The NFL season will soon reach its quarter-mark, so the surprises are beginning to decrease in number, while trends are starting to emerge.
It was a shock when a number of first-year NFL quarterbacks led their teams to victory early in the season, but then Kyle Allen and Daniel Jones did exactly that last week. The age of veteran quarterbacks is coming to a close, while the young, mobile quarterbacks are providing sparks for their respective teams.
We’ll see if that trend continues this week, but for now, here are the five best totals and sides to bet this weekend.
Ravens/Browns UNDER 46
The Ravens field one of the top three defenses in the NFL, and points will be tough to come by in this divisional showdown. Neither team has had a penchant for producing big plays, with the Browns’ offense looking completely out of sync since head coach Freddie Kitchens took the helm this season. It’s possible that he’ll eventually pass that duty on to offensive coordinator Todd Monken, but for now, it’s his job, and he’s been failing at it.
Look for the Ravens to run the football and control the clock at home in the game, with the Browns struggling to stop the run so far this season. Expect more field goals than touchdowns, so take the under in this contest.
Dolphins +16 over Chargers
The Dolphins are tanking, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t cover the spread as a home underdog. Miami put up a fight against Dallas last week, trailing by only three points for a good chunk of the contest, until they went into full-tank mode, and the Cowboys busted the game right open in the second half.
But let’s be honest, getting nearly three scores against a team that’s traveling cross-country for the game, and a fan base that doesn’t even attend its own home games in Los Angeles, is too much to pass up on. Take the points in this extremely bloated spread.
Redskins-Giants OVER 48
These two teams have elected to employ pass-heavy gameplans, as their offensive lines aren’t really built to ground-and-pound their way to success. On the other side of the ball, neither defense has been able to stop much of anything, so we expect plenty of points in this divisional matchup.
The Redskins have a lot to prove, getting embarrassed on Monday Night Football, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has provided a spark that the Giants desperately needed. Look for a pass-heavy, uptempo game with plenty of points.
Jaguars/Broncos UNDER 39
These two teams are led by quarterbacks that favor short and intermediate passes, and avoid throwing the football down the field. Both squads prefer ball control, with long drives to work the clock, and allow their stout defenses to go to work for them. Gardner Minshew can manage the game, but he’s not really going to light up the scoreboard in Mile High. And Joe Flacco, well, he’s the most immobile quarterback in the league, and this could be the end of his reign as starter, for good.
The Broncos have scored 46 points combined in their past three games, and have failed to score more than 16 in any contest this season. Don’t expect them to do that against the Jags’ swarming defense on Sunday.
Cardinals + 5 over Seahawks
Anyone who’s followed this divisional matchup over the years knows that the contests have been close, with defense usually keeping the score within reach, even with the Seahawks having been heavy favorites in some of the instances. Each of the past three games have been decided by less than five points, and five of the past six have fallen within that number as well.
As such, we look for the Cardinals and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray to rebound from last week’s poor performance, which gave the team a lot of “bad’ tape to study. The Seahawks have historically struggled on offense in Arizona, and while they may win the game, we look for the Cardinals to stay within the number and get the cover.
Time to Wager
Those are our five best bets for Week 4. If you’re looking to make a wager this Sunday, we recommend MyBookie for all your NFL betting needs.
