If you’re fishing for some games to wager on in the fourth week of the NFL’s regular season, you won’t have to look very far as all of the rust should be shaken off by now, and we’re going to really start to see what teams are made of. Here are the top three games of the week in pro football.
Panthers Bears Odds – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
The Bears will be favored at home against the Panthers, who got their first win of the season against Jacksonville, and while No.1 overall NFL betting picks Cam Newton didn’t have a big game, Carolina was efficient and their defense did the rest. Chicago’s defense has come under fire this year, but you have to look at their competition: Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay, three of the top offenses in the NFC, and they should bounce back this week at home against Carolina, who will face former Panther Julius Peppers. The former North Carolina Tar Heel was huge against the Panthers last year, and Peppers should have a big game again; Chicago still has to protect Jay Cutler, though. Take Chicago to cover at home.
Patriots Raiders Odds – Sunday, 4:15 PM ET
The Patriots should be the NFL road favorites in Oakland, and they’ve scored 79 points in their last two meetings with the Raiders, who upset the New York Jets last week. New England’s defense let them down in losing a 21-0 lead in Buffalo, but it was also an uncharacteristically bad day for Tom Brady, who had four touchdown passes, but he was also picked off four times. Look for Brady to take out some frustrations on the Raiders, who managed to rush for 171 yards against a tough New York defense. They’ll need more of the same this week, but we’re rolling with the Patriots.
Jets Ravens Odds – Sunday, 8:20 PM ET
Finally, the Ravens should be a slight favorite according to NFL betting lines as Jets head coach Rex Ryan returns to Baltimore, where he spent 10 years as the architect of their defensive scheme. Ryan’s Jets will be hungry to bounce back from their loss to the Raiders, while the Ravens rebounded from a disappointing loss to Tennessee by blasting St. Louis at home. Ryan has some insights into how to beat the Baltimore defense, Mark Sanchez had a great game against the Raiders and you can expect the defense to step up after Oakland ran through them. Last year’s meeting was a 10-9 win for the Ravens on the road; look for the Jets to return the favor and come away with a victory in your online sports betting book.
