NFL Week 4 opening line report

Every Monday, we'll dive into the opening lines for notable games on the NFL calendar to see how oddsmakers are reacting to the previous week and where the early money is coming in.

Week 4 features an AFC clash between a pair of unbeaten teams, a possible NFC Championship Game preview, Daniel Jones' home debut, and the first bye weeks of the year as the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are idle.

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

Opening line: Packers -4.5

The Philadelphia Eagles' odds to win the Super Bowl were as little as 12-1 before the season, but injuries and inconsistent play on defense and at quarterback have seen them stumble to a 1-2 start. That puts all sorts of pressure on them to avoid going 1-3 when they visit the NFC rival Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. The Pack have opened at -4.5 thanks to their 3-0 start, and the line has held firm thus far with both sides generally popular among the betting public.

Philadelphia's short week will make it difficult for its slew of injured players to return to action, while road underdogs have typically done poorly in this spot. Thursday night home favorites are 55-28-3 (66.3%) against the spread since 2006.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

Opening line: Patriots -7

A dark horse candidate for game of the week, the 3-0 New England Patriots visit the 3-0 Buffalo Bills as they clash for the top spot in the AFC East. Early money has pushed the Patriots to -7.5, but it wouldn't be surprising to see some buyback on Buffalo at that number.

The Bills have beaten three teams who've combined for one win on the season, so we're about to find out a lot more about them this week in Orchard Park. The Patriots' opponents thus far are a combined 0-9, but they're the Patriots. We can accept the legitimacy of what we've seen from them thus far without batting an eye. Tom Brady is 15-2 straight up in his career in Buffalo and 12-4-1 (75%) ATS. He's won, and covered, each of his last five games there, including the last three as favorites of -14, -8.5, and -5.5.

Washington Redskins at New York Giants

Opening line: Giants -3

New York can't get enough of Daniel Jones. The rookie quarterback was the catalyst of a thrilling comeback win in his NFL debut Sunday and now takes his show to MetLife Stadium for the first time with anticipation at an all-time high. This will be the first of just three games this season the New York Giants will be favored, according to look-ahead lines.

The Giants figure to be a popular favorite this week as hype builds around their rookie quarterback, but the Washington Redskins could be heading into the matchup with some buzz of their own if they can pull off an upset win over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Giants are 2-4 ATS as favorites over the last two seasons - a rare occurrence - while the Redskins are on a 14-7 ATS run as away 'dogs.

Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins

Opening line: Chargers -17

After failing to cover lines of +19 and +22.5 the last two weeks, respectively, the Miami Dolphins open as 17-point underdogs at home to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. Despite failing to cover the big spread in Dallas, the Dolphins looked at least competent with Josh Rosen under center in Week 3, while the Chargers slumped to 1-2 after losing at home to the Houston Texans. Early money has been split, with the line hovering between -16.5 to -17 at different outlets.

The big spreads hanging over Miami the last two weeks were understandable, but this one seems very high. Los Angeles has been unimpressive to start the year and now travels across the country for an early kickoff. However, the Dolphins are on a 4-13 ATS run as 'dogs, while the Chargers are 5-2-1 ATS as away favorites under Anthony Lynn.

Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints

Opening line: Cowboys -3

Could this be a January preview? It's entirely possible these teams will meet again in the NFC playoffs, but first they do battle under the lights in the Big Easy on Sunday Night Football in one of the games of the week. Drew Brees' absence takes away some of the allure, but the New Orleans Saints didn't miss a beat in his absence Sunday, throttling the Seattle Seahawks to move to 2-1. The Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the Dolphins to move to 3-0.

How legitimate are the Cowboys, though? We're going to find out this week. They get their season's first real test after beating three of the NFL's worst teams in the Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins. It's no surprise that "America's Team" has attracted all the early money, but the line has yet to move above -3. The Saints have been home 'dogs just six times over the last six seasons, and are 5-1 ATS in those contests.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.