<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2112" title="week 4" src="http://manjr.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/week-4.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="290" />

Last week, I was 100 percent 50/50. Eight correct calls and eight crappy calls. I’m 23-21-3 against the spread so far this season, but I’m still making weekly cash on those Steelers, baby! Let’s see if we can stay above .500 after a Week 4 slate of games where the favorites all look mighty tempting.

<strong>At Tennessee -6.5 Denver</strong>
The Broncos haven’t seen a defense as good as the Titans this year. The Jags, Colts and Seahawks are easy to shred. The Titans are giving up the fifth fewest yards in the air so far (178.3 yards a game) and they’re the leagues seventh-best defense in total yards allowed per game (294.7). Denver’s been getting it done with Kyle Orton spreading the ball around. Knowshon is hurt and the Broncos can’t run the ball. Their 67 rushing yards per game put them at 30th in the league in that category. Vince Young played well last week. Take away that Pittsburgh debacle and he’s actually having a pretty solid season. If Young can avoid boneheaded picks, the Titans win easy.
PICK: Titans -6.5

<strong>At Pittsburgh -1.5 Baltimore</strong>
So let’s recap this 3-0 run by the Big Ben-less Steelers. They were dogs to start the season at home against the Falcons. They were dogs when they went to Tennessee in Week 2. They were only favored by 2.5 against the Bucs in Tampa Bay. Now they host the Ravens at home in what amounts to a pick’em. So pick’em. Don’t expect Charlie Batch to throw three TDs ever again. Just expect a bruising, low-scoring affair with a motivated home team edging out the purple visitors.
PICK: Steelers -1.5

<strong>Cincinnati -3 At Cleveland</strong>
Seneca Wallace of Jake Delhomme? It doesn’t matter. Cincy’s offense isn’t firing on all cylinders, but the Browns aren’t going to lose their next four games (Cincy this week, Atlanta, at Pittsburgh, at New Orleans). The Browns have kept it respectable, and Peyton Hillis sure is a feel good story, but the Bengals can beat this team by three.
PICK: Bengals -3

At Green Bay -14.5 Detroit
Damn, I hate these extra large spreads, but make no mistake, Green Bay’s gonna play angry. After that sloppy-ass, mental-mistake-riddled mess on Monday, the Packers are going to settle down and get back to playing good football. Jahvid Best is dealing with a toe injury. He’ll likely be a game time decision. If he’s limited in any way, the Lions get blown out.
PICK: Green Bay -14.5

<strong>At New Orleans -13.5 Carolina</strong>
The Jimmy Clausen Era didn’t get off to a great start. Clausen’s first half QB rating was 0.0. He went on to complete 16 or 33 passes for 188 yards. He threw a pick and lost a fumble. He also didn’t get much help from the ground game. Gregg Williams is going to bring the pain against Clausen. Look for the Panthers to turn the ball over frequently to a team that can score at will. Big spread yes, but a favorable matchup as well.
PICK: Saints -13.5

<strong>At Atlanta -7 San Francisco</strong>
I want the 49ers to put it together, I really do. There’s something about Mike Singletary where you just want to see him succeed. He fired Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye after last week’s putrid play calling, and <a href="http://www.vernondavis85.net/blog/post-1012.html" target="_blank">VD likes the decision</a>. Atlanta’s good. They took advantage of Garrett Hartley’s missed kick and finished off the Saints in the dome. Now they get to go home and host a team that still needs to find its identity. San Francisco will right the ship, but not this week.
PICK: Falcons -7

<strong>Seattle -1 At St. Louis</strong>
You know what? I’m picking the Rams. This division is wide open and Seattle has a pretty cushy schedule. They’ve won two games at home, but now they need to venture away from the lush foliage of the Pacific Northwest and go to Middle America to play a revived Rams team that’s coming off a 30-16 win over the Redskins. Look at the final scores of the first two games. Even when the Rams lose, they keep it close (13-17 loss against Arizona, 14-16 loss against Oakland). I kinda like this team. Bradford’s a breath of fresh air, and even with a gimpy Stephen Jackson, I’m going grab the Rams in this pick’em.
PICK: Seahawks -1

<strong>NY Jets -5.5 At Buffalo</strong>
Ryan Fitzpatrick was surprisingly effective against New England last week. Maybe the Bills knew what they were doing when they cut Trent Edwards. The Bills scored four times in the first five possessions and CJ Spiller provided a much needed spark on offense and on special teams. The Jets, meanwhile, are everyone’s favorite team again. After Week 1, expectations were reset. The hype died down. Then came victories against the Pats and the Dolphins. During those wins, Mark Sanchez completed 36 out of 58 passes for 476 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. Sanchez wasn’t sacked at all last week, and if continues to play like he has the past two games, the Jets will continue to frighten their division. Revis is out, but that’s not enough to keep the Bills in this. The Jets will shut down the run, make plays with LT and through the air and finish 3-0 in their division after Week 4.
PICK: Jets -5.5

<strong>Indianapolis -7 At Jacksonville</strong>
Save Del Rio? Not against the Colts. Indy owns the Jags. The Colts beat the Jags five times in their last six matchups. Peyton’s crushing it and getting everyone involved. Austin Collie the best final round fantasy draft pick you’ve ever made. With Garrard sucking it up big time and Maurice Jones-Drew unable to find the endzone in the first three games, it’s not looking good for Del Rio.
PICK: Colts -7

<strong>Houston -3 At Oakland</strong>
The Raiders want to kill your parlay. Like almost every week. Don’t let them. The Texans are better, but I got a bad feeling about them going to that shit field in Oakland and laying an egg. I got no real reason. Just a feeling.
PICK: Oakland +3

<strong>At San Diego -8.5 Arizona</strong>
Who has two thumbs, drafted Antonio Gates pretty high and loves the fact that Vincent Jackson is in AJ Smith-induced roster purgatory? This guy! Gates, who’s always a fantasy monster, has been even more of a beast this year. Through three games, the ballin’ TE has 17 receptions for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns. Who needs a starting WR? Not you, San Diego. Sure you lost to the Rams and that has to hurt some, but this is a great game for a rebound. The Cardinals are not playing good football. Arizona gives up too many yards on the ground and they can’t generate any yards in the air. Injuries don’t help either. Alan Faneca is hurt. Steve Breaston and Early Doucet are hurt. Beanie Wells isn’t fully ready to take over either. Arizona has too many holes to win this game on the road or even cover the spread.
PICK: Chargers -8.5

<strong>At Philadelphia -6 Washington</strong>
Oh, the drama. McNabb is expecting cheers in Philly. That’s like expecting real titties on Santa Monica Blvd. Not gonna happen, dude. McNabb has a chance to stick it to his old team and end the redemption tale of the season, but Vick will outplay him. Vick will face a much tougher defense than he has before, but I’ll take Philly and their skill players over McNabb with an axe to grind and no running game to help him grind it out.
PICK: Eagles -6

<strong>At NY Giants -4 Chicago</strong>
This is the week I pick the Bears. Chicago is the only undefeated team in the NFC, but they could easily be 2-2. I’m not buying this team as the best the conference has to offer. No way. What I am buying is the end of Tom Coughlin. Dude got a stay of execution after that surprising, late-surge Super Bowl season, but his players are over it. Dude’s too outdated. He’s too rigid and too red-faced. He looks like he has the flu all the time. The Giants need answers. They need to rally behind their coach and win won for the Cough Drop. But they won’t, and everyone will try to convince you that the Bears are really good. They aren’t, but they’ll win on Sunday night.
PICK: Bears +4

<strong>New England -1 At Miami</strong>
Damn this Pats team is frustrating. You think they’re gonna cover the spread and then they let CJ Spiller run a kick back 95 yards for a score.
PICK: Pats -1