NFL Week 4 bold predictions, fantasy tips 🏈
Jim Reineking
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Welcome to Week 4 in the NFL. We present some essentials for you to enjoy before we dig into the weekend's biggest matchups:
- Week 4 picks from USA TODAY Sports' experts ✅
- Need fantasy advice? We have you covered 🏆
- Point spreads for every Week 4 game 🎰
➤ On tap for Thursday night: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals — The NFC West, so far, is the league's best division. The San Francisco 49ers are unbeaten, while the other three squads are 2-1. The Seahawks have dominated this series of late, winning the last seven against the Cardinals. Also of note: The Cardinals will become the first team to wear their Nike "Rivalries" uniform this season. So, don't be alarmed if their uniforms look ... different.
➤ Game of the week: Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Both teams enter this one 3-0, and many will suggest this is a potential NFC championship game preview. The Eagles are coming off back-to-back wins over expected title contenders (Chiefs and Rams), while the Buccaneers' wins have come against teams that are a combined 1-8. This is a prove-it game for Tampa Bay.
➤ Sneaky-good game of the week: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs — From schedule release day up until about three days ago, this matchup had "Game of the Week" written all over it. But, both AFC contenders have started the season a disappointing 1-2 and hit this week in serious must-win mode. This is the seventh time in the past eight seasons, including playoff games, that these two AFC heavyweights have met. No matter the outcome of this one, still expect both teams to reach the postseason, even with a 1-3 start.
➤ Don't forget there's an International Series game this week: Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — Set your alarms for Sunday morning⏰, because the NFL is playing its first regular-season game in Ireland 🍀. Croke Park in Dublin will host this one, with the Vikings on an extended stay across the pond: Minnesota plays the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in Week 5, becoming the first NFL team to play multiple International Series games in different cities in the same season. History!
➤ Dud of the week: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — Thank goodness this week features another "Monday Night Football" doubleheader. On the bright side, at least one of these two teams finally will get their first win of the season.
➤ Survivor Pool Game of the Week: New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills — The "pick whoever is playing the Browns" strategy backfired spectacularly last week, with the Cleveland Browns pulling off a late-game stunner against the Green Bay Packers. But, we're giving you – our loyal 4th and Monday subscriber – one more bonus survivor pick before we shut this section of the newsletter down for the rest of the season ☹️. Saints-Bills is this week's biggest mismatch (by point spread), and we really like the Bills to improve to 4-0 with what should be a convincing win over the winless Saints. (Previous survivor pool picks — Week 1: Broncos ✅; Week 2: Ravens ✅; Week 3: Packers ☠️.)
🚨 If you're still alive in USA TODAY Sports' survivor pool (well, la dee da 😏), make sure to make your Week 4 pick. 🚨
📸 Eye-popping images from the 2025 NFL season
TNF BETTING LOCK 🔐
🐦 Trey Benson +110 to score a TD*. James Conner's season-ending ankle injury puts the pressure on Benson to be the Cardinals' bell cow moving forward. He already has one touchdown in limited action this season, so it seems fair to suggest he'll be reaching paydirt with more regularity now that he's getting a heavier workload.
*Odds per BetMGM (as of publication)
BEST BETS FOR WEEK 4 ✅
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his NFL betting locks of the week. Here are the bets he likes most for Week 4:
🤑 Packers (-7 spread). Don't let that spread go above a touchdown.
🤑 Commanders (+2.5 spread). Jump all over this before Vegas takes away the hook and moves the line.
🤑 Chargers vs. Giants (under 44.5). Jaxson Dart is making his first career start, making that under very enticing against the Chargers D.
ONE BOLD PREDICTION 😱
➤ This is it for Russell Wilson: Barring a trade, the veteran quarterback might be in his final NFL season. What seemed inevitable finally happened this week: Wilson was benched in favor of first-round pick Jaxson Dart. Wilson is on a one-year deal and it seems like a long shot that a team will bring him on as a starter in 2026. Now that we seem deep into the final chapter of Wilson's career, what will his NFL legacy be? Is Wilson a Hall of Famer? Doubtful. Though had he not thrown a goal-line interception in Super Bowl 49 and the Seahawks won consecutive championships with Wilson at the helm, maybe there'd be a place in Canton for the quarterback known for heaving a real beauty of a deep ball.
🪧 NFL Week 4 picks straight up and against the spread
HOT READS 🎯
The best NFL reads from USA TODAY and our Sports Network:
🏈 Week 3 was a bit of a weird one, so there's some shake-up in our latest power rankings, such as how far do the Packers drop and how much do the unbeaten Chargers move up?
🏈 The NFL trade deadline isn't until Nov. 4, but Nate Davis already is targeting 10 big-name players who could be on the move as that date draws closer.
🏈 The inevitable happened in New York this week when the Giants benched Russell Wilson in favor of Jaxson Dart. Tyler Dragon offers a warning: Don’t expect the Giants' offense to catch fire with the rookie Dart under center.
🏈 300-pound Eagles star Jordan Davis lost 26 pounds. Then he ran over 18 mph while returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
🏈 Micah Parsons says it will be "painful" to sack former teammate Dak Prescott when the Packers face the Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football."
📸 Cheerleaders, mascots, fans and celebrities at NFL games
FANTASY ESSENTIALS ✨
Three weeks into the season, fantasy football owners should have had ample time to evaluate their rosters and understand where the production is coming from. Still, injuries continue to take a toll and some players you drafted might not be performing up to snuff. Here are essentials to maximize your team for Week 4 success:
🏉 Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Kickers | Defense/special teams
🏉 Week 4 fantasy position-by-position rankings
🏉 Week 4 fantasy risers and sleepers
🏉 Waiver wire: 10 players to add for Week 4
🏉 Trade bait: Buy and sell candidates for Week 4
📸 Best PPR seasons since 2001: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends
NFL DRAFT PROSPECT TO WATCH 📈
👉 Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State (vs. Oregon, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock) — This No. 2 (Penn State) vs. No. 5 (Oregon) showdown is the weekend's biggest college football matchup (sorry, not sorry Alabama-Georgia). And, there will be plenty of pro prospects on the field in Happy Valley. Dennis-Sutton is Penn State's pass-rushing successor to Abdul Carter – the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft – and is a projected first-rounder himself, per Draft Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports Network.
ON THIS DAY IN NFL HISTORY 📜
On Sept. 25, 2006, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 23-3, on "Monday Night Football" in the team's first game back in the Superdome after the devastating damage suffered during Hurricane Katrina. The game, of course, is famous for the blocked punt by Steve Gleason that was returned for a touchdown by Saints teammate Curtis Deloatch, which triggered the emotional victory.
Sparked by new head coach Sean Payton and free-agent quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints would go on to have a remarkable season, reaching the first NFC championship game in team history.
If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱. Follow the writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking and drop a line if you want to talk some football 🏈.