NFL Week 4 Picks: Upcoming Odds and Predictions for Full Schedule

The third week of the 2016 NFL season has nearly reached its conclusion. Things will wrap up on Monday with a matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. As we prepare to turn the page on Week 3—and the month of September—we’re beginning to learn a little bit more about the state of the NFL.

We learned this past week that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick should never be underestimated. Even with third-string rookie Jacoby Brissett under center, the Patriots managed to dominate a Houston Texans team that went to the playoffs in 2015 and looked to be an early favorite in the AFC South.

We also learned that the Philadelphia Eagles and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz might just be for real. Wentz played another strong game, and the Eagles defense stifled the explosive Pittsburgh Steelers offense en route to a blowout victory.

In case you were worried about the chances of the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos with Trevor Siemian under center, we learned that you shouldn’t be. The Broncos secured their third consecutive quality win of the season by beating the Bengals 29-17 in Cincinnati.

Now, we’re going to try taking what we’ve learned so far this season and applying it to Week 4’s slate of games. We’ll be examining each game, providing our predictions and taking a close look at some key matchups.

Early odds are courtesy of Odds Shark.

Matchups to Watch

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati has faced a tough start to its 2016 season, and the team hasn’t exactly responded well. The Bengals dropped their Week 2 game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Denver Broncos beat them down 29-17 on Sunday.

Now, the Broncos are obviously a good football team. They’re the defending Super Bowl champions, and they remain undefeated on the year. Still, this was Cincinnati’s home opener and a prime opportunity to rattle Siemian in just his third pro start.

Instead, Siemian torched the Bengals defense to the tune of 312 yards and four touchdowns.

If the Bengals are going to make it back to the postseason, they need to turn things around quickly. This doesn’t feel like the same dominant team of early 2015—before quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a broken thumb—and a touchdown spread for the Bengals feels a bit large.

However, we believe Cincinnati can beat the Miami Dolphins by more than a touchdown in the Week 4 opener on Thursday night. The team will be motivated to cleanse the sour taste of the Denver game from its collective mouth, and it’s not as if the …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com