Week 4 of the NFL season is here, and unfortunately for us football fans, it’s not a complete week, as the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams will all rest up during their Bye week. I suppose the Broncos and Seahawks could use a week off after that Super Bowl XLVIII rematch from last weekend.
Getting back to this week, we’ll kick off with the New York Giants traveling to the division rival Washington Redskins, and for the first time this season, I’m including the Thursday night game in my weekly upset picks.
Who did I go with in that matchup, you ask? You’ll just have to scroll down to find out.
*All spreads via Yahoo Sports
Green Bay Packers (-1.5) vs. Chicago Bears
I know I’m going to get those comments and tweets telling me that one and a half points is hardly an underdog, but in Vegas and basic betting terms, it says–I hate to break it to you, critics.
This is the second week ago that I’m riding the Chicago Bears as underdogs, but at least this week, I can understand why they’re not favorites given the quality of the opponent (sorry, Jets fans).
While I do think it’s only a matter of time before the Green Bay Packers correct their offensive woes, I just don’t like the idea of things clicking against a long time division rival like the Bears, who are 2-1 and fresh off a win against the Jets.
What I also don’t like for the Pack is that Cutler is playing out of his mind right now. He’s completing more than 66 percent of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns to just two interceptions this season, and his chemistry with Brandon Marshall and ability to find Martellus Bennett in the end zone has been scary good.
Additionally, Chicago’s defense ranks tied for first in the NFL in interceptions and their eight quarterback sacks ain’t too shabby either.
Playing at home as underdogs this weekend, I’m rolling with the Bears.
San Francisco 49ers (-5.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Listen, I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that I’m flying with the Philadelphia Eagles this season–I honestly think they’re the most overrated 3-0 team–but the San Francisco 49ers don’t exactly look like they’re premier contenders this season.
The 49ers’ offense ranks tied for 20th in the league in total offense. They’re currently No. 17 in the NFL in rushing after finishing third in 2013.
On the defensive side, I think San Francisco’s defense is going to have an issue handling the Eagles. They may rank 6th in overall defense, but the 49ers haven’t seen this dynamic of an offense yet this season, and I think the speed of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles will be a huge issue for them.
On top of that, the 3-0 Philly offense ranks second in the league in passing, with quarterback Nick Foles averaging more than 310 yards per game to go with a 61 percent completion percentage.
I don’t like the fact that the Eagles are on the road here in a tough place to play, but after watching how San Francisco collapses after half time this season, and how strong Philadelphia has looked in the second half of games this year, it’s almost a no-brainer for me to go with the Eagles in this one.
Fly, Eagles. Fly.
Washington Redskins (-4.0) vs. New York Giants
Another division game makes its appearance on the list in the form of the Washington Redskins vs. the New York Giants from FedEx Field on Thursday Night Football.
Coming off a solid 30-17 win against the Houston Texans in Week 3, I like Big Blue in this matchup. Rashad Jennings ran rampant on Houston’s defense, and even though the Redskins have shown to be stout against the run this season, the Giants’ balance of run and pass will benefit them on Thursday night.
Eli Manning looked like the old Eli in Week 3, completing 75 percent of his passes and hooking up for two touchdowns against the Texans.
The Giants’ defense will have their hands full with Kirk Cousins–coming off a 427-yard, three touchdown week–but man, New York’s D looked great against Houston.
Washington’s lone win came against a pitiful Jacksonville Jaguars team, so forgive me if I’m not buying into the Redskins being a quality football team. I think Cousins is the future in Washington, but I also think that organization is still trying to figure things out.
One of these teams will be 1-3 after this game, and I think it’s going to be the Redskins.
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