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Don't blink, the first quarter of the NFL season is already coming to a close as teams head into Week 4.
Still, it's enough of a small sample size that it's difficult to discern who is for real and who we'll be laughing at by November.
After Week 3, we do know a few things. Bill Belichick could start your cousin at quarterback and still win an NFL game, and the New Orleans Saints have no problem with you or anyone else crossing the goal line with the ball.
Here's a look at the complete slate for Week 4, the latest odds and betting information from Odds Shark and a prediction for every game. We'll also preview some of the matchups you'll want to keep an eye on for taking the over, targeting in fantasy football and just enjoying some offense.
Potential Shootouts
Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals
Thursday night games have a reputation for being sloppy. It's a quick turnaround from Sunday, especially when you consider travel, as teams just don't have much time to get healthy and make adjustments from the previous week.
So far, six teams have played on Thursday night this season. Only one has scored fewer than 20 points.
While the low-scoring game makes sense on paper, it hasn't played out that way this season. We are just one week removed from the Bills and Jets somehow putting up 31 and 37 points, respectively.
The AFC matchup between the Dolphins and Bengals shouldn't be any different.
From the Bengals' perspective, this is a week for the offense to take another step forward. The last two weeks have resulted in 16 and 17 points, but the Dolphins allowed the Browns to score 24 points with a third-round quarterback making his first start and Terrelle Pryor playing the Boobie Miles role, doing everything from running, throwing and catching the ball.
Playing the role of Pryor this week will be A.J. Green. Pryor might be developing, but Green is still much scarier for opposing defenses, especially after he said that he has to do a better job of leading the offense.
“Missing that assignment—missing that line call—I’ve just got to be more focused," Green said, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It starts with me. This offense has gotta run through me, and I let my team down today. And I let myself down. I pride myself on being one of the best, and I didn’t show up today.”
This isn't just a great matchup for the Bengals offense, though. The Dolphins should have success with what they do as well.
The Dolphins running game has been a disaster. Kenyan Drake, Jay Ajayi, Isaiah Pead and Damien Williams all had carries against the Browns, but none stood out against a mediocre defense.
However, the Dolphins have had success moving the ball through the air. Ryan Tannehill has thrown the ball 37.7 times per game for 297.3 yards per game.
The Bengals have been adept at stopping the run. According to Football Outsiders' DVOA, they're ninth in rushing defense efficiency; however, they are mediocre when it comes to stopping the pass, ranking 19th.
Tannehill and Co. will make some plays, but the Bengals' one-two punch of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard will team up with a bounce-back performance from Green to make this a high-scoring affair in which the Bengals come out on top.
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
One of the resounding questions from the past three weeks of the NFL season is when 2016 Cam Newton is going to start looking like 2015 Cam Newton. The Panthers are off to an inauspicious 1-2 start, and much of it has to do with No. 1.
Newton is completing just 58 percent of his passes with five touchdowns to five interceptions.
So why is he struggling to look average? As the video below shows, much of it is the result of an offensive line that has been eaten alive by good pass rushes:
However, relief could be coming in that category. The Falcons' pass rush has been anemic with just three sacks in three games.
If Newton is going to get back on track, it's going to be against a team that gives him the extra time he needs to find open receivers.
Not only do the Falcons have a hard time getting to the quarterback, but they also just don't play defense well. They rank 32nd overall defensively, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings. That's dead last in a league that includes the Saints.
We shouldn't count the Falcons out of this game, though.
Atlanta has a shot thanks to an offense that ranks second in Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings.
Essentially, this matchup boils down to Atlanta's hot offense against Carolina's defense and Carolina's offense against Atlanta's dreadful defense. That combination should result in plenty of scoring.
Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
After the Pittsburgh Steelers scored three points against the Philadelphia Eagles, you'd be excused if you have no faith in their offense.
But you'd also be basing that on a small sample size.
The Steelers aren't one of the league's worst offenses. DVOA ranks them No. 14, and the run game comes in at No. 10.
However, the Steelers are about to get a boost in that category, as Le'Veon Bell is set to make his return after serving a three-game suspension. As Ed Werder of ESPN notes, that's not just a win for the run game, but the pass game too:
Without Heath Miller, Ben Roethlisberger doesn't necessarily have an experienced safety valve with whom he's familiar. Bell is an explosive playmaker, and his reliability in the pass game will do wonders for that aspect of the offense.
If Bell resembles the best version of himself as the best all-around back in the league, then the Steelers should see a huge boost Sunday.
Of course, the Chiefs should get their points too. While Bell may fix some of what ails the Steelers offense, Troy Polamalu and Joey Porter aren't walking through that door to save the defense.
Bell will be a welcome addition back into the fold, but the same defense that was picked apart by a rookie quarterback last week will give up big plays to Alex Smith and Co.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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