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Mike Schultz
NFL Preseason Week 4: Schedule, Game Previews and Betting Odds
Three riveting weeks of NFL preseason play have passed us by and just one more week of exhibition remains. The fourth week of preseason barely resembles professional football as we know it; first string units typically get the week off while the rest of the roster battles it out for position on the depth chart or to survive final cuts before the season opener. For many young or fringe players, this is their week to shine. For fans of Tim Tebow, it could be your last chance to see The Chosen One in uniform as he is likely to play the second half of the Eagles game against the Jets at the fourth string quarterback.
Have a look at our preseason week 4 betting odds right here.
NFL Preseason Week 4 Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts | September 3, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets | September 3, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins | September 3, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers | September 3, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons | September 3, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions | September 3, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| New York Giants at New England Patriots | September 3, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers | September 3, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Redskins | September 3, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans | September 3, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams | September 3, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys | September 3, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears | September 3, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos | September 3, 2015 | 9:00pm EST |
| San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers | September 3, 2015 | 10:00pm EST |
| Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks | September 3, 2015 | 10:00pm EST |
Thursday, September 3, 2015 Betting Previews
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
The Bengals come into week 4 with a 2-1 record, while the Colts have managed a 1-2 record. No luck on seeing Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton swapping touchdown passes in this one. Instead, you’ll be treated to Matt Hasselbeck and AJ McCarron slinging the ball. Depth belongs to the Bengals in this match up, which should be enough for a win.
Cincinnati: 2.5-point favorites Over/Under 39
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
Matt Barkley! Tim Tebow! Who will win third string quarterback for the Eagles? While New York hasn’t made too much of a splash in the preseason, aside from their starting quarterback breaking his jaw in a locker room altercation, Philadelphia has beat up on three 2014 playoff teams in the Colts, Ravens and Packers. While the Jets missed the playoffs last year, expect Chip Kelly to run fast against New York for a perfect 4-0 preseason.
Philadelphia: 5.5-point favorites Over/Under 44.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins
The Bucs haven’t decided weather or not they’re going to sit rookie Jameis Winston for the last preseason game against the Dolphins. For injury risk alone, Tampa Bay would be wise to sit Winston in week 4. While the Dolphins are likely to sit many starters on defense, they still have an incredible amount of depth and talent that could spell disaster should they get a good hit on Winston, who already has a sore ankle. Miami should roll past Tampa Bay in this one.
Miami: 3.5-point favorites Over/Under 37
Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons
While both teams have clear starters at quarterback, the backup role is less than settled. For the Ravens, both Bryn Renner and Matt Schaub did poorly despite getting ample playing time in week 3. The Falcons saw T.J. Yates unable to move the ball down the field, which has been an issue for the Atlanta offense as a whole throughout the preseason. The Ravens are heading into the season with years of stability, while the Falcons are adjusting to a new coaching regime and schemes. Atlanta has a bit more to play for in week 4 which should be enough for a win.
Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions
The Bills announced that Tyrod Taylor will be the week 1 starter, so he won’t be playing. Neither will Matt Cassell or EJ Manuel. Starting honors go to Matt Simms, who likely won’t be on the roster come final cuts, so this could be a real snoozer for Buffalo fans. For Detroit, the competition at running should be interesting to watch between Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah as well as watching the young cornerbacks try to lock down a spot in nickel and dime packages. With two good defenses, this should be a low scoring affair that the Bills just barely win.
Detroit: 1-point favorite Over/Under 38.5
New York Giants at New England Patriots
The most interesting thing about this match up is the resolution of #Deflategate after seven arduous months of nonsense. Brady has been emancipated from league commissioner Roger Goodell’s tyranny, but he likely won’t see the field. Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to get a lot of playing time working with the second and third-string units. For the Giants, defense will be the focus as they have had a rash of injuries at safety that has left them scrambling for the NFL scrap heap. They resigned Stevie Brown and found Brandon Merriweather to compete, but it won’t be enough against the Patriots depth. New England should avenge two spoiled Super Bowls via this preseason win.
New England: 3-point favorites Over/Under 40
Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers
This game will be chock full of players on the roster bubble as both Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Panthers head coach Ron Rivera have made it clear that their starters will be rested. After receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL, the Panthers traded for Kevin Norwood, who will likely see plenty of playing time in an attempt to acclimate to his new team. For Pittsburgh, this week will be a last ditch effort to get their defense in order after an off season of failing to address glaring holes. The Panthers have a chance to take advantage and should leave with a win.
Pittsburgh: 1-point favorites Over/Under 40
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
The Packers don’t have a single player on their roster that played for another team in 2014, which means they have little to gain by playing many of their first or second string players. Not to mention, receiver Randall Cobb gave the team a scare with a minor shoulder injury, meaning the Packers just want to get out of this game healthy. Meanwhile, the Saints have a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball to prepare for Week 1. They’ll look to gain momentum by solidifying depth and should get the win up in Lambeau.
New Orleans: 1-point favorite Over/Under 40
Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Redskins
Last week, the Jaguars shocked the football world by looking like a competent NFL team, moving the ball well against a good Detroit defense. Blake Bortles looked sharp, but will probably not play against the Redskins. Washington has been a complete mess in the preseason, most notably at quarterback. Kirk Cousins was named starter and Robert Griffin III was demoted to second string after a bizarre series of events following their game against the Lions in Week 2. What’s left is Colt McCoy, who should see the lion’s share of playing time. That should be just enough for the Redskins to take the win.
Washington: 4.5-point favorites Over/Under 40
Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans
The Vikings are likely to play Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Wallace for at least a series or two, so there might actually be some offensive production against the Titans. It could very well be the last game that former first round pick Cordarelle Patterson plays in a Vikings uniform after failing to live up to his draft spot after two years in the league at wideout. For the Titans, all eyes will be on rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. His preseason has been up and down, but could use a strong performance to help boost his confidence heading into the regular season. These teams are in very different places, with the Vikes on the rise and the Titans trying to return to respectability. It’s not going to happen for the Titans in week 4 and Minnesota should end the preseason undefeated.
Tennessee: 1.5-point favorites Over/Under 38.5
Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams
Backup quarterback Chase Daniel gets the nod for the Chiefs, which means we probably won’t see many starters for Kansas City, if any at all. Jamaal Charles will want to keep legs fresh for week 1, which means the rest of the running back depth chart is up for grabs in this one. The Rams have struggled in the preseason, especially on offense. It’s undetermined if starting quarterback Nick Foles will get playing time, but he needs it. St. Louis’ depth on defense will likely be the difference maker despite a lethargic offense.
St. Louis: 2.5-point favorites Over/Under 39
Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas head coach Jason Garrett has proven his reluctance in playing his starters in all but the week 3 dress rehearsal during the preseason, so the Cowboys will be on a mission to trim their roster during week 4 against the Texans. The Texans aren’t risking first or second string signal callers, sitting Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet. Its likely Houston also sits the majority of their starters, which could make for a pretty uninteresting game if not for the in-state rivalry between the two Texas teams. Dallas takes this one as Brandon Weeden stakes his claim as the best quarterback on the team behind Tony Romo.
Houston: 4-point favorites Over/Under 39
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Not many people know who Thad Lewis is, but he’ll be starting quarterback for the Browns against the Bears. The most intense position battle going on for Cleveland is between kickers Carey Spear and Travis Coons, which is an even stronger indication that it’s the final week of the preseason. For the Bears, David Fales gets the start at quarterback. He’ll be testing the talents of a pool of young receivers who are looking to step up with several first-string wideouts sidelined with injuries. Both defenses are suspect, which leaves the fate of the game to the offenses. The Bears have a sturdy running game, while the Browns do not. That will be your difference maker.
Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos
The Broncos offense has struggled all preseason, with injuries to a handful of starters and quarterback Peyton Manning seeing very limited reps. The defense has been the deciding factor in all three of their preseason win and could give the Cardinals offense fits. Arizona has had it’s fair share of injuries which may be good reason to sit the majority of their starters with running back Chris Johnson being the exception. A late signing for Arizona, he could use the reps to find comfort in a new offense. It won’t be enough to push the Cards past the Broncos in the end.
Denver: 6-point favorites Over/Under 38
San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers
Both teams are coming off of disappointing performances in week 3, especially on offense. The offensive line for San Francisco is undecided and unprepared for the regular season at this point. That could cause a handful of starters to play despite risk of injury. The Chargers had no issue moving the ball, but couldn’t get a score despite several opportunities. Rookie running back Melvin Gordon hasn’t performed well for San Diego up until this point, so he may get ample carries in an attempt to bolster the running game heading into the regular season. It shouldn’t be a hindrance in the long-run as the Chargers should grab the win.
San Francisco: 3-point favorite Over/Under 37
Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks
The Raiders are a defense on the rise, while the Seahawks offense has sputtered. Could the Raiders knock off the reigning NFC Champs in week 4? It’s entirely possible, but they’ll need to turn in a performance of the ages against Seattle’s deep and talented defense. They’ll also need to figure out the running back situation after releasing former first round pick Trent Richardson, while the Seahawks look to get something going on offense in hopes of a confidence boost heading into the regular season. Oakland’s on the rise, but Seattle still has the better team and should take this one.
