NFL Spread Picks: 49ers Face a Stern Early Test Against Cowboys
NFL Spread Picks: 49ers Face a Stern Early Test Against Cowboys.
Every week in the NFL is blown out of proportion, making the entire season feel like a string of 18 individual games.
However, if you can put aside your predisposition for recent events, the San Francisco 49ers are clearly the top team in the NFL after four weeks. With one caveat, they’ve been fantastic.
The 49ers haven’t faced any competition yet.
The offensive struggles of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the mediocrity of the Los Angeles Rams as the 49ers’ greatest opponent, the chaos of the New York Giants, and the lack of quality on the Arizona Cardinals’ roster all point to a team that has some serious problems.
The 49ers have seen the easiest schedule in the NFL this season according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA. The 49ers have looked excellent by beating up on weaker opponents, which is encouraging, but they haven’t been tested yet.
Not after Sunday night. One of the most anticipated games of the entire NFL regular season has the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Dallas Cowboys.
The strengths of the 49ers and the Cowboys are very comparable. Both are rock-solid in defensive situations. The offensive playmakers on both teams are excellent, but the 49ers have a much stronger bench. Dallas has also annihilated three of its four opponents by double digits.
The Cowboys’ stumble in an upset loss in Arizona is the most notable difference between the clubs thus far. However, the 49ers and the Cowboys should both be included in any list of serious Super Bowl contenders.
The 49ers appear to be the more promising of the two teams. They have more key offensive contributors. The protection is top-notch.
The quarterback position is no longer a source of concern now that Brock Purdy has not only maintained but improved upon his performance from the previous season. They appear to be a very powerful group.
However, we must verify all of this against a formidable foe. That’s what I anticipate happening. The 49ers are 3.5-point favourites at BetMGM, so I’ll take them. Even though Dallas is a top team, I give the edge to the 49ers. On Sunday night, we’ll watch a matchup between two teams that legitimately have a shot at winning the Super Bowl.
Week 5 NFL picks against the spread, with odds provided by BetMGM:
Captains minus 6.5, Bears
Even though this wasn’t the Thursday night game everyone was hoping for, we did analyse an unusual point spread in today’s issue of The Daily Sweat.
Pick: Bills minus 5.5 points vs. Jaguars
The Jaguars’ London stadium provides them with a greater home-field advantage than Jacksonville’s does. They’ve done this kind of unconventional travel so often that they’re pros at it. The Jaguars have returned for a second week to London.
Despite their advantages, the Bills have won their last three games by 28, 34, and 28 points, respectively. And I haven’t seen anything from the Jaguars that has made me change my mind.
Falcons (-1.5) vs. Texans (+1.5)
We may be jumping the gun a bit with the Texans, but their performance over the past two weeks cannot be denied. It appears that C.J. Stroud is the real deal.
The Falcons have returned from London, which is typically a bye week for most teams. The lowered spread is a result of the increased interest in Houston, but I still think the Texans are the better pick.
The Panthers are favoured by ten points (+10) over the Lions.
Taking the Panthers would be a huge risk. They failed to score a touchdown on offence against a Vikings team that isn’t exactly the 2000 Ravens’ defence. However, the majority of NFL wagers involve picking a team that you have no chance of beating. Some of those blows were harder than we’d like to recall.
Titans (-1.5) over the Colts
The Titans have me completely baffled. None. In weeks 1 and 3, they seemed dreadful, but by week 4, they were looking much better. I’ll just go with the alternating odd/even pattern. The Colts don’t have a terrible record. Anthony Richardson, if nothing else, is entertaining.
Dolphins at. Giants (-9.5)
In the NFL, I almost never bet on a double-digit favourite. The Dolphins, however, will be fuming after last week’s humiliating loss. You witnessed the Giants in action on Monday, right? I doubt they will remain so close.
Saints are favoured by one point over the Patriots.
While I would normally trust Bill Belichick in that situation, the Patriots’ injury woes make it difficult to back New England right now. Even if the Saints’ lack of a healthy Derek Carr is cause for concern, I’m more concerned about the Patriots at the moment.
Steelers (-4), Ravens (-6)
Either an injured Kenny Pickett or a healthy Mitchell Trubisky will start as quarterback for the Steelers, and I’m not sure which one to trust more. However, I hope that Pittsburgh may recover from this humiliation.
The Ravens are looking good after their big win in the AFC North, but this is their second straight road game, and I think the Steelers will find a way to keep it close.
(+4.5) Rams over (+2.5) Eagles
I hate to knock apart a perfect 4-0 squad, but something seems odd with the Eagles. Last week’s loss to Washington was expected, and the Commanders would have won in overtime had they attempted a two-point conversion. Few of us anticipated how difficult the Rams would be to beat this season.
Score: Cardinals 3, Bengals 2
No one has convinced me that the Bengals should be a full field goal favourite on the road in Cincinnati. They have been poor, and I am not certain that the situation can be rectified quickly. The Bengals have the worst yards per play differential in the NFL.
This is an excellent indicator of a team’s strength. The Bengals could suddenly start playing like legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but I’ll believe it when I see it. This sentence appears to be a present.
Jets (+1.5) over Broncos.
It’s no secret that Zach Wilson hasn’t solved all of the Jets’ offensive woes after just two solid quarters, and I get that. To be an underdog versus the Broncos, though? Why should the Broncos be favoured over any team other than the Bears?
Vikings (+4), Chiefs (+2).
After hearing for a whole year that “the Vikings are absolutely not as good as their record,” I find it amusing that I now believe the opposite to be true.
The concept of regressing exists. Minnesota is a good home dog because of their ball control and ability to move the ball.
Spread: Packers -1 (over Raiders)
The first week was a bit of a shock to the system. We predicted an average performance from the Raiders and an awful one from the Broncos. As it turns out, though, the Broncos are even poorer than the Raiders. The Packers just had a terrible game against the Lions, yet the Lions are light years ahead of the Raiders in terms of football.
