NFL betting odds begin to look at little bit different in Week 4 since it is the first week where teams will have byes. That means when you look at NFL lines for the next few months you won’t see every team on the schedule. NFL odds for Week 4 have four teams with byes. You will not see Arizona, Philadelphia, Atlanta or Carolina on the sportsbook board this week since all four teams have byes. Handicapping NFL lines can be interesting when byes start to happen because you have teams heading into their bye week and you have teams coming off their byes.
Since this is the first bye week of the season, there are not teams coming off byes. There will be teams heading into their byes next week. Those four teams with byes next week are Chicago, Green Bay, New Orleans and San Diego. Last year in NFL odds the Bears won their game previous to their bye but the previous seven years they had lost before their bye week. That could point to a play on Detroit in NFL betting odds this week at the sports book.
One of the feature games this week in NFL betting odds at the sportsbook is the New York Jets vs. the New Orleans Saints. There is a big bye week trend in this game. The underdog in New Orleans games are 9-1-1 in the week before the Saints bye week. That means take the points in this game in NFL lines.
With the Chargers having a bye next week you may want to go against them in NFL betting odds. The home teams in San Diego games before their bye have won five of the last six years. That means you would bet Pittsburgh this week in NFL betting odds. You may also look for a high scoring game as 11 of the last 14 years before the Chargers had a bye the game went over the NFL betting odds.
The Packers have a bye next week and that could mean a play on Minnesota this week in NFL betting odds. This is a huge game since Brett Favre will be playing his former team. The favorite in Green Bay games before their bye are 5-1-1 against the NFL betting odds.
The bye week is an interesting handicapping factor to consider in NFL betting odds. Teams heading into a bye week in NFL lines may want to win so they go into the bye on a good note. Other teams may be looking forward to the time off and are not as focused.