NFL betting: First look at Week 4 lines, including Tom Brady's return to New England
You might hear at some point over the next week that Tom Brady will be making his return to New England this week.
The New England Patriots legend returns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a historic Sunday night matchup. Both teams are coming off losses; the Buccaneers dropped a game to the Los Angeles Rams, and the Patriots' offense struggled in a loss to the New Orleans Saints.
We'll see how oddsmakers view the Brady Bowl as we take a first look at the Week 4 lines at BetMGM:
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals (-7)
Not the Thursday night matchup anyone wants. But hey, it's a fun storyline with the last two No. 1 overall picks, Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars and Joe Burrow of the Bengals, squaring off. The line reflects how bad the Jaguars and Lawrence have been.
Washington Football Team at Atlanta Falcons (-1)
Washington ran into a buzzsaw at the Bills in Week 3, and it'll try to rebound. The Football Team's defense has yet to be a factor this season, so maybe the Falcons' offense gets right in this spot.
Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills (-16.5)
Our biggest line to date of the NFL season. The Texans are still using Davis Mills and aren't going to score much. The Bills exploded in Week 3 and might score a lot this week.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (-3.5)
Andy Dalton hasn't been ruled out for Week 4. After Justin Fields' awful start in Week 3, Dalton's status is a big factor in the line. The Lions might be emotionally drained after a horrible, crushing loss to the Ravens.
Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys (-4)
How good are the 3-0 Panthers? This week could provide a test. The Cowboys play on Monday night against the Eagles and will have a short week to get ready. The Panthers will have extra rest after playing on Thursday night.
Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)
The Colts are 0-3 but still not getting a field goal on the road. The Dolphins fought hard to force overtime with Jacoby Brissett, but it was just a long, grueling loss.
Cleveland Browns (-1) at Minnesota Vikings
An intriguing matchup. If you want the Browns it might be best to bet them early, because the bets seem likely to be heavily in Cleveland's favor.
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints (-8)
The Giants are 0-3. The home loss to the Falcons puts the Giants firmly among the worst teams in the NFL. The Saints bounced back from an ugly loss to the Panthers with a nice win over the Patriots, and now they finally get their first home game of the season. The line has already moved from 7.5 to 8.
Tennessee Titans (-7.5) at New York Jets
The Jets probably should be double-digit underdogs in every game until they show they can do anything right on a football field. This is a bad team, and the Titans probably aren't giving enough points.
Kansas City Chiefs (-6) at Philadelphia Eagles
Eventually, the Chiefs are going to blow someone out and take out some frustration. It's not a great spot for the Eagles to be in, with the Chiefs coming off two straight losses. The line moved from 5.5 to 6 overnight.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-6)
The Cardinals are 3-0, but looked a little shaky on Sunday at Jacksonville. Maybe it's because they were looking ahead to this game, and the anticipation will grow after the Rams beat the Buccaneers.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)
The Seahawks have lost two in a row and now get a tough NFC West test on the road. The Seahawks don't want to start this season 1-3. The 49ers will also be looking to bounce back, after their heartbreaking loss on Sunday night to Green Bay.
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos (-1.5)
The Broncos are 3-0 and oddsmakers believe. Never mind that their three wins are against the Giants, Jaguars and Jets, who have a combined 0-9 record. The Ravens needed an NFL-record 66-yard field goal to win at the Lions in Week 3, so maybe they shouldn't be favored at Denver.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay Packers (off)
The Steelers are in some trouble. Their offense is terrible. The defense is going to need to do a heck of a job this week against Aaron Rodgers to keep the team in the game. The line was Packers -7 before it was taken off the board overnight.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) at New England Patriots
It'll be interesting to see what Bill Belichick cooks up for Tom Brady in his return. The loss to the Rams certainly didn't change the oddsmakers' confidence in the Bucs. Tampa Bay opened as 5.5-point favorites and the line moved to 6.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-3)
Who would have thought these two teams would be ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West? Or that this would be one of the most entertaining matchups of Week 4?