Nearly a full month into the 2024 NFL season, there have been plenty of exciting stories to unfold. Entering Week 4, the league has seen upset wins against heavy favorites as each team looks to make up ground in the division race heading into the final weekend of the month.
The week begins Thursday night with an NFC East clash between the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) and the New York Giants (1-2). Week 4 action continues on Sunday with three more divisional games. The Green Bay Packers (2-1) face Sam Darnold and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints (2-1) head to Atlanta to face the Falcons (1-2), and the Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) face the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1).
In Sunday night’s primetime game, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills visit M&T Bank Stadium to face Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, there’s another doubleheader for “Monday Night Football,” with the Miami Dolphins (1-2) playing the winless Tennessee Titans (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) and the undefeated Seattle Seahawks facing the Detroit Lions (2-1) in the final game of the season (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN+/ABC).
Our betting analysts take a first look at the odds for week four to find valuable tips before we get closer to the games.
Odds current at time of publication, courtesy of ESPN BET
Joe Fortenbaugh’s first bet: Dallas Cowboys (-4) vs. New York Giants
This is a fantastic opportunity for the Cowboys to rebound, as they have won 13 of their last 14 games against the Giants, with 11 of those victories coming by more than a touchdown. The projection here was Dallas -7, but that record plummeted Sunday night thanks to a brutal performance against Baltimore and the Giants’ surprise win in Cleveland.
Well, you’re never as bad as you looked last week, and you’re never as good as you looked last week. The Giants did everything they could to lose the game in the fourth quarter, but the Browns were too inept to capitalize. Look for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to tear the Giants’ suspect secondary to shreds in this one.
Anita Marks’ first bet: Pittsburgh Steelers-Indianapolis Colts under 40 points
By now, betting on the under should be automatic in Steelers games. Pittsburgh is 3-0 on the under this season and held the Los Angeles Chargers to just 10 points on Sunday.
The Steelers travel to Indianapolis in Week 4 to face a Colts team that struggled against the Bears last weekend. Anthony Richardson is one-dimensional and had trouble getting the ball to his own players (six interceptions). The Steelers offense, with Justin Fields, focuses on carrying the ball and having a lot of possession.
Ben Solak’s first bet: Cincinnati Bengals-Carolina Panthers over 44.5 points (-115)
The most important thing to take away from Andy Dalton’s debut with the Dave Canales-led Panthers: The team is ready to let him throw.
The Bengals defense has big question marks at defensive tackle and in the secondary. While Carolina’s defense had a spirited showing against the Raiders, I think the Panthers will have a much tougher day with the Bengals offense (especially now that Tee Higgins is back).
Seth Walder’s first bet: Indianapolis Colts ML (+105) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
How benevolent were the schedule gods with the Steelers? Pittsburgh caught Atlanta with a rusty and immobile Kirk Cousins in Week 1, Bo Nix in his second career start in Week 2, and a banged up Justin Herbert — who was knocked out of the game — in Week 3. I’m willing to bet this early in the week that these circumstances aren’t fully factored into the market, and the Colts catching plus-money at home looks like a good value.
Andre Snelling’s first bet: Houston Texans (-4.5) against Jacksonville Jaguars (-105).
The Texans are ready to bounce back from their Week 3 loss at Minnesota. The Texans’ previously solid defense had trouble containing Justin Jefferson and the Vikings’ passing offense, but the Jaguars lack that type of passing threat and have struggled to score points this season (15.0 PPG in two games, 28th in the NFL). On the other side of the ball, CJ Stroud totaled 645 combined passing and rushing yards with five touchdowns and zero turnovers in two games against the Jaguars last season. He should be able to generate enough offense to give the Texans coverage.
Pam Maldonado’s first bet: Travis Hunter wins the Heisman (+1600)
Hunter’s exceptional performance in both directions for Colorado makes him a compelling candidate for the Heisman Trophy. As the top-ranked wide receiver and shutdown cornerback, his versatility is unmatched in modern college football. Hunter’s ability to shine on both offense and defense, with key plays like an interception and a game-winning forced fumble, challenges traditional award criteria. His unique talent and impact truly embody the spirit of the Heisman Trophy.
