NFL Week 4 key injury updates, odds changes: Lamar Jackson, Rob Gronkowski will play Sunday, George Kittle may not

It's probably wise for NFL fans to disregard when stars don't practice on Wednesday or Thursday in a given week. Maybe in the old days coaches held all the power and wouldn't let anyone skip practice unless they were seriously hurt, but nowadays players hold the power – plus they are too valuable financially to risk. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski both hadn't practiced this week through Thursday but were out there Friday and will play as expected.

Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Jackson's "little back flare up" was the issue that kept him out this week but Roman never doubted the former MVP would play. Bettors clearly never doubted it, either, as the Ravens opened as 2-point underdogs at the unbeaten Denver Broncos but are now 1-point favorites.

Jackson is 7-1 against the spread in his regular-season career as an underdog and has won the past four outright. He entered this season 13-4-1 ATS on the road in his regular-season career but is 0-2 ATS away in 2021.

GRONK: Naturally, the big story of Sunday's Bucs-Patriots game is the return of Tom Brady to New England, but it's also the return of another future Hall of Famer: Tampa Bay's Gronkowski. There was nowway that Gronk was going to miss this game and he practiced Friday. Gronkowski, a 2010 second-round pick by the Pats, ranks first in franchise history in touchdown receptions (79), second in receiving yards (7,861) and fifth in receptions (521). Remember, he's a tight end not a receiver. The Bucs opened at -6.5 but are now -7 with INCREDIBLY heavy action on them. Tampa Bay could get to -7.5 in what is expected to be the most-wagered regular-season game in NFL history. Bucs third-down back Gio Bernard will not play. 

KITTLE: Speaking of terrific tight ends, the 49ers could be without Pro Bowler George Kittle on Sunday against Seattle as he's dealing with a calf injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan said it "wasn't guaranteed" that Kittle would play and GM John Lynch said this: "He's got a calf that's a little tight, and he's working through that. But George usually rings the bell and shows up, and you can't take that for granted." Kittle has 15 catches for 187 yards. The Niners are the first NFL team ever to have 11 different players score their first 11 TDs of a season, but Kittle hasn't yet. Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell is looking like he will miss a second straight game. The Niners are currently -3 but that has dropped to -2.5 a few times this week and could see it doing so if Kittle is ruled out (might anyways). San Francisco CB Josh Norman is not expected to play. 

COOK: Minnesota is 0-2 with Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook in the lineup this season and 1-0 without -- but both losses also were on the final play of the game. Cook should play Sunday vs. Cleveland after missing Week 3. He has practiced all week. Cook has 192 yards and a TD on 42 carries. Backup Alexander Mattison was so good in last Sunday's upset of Seattle that he likely has earned more touches regardless.

GIANTS: New York lost star linebacker Blake Martinez to a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3 and apparently will be without starting wideouts Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Darius Slayton (hamstring) on Sunday in New Orleans. Believe it or not, Giants QB Daniel Jones is a stellar 9-2 ATS in his career as a road dog. New York has the best road ATS record (19-6) in NFL since start of 2018. New Orleans is -7 but could get back to -7.5 with this news.

WFT: Running back Antonio Gibson missed practice Thursday with a shin issue but was out there Friday and be good to go in Atlanta. It also will be the Washington debut of free-agent WR Curtis Samuel. He spent the first three weeks on injured reserve but has been cleared. Samuel should be a huge boost as the No. 2 opposite Terry McLaurin as rookie Dyami Brown has struggled with just four catches for 32 yards. Washington is -1.5 vs. the Falcons, who will be without No. 2 WR Russell Gage.

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