NFL picks Week 4: Chiefs over Bengals is a rare prediction this week

This is the only place on the Internet you'll be seeing anyone pick the Kansas City Chiefs over the Cincinnati Bengals, apparently. Check out the picks at ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports and SB Nation. Notice anything? No one is picking the Chiefs! Besides those on a Chiefs blog.

As for our predictions...

Joel Thorman: Chiefs 24 Bengals 20

Well, there's this:

Thirty-eight NFL picks are made on ESPN, CBS, Fox and SB Nation's websites. Thirty-seven picked the Bengals. The other is @ArrowheadPride.

— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) October 3, 2015

First of all, damn it Sam!!!!

SB Nation has us turn in our picks on Tuesday so I made this decision earlier in the week. (Of course I am starting to regret it) One thing that pushed me over the edge on making this pick - besides blind faith - was that I thought Phillip Gaines would be playing along with Sean Smith and Marcus Peters which would give the Chiefs their full complement of corners for the first time this season. He is not playing so the Chiefs will be short one corner.

Still, that tweet above is a little crazy to me because the Chiefs are only a 4-point underdog on the road. That is a small line for a 3-0 team against a 1-2 team. The public's reaction doesn't seem to be following the Vegas reaction.

NJ Chiefs fan: Chiefs 28 Bengals 17

It's hard to pick the Chiefs after consecutive weeks of crapping the bed, but I'm going to do it anyway. Alex, Jamaal, and the boys decide it's time to start the season. The fans hope it's not too little, too late.

MNChiefsfan: Chiefs 3 Bengals 40,000

I can't stand the idea of getting hurt again. Lame jokes aside, the Bengals have been playing really well and have a ton of weapons on offense. They also have Genoa Atkins back to being Gen Atkins. There is a 65% chance that he actually skins LDT and wears him as a jacket in front of 70,000 horrified people. Maybe don't let your kids watch this one.

Matt Conner: Chiefs 21 Bengals 20

I don't think the Bengals are this good. I don't believe the Chiefs are this bad. Both 3-1 (Cincy) and 2-2 (KC) feels right to me and at this point "feels right" seems about as good of a reason to pick the final score as any. Here's the deal: the Chiefs are only 1-2 and not 2-1 because of several minor miracles + flukey performances + blood moon. The Bengals have a very good offense, but it all depends on Dalton and the line holding up (only 2 sacks, 3 QB hits allowed all season) and both aren't nearly as shiny as they seem to be through three games. My guess the Chiefs defense wins a game and the Chiefs offense doesn't lose one.

Clay Wendler: Chiefs 17 Bengals 24

Road wins against playoff teams are proving hard to come by in the Andy Reid era (the Chiefs have just one), and this is the best, most complete team the Chiefs have faced so far. Sean Smith's return will make a difference, but not enough against a Cincy team that boasts a top five offensive line, five talented playmakers on offense and a defense with few weaknesses. Kansas City hasn't won in Cincinnati since 1984.

Stagdsp: Chiefs 24 Bengals 21

Regression to the mean. Dalton isn't as good as he has been in the first three weeks. Neither is Cincy's OL. Smith isn't as bad as he was in Week 3, and neither is the Chiefs pass defense. The Chiefs will win the turnover battle this week,  and the defense will keep this game very close.They are due, and they need this one.

Super G: Chiefs 28 Bengals 17

With all the negativity focused towards Alex Smith over the past week I wouldn't be surprised to see him have an excellent game.  Sean Smith is back which should provide a lift for the defense. The Bengals 3-0 record may be deceiving, they've played teams with a combined record of 3-6. Lastly, Andy Dalton has a QB rating of 121.0 so far this season, but he has a career rating of 86.7. Dalton may be having a great start to his year, but I expect bad Andy to show up in this game.