the preseason is the most unique, though it’s admittedly not as entertaining as the first three weeks. No starters will play, and very few second string players will see any playing time unless they’re fighting for a roster spot.
No team wants to risk any injuries before the season begins, so they usually use the fourth week to make any final roster decisions. It’s an opportunity to get film on young, inexperienced players who haven’t received much live action in the NFL.
In previous years, teams made roster cuts throughout training camp and the preseason. The roster would gradually be cut down from 90 to 53. Now, all cuts are made after the final week of the preseason. So, players are on the borderline have one last opportunity to make an impression before cuts are made.
There are no nationally televised games for Week 4 since so many backups will be on the field. But there will still be regional coverage for each game.
NFL Preseason Betting Strategies
Each NFL game in the preseason and in the regular season will have a spread, moneyline total, team totals and prop bets. All of those odds can be found on BetDSI.com.
Spreads
Every game has a point spread to let the public know which team is favored and which team is the underdog. The spread, also known as the “line,” can fluctuate throughout the week leading up to the game.
For the preseason Week 4 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, let’s say the Texans are favored by three points. If you bet on the Texans -3 (-115), they would have to win by more than three points for you to win the bet. If Houston wins by two points or less, or Dallas wins outright, then you lose. If they win by three, then you push and get the money back.
If you bet on Dallas +3 (-105), and Dallas loses by two points or less, then you still win. You also win if Dallas wins outright. However, if the Cowboys lose by more than three, you would lose.
The (-115) is known as the vigorish, or the “vig” or “juice.” That number indicates how much a bettor has to risk to win $100. In this case, you would have to risk $115 to win $100. You can’t win $115, but you can lose it. You can only win $100.
The vig is different for every game. Sometimes it’s -110, and for NFL games it’s occasionally -130 or higher. However, sometimes the vig is only -105 or +100. If it’s +100 (also known as “even”) then a $100 wager could win $100.
Moneyline
If a bettor doesn’t want to mess with the spread, they can bet on the moneyline. By wagering on the moneyline, you’re simply picking the team to win the game outright. No spreads are involved. You just need the team to win the game.
While that sounds much simpler, it’s also a much riskier wager. If a team is favored by a touchdown and you just want to pick them to win outright, the moneyline would be about -230. That means a bettor would have to risk $230 just to win $100. They don’t have to win by a certain amount, which is the plus side. But more money is being risked in that scenario.
If you want to bet on an underdog’s moneyline and the dog is around +7, the moneyline could be around +190. So, you would risk $100 to win $190, but the underdog has to win the game outright.
Totals
Another popular wagering option is on the total for the game. The total refers to how many combined points the two teams score in the contest.
For the Cowboys and Texans game in Week 4 of the preseason, the total might be a bit lower since all backups are expected to play. So, let’s say the total is 33.5. If you bet the over, you would need both teams to combine for over 33.5 points. If you bet the under, you need both teams to score less than 33.5 points.
The points for a total bet can come from either team. If you bet the under and the Texans win 31-0, you would win the bet. However, if you bet the over and the Texans win 16-13, you would lose.
There’s also the option of betting on team totals. Instead of betting on the combined total, you’re wagering on how much one team will score. If Houston’s team total is 18 and you take the over, you would need them to score more than 18 points. If the Dallas team total is 15 and you bet the under, they have to score less than 15 points for you to win the bet.
Props
Prop bets allow bettors to wager on specific players during the course of the game. Preseason prop bets are often more limited than regular season props, but there will still be chances for bettors to wager on props for certain players.
An example of a prop bet is betting on whether a quarterback will throw for a certain number of completions. For instance, let’s say Josh Allen’s over/under for completions in the Bills’ matchup against the Bears is 12.5 (-110). If you think he’s going to play and throw a good bit, you might want to take the over. But if you aren’t confident in his ability to throw accurately enough, you could take the under.
A number of prop bets are available. Those can include pass completions, touchdown passes, interceptions, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Bettors can also wager on who the first player will be to score a touchdown. Skill position players from each team are available to bet on, including running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks.
Passing touchdowns don’t count for the quarterback, but they do count for the receiver. Quarterback rushing touchdowns do count, however. There’s also the option of betting on the field to score first. That means someone outside of the players listed will score first.
NFL Preseason Week 4 Games of the Week
Several of the Week 4 preseason matchups could be entertaining if starters were playing. Nonetheless, there are still some intriguing matchups to keep an eye on as the preseason comes to an end.
Buffalo at Chicago could involve a heavy dosage of first round pick Josh Allen. Unless Allen shows a lot of progress in the first few weeks of the preseason, he might be behind AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman on the depth chart. Either way, he needs reps, and this would be a good opportunity for him to prove something to the coaches.
Teams with aging quarterbacks need to find a reliable backup in case the starter goes down with a injury. Patriots at Giants involves two teams with aging quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Eli Manning. The Steelers, Saints and Chargers are all in similar positions.
Another rookie who could see some Week 4 playing time is Jets QB Sam Darnold. Josh McCown is projected to be the starter, so it will be interesting to see how Darnold performs throughout the preseason. The Jets travel to the Eagles in the final week of the preseason.
NFL Preseason Betting Strategy
Betting on Week 4 of the preseason can be a bit trickier since there are so many unknowns involved. There are usually third and fourth string quarterbacks playing most of the game.
The players participating in Week 4 of the preseason typically don’t receive much playing time during the year, and a lot of the players will be cut in the week after the game. Before placing a wager, make sure you know as much information as possible on both teams and the rosters.
2018 NFL Preseason Week 4 Betting Odds and Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 30
Miami Dolphins (+2.5) at Atlanta Falcons (7 p.m.)
Total: 36.5
New York Jets (-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (7 p.m.)
Total: 37.5
New England Patriots (+3) at New York Giants (7 p.m.)
Total: 38.5
Indianapolis Colts (+1.5) at Cincinnati Bengals (7 p.m.)
Total: 35
Cleveland Browns (+1) at Detroit Lions (7 p.m.)
Total: 36.5
Carolina Panthers (+2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7:30 p.m.)
Total: 36
Jacksonville Jaguars (-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7:30 p.m.)
Total: 35.5
Washington Redskins (+2.5) at Baltimore Ravens (7:30 p.m.)
Total: 36
Dallas Cowboys (+4) at Houston Texans (8 p.m.)
Total: 34
Los Angeles Rams (+4) at New Orleans Saints (8 p.m.)
Total: 38
Buffalo Bills (+3) at Chicago Bears (8 p.m.)
Total: 39
Minnesota Vikings (Even) at Tennessee Titans (8 p.m.)
Total: 35.5
Green Bay Packers (+3) at Kansas City Chiefs (8:30 p.m.)
Total: 40
Oakland Raiders (+1.5) at Seattle Seahawks (10 p.m.)
Total: 35.5
Los Angeles Chargers (+2.5) at San Francisco 49ers (10 p.m.)
Total: 35
Denver Broncos (+1.5) at Arizona Cardinals (10 p.m.)
Total: 36.5
For more NFL Betting, check out our NFL betting guide to get in on the action for the regular season:
How To Bet on The NFL: A Guide to Odds and Strategies
NFL Week 1 Betting Guide: Football Odds, Predictions & Picks