You know it was a wild week in the NFL when even the Carolina Panthers (1-2) won a game. They upset the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2), 36-22, as 5.5-point road underdogs Sunday. Underdogs have been profitable this season — 3 underdogs of 6-plus points won straight up in Week 3 — and we’ll see if that trend continues.
Week 4 kicks off with the New York Giants (1-2) — one of the big underdogs that won straight up in Week 3 — hosting the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) on Thursday Night Football. While they surprisingly have identical records, the Cowboys opened as 4.5-point road favorites coming off back-to-back home losses.
The party continues Sunday with the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) traveling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) for a rematch of an NFC Wild Card game from last season. The Buccaneers beat Philadelphia 32-9 in the Jan. 15 playoff meeting as 3-point home underdogs. After losing to the Eagles in Week 3, the New Orleans Saints (2-1) look to take the lead over Tampa in the NFC South when they face the Atlanta Falcons (1-2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Other noteworthy games include the Minnesota Vikings (3-0) at the Green Bay Packers (2-1), the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) visiting the Indianapolis Colts (1-2), and the New York Jets (2-1) hosting the Denver Broncos (1-2).