Believe it or not, the 2021 NFL season nearing its quarter-mark of the schedule. It's wild how that goes, right? But that's what happens when you're dealing with an 18-game schedule. Every single contest is ultra-meaningful, and the Super Bowl contender's picture moves quickly. You've got to keep up.
Rest assured, that's what we're here to do: keep pace with the league by providing you with the best possible picks as early as feasible. This time around, our 2021 NFL Week 4 picks include predictions for the Packers, Cowboys, Chiefs, Seahawks and much more.
Let's begin, like always, with the latest NFL betting odds from BetOnline:
Be sure to double-check these NFL odds prior to making any concrete NFL picks. The moneylines will move at BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks in the days leading up to opening kickoff.
Week 4 NFL Predictions
As has become our norm, we've identified seven of the most interesting and critical games on the NFL week 4 schedule and will be offering our best bet for each and every one of them. Please note these NFL picks are based on all we know as of Monday, September 27 and do not account for any breaking news that might follow in the coming days.
Tennessee Titans (-355) vs. New York Jets (+285)
This matchup between the Titans and Jets will be drawing eyeballs for a few reasons.
In New York, patience is already wearing thin for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, who has put together one of the roughest stretches to start a career in recent memory. For Tennessee, meanwhile, this is all about entrenching themselves as a real threat. They entered the season with an extremely high offensive ceiling yet have disappointed by placing 15th in points per game.
Fortunately for the Titans, the Jets are as close to a scheduled win as they're going to get.
OSB Prediction: Tennessee Titans (-355)
New Orleans Saints (-360) vs. New York Giants (+290)
It feels like people are sleeping on the Saints so far. Many criticized them for their Week 2 loss to the Panthers, not understanding the talent on Carolina's defense. Even more have downplayed New Orleans' wins over the Packers, who imploded in Week 1, and a rebuilding Patriots squad.
Most of those stances, in our opinion, sell the Saints short. They have the league's highest touchdown percentage through three games, along with an offense that ranks fourth in points allowed.
Bettors should feel even better about their chances against a sad-sack Giants team. New York is intriguing almost solely because of what it's not doing: winning in a convincing way. Questions abound about the development—or lack thereof—for quarterback Daniel Jones Jr. New York needs to start earning statement wins.
OSB Prediction: New Orleans Saints (-360)
Dallas Cowboys (-197) vs. Carolina Panthers (+172)
Raise your hand if you saw the Panthers starting the regular season 3-0.
No hands? Didn't think so.
Carolina has benefited from favorable quarterback matchups but is still turning heads with the second-best defense in the league. Too bad it doesn't seem like these good vibes will last.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey is once again slated to miss a bunch of time, thereby crippling an already shaky offense. Even though Dak Prescott and the Cowboys haven't exactly set the world on fire, they should be able to steal this one.
OSB Prediction: Dallas Cowboys (-197)
Green Bay Packers (-300) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (+250)
Lots of people don't trust the Packers. We get it. They lost to New Orleans in Week 1, barely beat the Lions in Week 2 and then almost lost against the Niners in Week 3. But this progression of events is almost encouraging.
Green Bay has been largely dominant in fourth quarters and still has plenty of room to grow. Even if you don't like their secondary on defense, just consider their 17th-place offensive ranking. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams won't let that stand forever. This team has yet to hit its stride.
OSB Prediction: Green Bay Packers (-300)
Kansas City Chiefs (-280) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (+235)
The Chiefs have burned our picks in each of the past two weeks, racking up losses against the Ravens and Rams, respectively. Surely we'll steer clear of them this week.
Or maybe not.
Kansas City's offense has mostly been on point, ranking fifth in points per game. It's the defense that is killing them. Only one team is allowing more points per game. That's a red flag.
Still, they're getting a good matchup versus the Eagles, who haven't yet found their offensive groove with Jalen Hurts as their QB1.
OSB prediction: Kansas City Chiefs (-280)
Los Angeles Rams (-255) vs. Arizona Cardinals (+215)
Many analysts underestimated the Rams entering this season—including us. Going from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford under center is making a world of difference. Los Angeles is presently third in points scored per game and second in passing touchdowns, a pair of marks they've assembled while beating legitimately good teams.
The Rams' schedule won't get any easier against the Cardinals, who are also 3-0, albeit while playing through a much easier slate. Oddsmakers aren't giving them much of a chance here, suggesting there might be fool's gold to their start. We're not ready to doubt them.
Quarterback Kyler Murray looks like an MVP candidate, and Arizona is scoring more points per game than anyone while fielding a top-12 defense. This game should be close, but we trust their attack through the air more than that of Los Angeles right now.
OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (+215)
San Francisco 49ers (-155) vs. Seattle Seahawks (+135)
We can't pretend we're not disappointed in the Seahawks. They're 1-2, with a defense that is genuinely concerning. Most will be inclined to roll with the 49ers, who have shown hints of brilliance and nearly upended the Packers in Week 3.
Color us skeptics. San Francisco's success doesn't seem sustainable so long as Jimmy Garoppolo is their starting quarterback. They are averaging under six yards per passing attempt. There is no way their offensive output sustains with that type of minimalistic production through the air. We're stepping out on a limb and trusting Seattle's offense in this one.
OSB Prediction: Seattle Seahawks (+135)
Check out this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NFL betting:
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