5 NFL Week 4 JB Locks Against The Spread
by Jake Brown (@JBSportsRadio)
NFL Week 3 treated me well as I finished 5-0 on my JB locks. That brings my record on the season to 9-6 through the first three weeks. Week 4 features plenty of tough matchups against the spread, but let's tackle it as best as we can. Here's my NFL Week 4 JB locks.
1. Falcons (2-1) @ Vikings (1-2) (+3.5)
It's surprising that the spread is so low in this game, but maybe the Vikings will hope for some Teddy Bridgewater magic. The rookie will take over as the starting quarterback the rest of the season after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending injury. Bridgewater didn't look bad in his debut, but it's hard seeing him go out and beat a Falcons team coming off a blowout win over the Bucs. He's going to need a couple weeks to gel with the offense, especially without Adrian Peterson. Atlanta's offense looks really good and Matt Ryan is firing on all cylinders. The Falcons should win this one in Minnesota by at least a touchdown.
LOCK: FALCONS
2. Jaguars (0-3) @ Chargers (2-1) (-13.5)
I'm usually not a fan of big spreads like this, but this game points to it being a blowout. The Jaguars have been consistently getting crushed by double digits. Now, rookie Blake Bortles will make his first start. He'll do it on the road in San Diego against an underrated Chargers defense. While Bortles is undoubtedly an upgrade over Chad Henne, he still has a horrid offensive line and no running game. It's going to be tough for the rookie to make this a close game in his first start. Philip Rivers is playing like a top five QB in the NFL. The Chargers win this one by a couple touchdowns.
LOCK: CHARGERS
3. Titans (1-2) @ Colts (1-2) (-7.5)
Andrew Luck really should be the NFL MVP this season. It's a one-man show in Indianapolis and Luck will do anything it takes to win. It took a couple of weeks to get in the win column, but Luck should get on a roll now. He gets to return home and take on a Titans team that could be without Jake Locker. Even with a banged up Locker on the field, the Colts are a much better team. Ahmad Bradshaw being healthy has been huge as he has become a vital part of the offense. The Colts should win this one in the dome by double digits.
LOCK: COLTS
4. Eagles (3-0) @ 49ers (1-2) (-4.5)
This is a huge game for the 49ers. They are 1-2 and a 1-3 start in the NFC West spells a whole lot of trouble a quarter of the way through the season. For them to be favored by 4.5 against a 3-0 Eagles team just doesn't make much sense, though. I believe the 49ers have a good chance to win this game at home, but this will come down to a field goal. It won't be any more than that. The Eagles offense is in rhythm and scoring at will, which doesn't bode well for the 49ers. This game is more urgent for San Francisco, but the Eagles have too much talent to lose this game by more than a field goal. Lock in Philly to cover.
LOCK: EAGLES
5. Saints (1-2) @ Cowboys (2-1) (+3.5)
The Cowboys were getting spanked by the Rams and the third-string QB Austin Davis before they made a huge comeback. If they have trouble with the Rams offense, they will have a whole lot of trouble with the Saints. While New Orleans has looked far from the Super Bowl contender that many thought, they made improvements last week in their first victory. The Cowboys defense still looks really bad. They won't have an answer for Jimmy Graham and the Saints receivers. I fully expect the Saints to take care of business in Dallas by at least a touchdown.
LOCK: SAINTS
