Schrock's Week 4 picks: Will 49ers fall into trap vs. Eagles?
Josh Schrock makes his pick for every Week 4 NFL game.
Week 3 of the NFL season saw some contenders further separate themselves from the pack, as the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs moved to 3-0 and continue to look like the class of the NFL.
A number of expected contenders entered Week 3 licking wounds and treading water. Nick Mullens stepped in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo to lead the 49ers to a resounding 36-9 win over the Giants to head back to the Bay at 2-1. Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots each notched wins to move above the .500 mark heading into Week 4.
Week 4 will serve as a critical point for a number of teams. The Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans all remain winless, while the Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season. Let's get to the picks (odds provided by our partner, PointsBet).
Record: 22-9-1 (ATS: 12-20)
Line: Jets -1
There might be nothing else on TV but don't watch this dumpster fire. If Adam Gase can't beat Brett Rypien and the banged-up Broncos it'll be curtains for his tenure.
Sam Darnold does just enough to get the Jets off the hook.
Pick: Jets 23, Broncos 17
Line: Bucs -7
Justin Herbert played well once again, but the conservative play-calling in the first half did the Chargers in against the Panthers.
The Bucs will likely be without Chris Godwin, but it shouldn't matter. Things are starting to click in Tampa and the rookie won't get his first win against Tompa.
Pick: Bucs 30, Chargers 21
Line: Bengals -3
Joe Burrow and the Bengals pushed the crappy Eagles to a tie. The first real win for Joe Cool 2.0 comes now as he dices up a struggling Jags defense.
Pick: Bengals 27, Jags 21
Line: Cowboys -4.5
The Cowboys are back at Jerruh World but they better hope they find a defense between now and Sunday. Dallas' D has been getting gashed so far this season.
Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt can carve them up and Odell Beckham Jr. makes another one-handed catch to embarrass the Cowboys.
Pick: Browns 31, Cowboys 27
Line: Saints -4
The Saints' defense got diced up by Aaron Rodgers, and the offense other than Alvin Kamara wasn't all that impressive.
Heading to Detroit to turn things around against a team that got a win in Week 3 and Kenny Golladay back is a tough ask. But Drew Brees has a little magic left in his right arm to win a shootout.
Pick: Saints 34, Lions 31
Line: Colts -2.5
Matt Nagy waited for the first opening Mitchell Trubisky gave him and pulled the plug. Nick Foles was inserted and led the Bears to a comeback win against the Falcons.
Chicago's offense should be more efficient with Foles, but the Bears still smell like pretenders. The Colts' defense forces a couple turnovers and Philip Rivers does enough to get the win.
Pick: Colts 27, Bears 24
Line: Cardinals -3
Kyler Murray's three-interception game might have taken him out of the MVP race early with Russell Wilson trying to run away and hide with it.
No matter.
The Panthers' defense has played above expectations early on, but the Cardinals rack up the points and get back on track.
Pick: Cardinals 35, Panthers 20
Line: Seahawks -6.5
The Dolphins got off the schneid against the Jags on Thursday night, but the celebration will be short-lived.
The Seahawks' defense is a big issue, but Russell Wilson is beyond locked in. No sweat for the birds down in South Beach.
Pick: Seahawks 34, Dolphins 17
Line: Ravens -13
Lamar Jackson looked bad in a primetime loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Luckily, the Football Team (can't believe that's still what we are going with), should be the perfect cure for a bad week.
Ravens romp. Big.
Pick: Ravens 34, Football Team 13
Line: Texans -4.5
Not every 0-3 is created equal. The Texans had the toughest stretch of any team, opening with arguably the three best teams in the AFC in consecutive weeks.
The Vikings, on the other hand, have looked like wet trash each time they've taken the field. I'll take Deshaun Watson over Kirk Cousins any day of the week and three times on Sunday.
Pick: Texans 27, Vikings 20
Line: Rams -13
Vegas isn't going to mess around with this awful Giants team. They showed no life in a drubbing at the hands of the 49ers' backups, and there's little reason to believe they'll look any different after a cross-country trip.
Pick: Rams 31, Giants 17
Pick: Chiefs -6.5
There's no rest for the Chiefs after an impressive win over the Ravens. "Dolla Dolla Bill" Belichick is great at taking away what you do best, and their ground game should keep them in this one.
Chiefs stumble and Cam Newton makes the plays down the stretch to secure an upset win.
Pick: Patriots 27, Chiefs 24
Line: Packers -7
The Falcons are allergic to winning. I am stunned Dan Quinn still has an office in the ATL after that collapse against the Bears. Atlanta's defense has been a sieve and now it faces Aaron Rodgers.
Roll Pack, roll.
Pick: Packers 31, Falcons 23
Line: Bills -3
Josh Allen's athleticism against a struggling Raiders defense should spell trouble in Vegas. The Raiders also are likely to be without both of their top two receivers in Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards.
So it smells like a Bills romp, right?
Not so fast. The NFL likes to throw curveballs. The Raiders are coming off a loss and can't afford to lose their early-season momentum. Derek Carr leads a game-winning drive to deliver a W.
Pick: Raiders 28, Bills 27
Line: 49ers -7
There's no word yet on if Jimmy Garoppolo will play on "Sunday Night Football." Will it matter? Nick Mullens has been more than serviceable in his career and the Eagles look DOA.
But a desperate team is a dangerous foe. The 49ers have struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season and Carson Wentz has the ability to make plays with his legs.
The Eagles have to get off the mat or their season is done. One last ride on the Wentz Wagon.
Pick: Eagles 24, 49ers 21
