After a couple of weeks with lackluster prime time games, Week 4 completely flips the script. All three of our games played under the lights are fantastic with two likely holding playoff implications months down the road. The action starts with what very well could be a 2018-19 NFC Championship Game preview when the Minnesota Vikings travel to the Coliseum to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Rams have opened as a three-point favorite.
Sunday night sees the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers pick up their hard-hitting rivalry. The Steelers are looking to make a return trip to the playoffs and try to maximize the final years of the Ben Roethlisberger era. The heat is on Joe Flacco and the Ravens, who barely missed the playoffs last season. They finished 9-7 and were knocked out by losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. Pittsburgh opens as a touchdown favorite.
Monday night’s game is particularly interesting. During week 4, we should know if Andy Reid’s gamble of turning over the keys to the Kansas City Chiefs offense to Patrick Mahomes is going to pay off. It’s the same for the Denver Broncos, who have only been missing a quarterback in the two years since Peyton Manning retired. Do they have one in Case Keenum? We should know by the week 4 opening MNF whistle. The Broncos opened at -1.
NFL Week 4 Betting Odds
Thursday Night Football Odds (Sept. 27)
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video
Opening Line: Rams -3
It’s all hands on deck broadcast-wise as one of the premier games of the first month of the season hits the schedule. The Rams are favored by a field goal, but there are some interesting reasons that might not be such a good call from the books. Last season, in Minnesota, the Vikings dominated the Rams in a 24-7 victory with Case Keenum at quarterback. You might think that Kirk Cousins makes it a different situation and that could be true. The only issue there is that Cousins played the Rams while with the Redskins Week 2 of last season and won 27-20.
As is the case with all these Thursday night games, preparation is key. L.A. will be just four days removed from the Battle of Los Angeles with the Chargers. The Vikings will roll in after what should be, at least on paper, a significantly easier game against the Buffalo Bills at home.
I don’t see this line moving, really, but it’s a coin-flip game on who’s going to win it.
Sunday, Sept. 30 Early Games
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams
Line: Rams -6.5
Total: 49
Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
Line: Falcons -5.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears
Line: Bears -2.5
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys
Line: Cowboys -3.5
Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers
Line: Packers -10.5
Total: 44.5
Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans
Line: Eagles -3
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Line: Colts -2.5
Total: 47
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Line: Patriots -7
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars
Line: Jaguars -8
Total: 38
Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders
Line: Raiders -2.5
Total: 44.5
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Line: Seahawks -3
Total: 37.5
New Orleans Saints at New York Giants
Line: Saints -3.5
Total: 50
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Chargers
Line: Chargers -9.5
Sunday Night Football (Sept. 30)
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NBC
Opening Line: Steelers -3
The Ravens vs. Steelers rivalry has been streaky lately. Pittsburgh has won the last three games, but two of them have been by just one score. Before that, the Ravens won four straight, three by one score and one in overtime. One of those Baltimore wins was a 30-17 beatdown in the 2015 AFC Wild Card Game.
Still, recent history favors the Steelers and that explains the six-point cushion. There’s plenty of reasons to like Pittsburgh for week 4. They just flat out have the better roster and even though they’re breaking in a new offensive coordinator in Randy Fichtner, he’s been the QB coach for the last eight seasons so they’ll be running pretty much the same offense.
I like the Ravens better than most this season and feel that Joe Flacco has never really gotten his dues. Baltimore drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round to push him and possibly replace him, but I don’t think he’ll get a cleat on the field for a meaningful snap this year.
Monday Night Football Odds (Oct. 1)
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. EST
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Line: Chiefs -4
We talked a little about Case Keenum earlier, but by the time this game kicks off on Monday night, we’ll know if his 2017 with the Vikings was who he is as a quarterback, or just a fluke. Denver still pretty much has a Super Bowl-ready roster across the rest of the team and if Keenum plays as well as he did in Minnesota they’ll definitely make the playoffs. Still, I’ll have to see it to believe it.
Patrick Mahomes is the real wild card here. He started one game as a rookie and, while he won it, didn’t really light up the scoreboard. Mahomes did lead the Chiefs to a 27-24 victory with 284 yards passing over this very Broncos team in Denver. Paxton Lynch had the start for Denver then.
Regardless, this week 4 line will definitely move based on what happens in the first three weeks. If I had to guess, it’ll be Broncos -3 at kickoff and could be as much as Broncos -4. If you want to go Denver, better grab this one early.