Uncover the best bets for NFL Week 5! Explore expert analysis and tips to enhance your betting experience. Make your picks count this week!
After being in the black for the first three weeks of the NFL season, I fell on my face last week with an 0-4 record. To be completely honest, I didn’t feel confident coming into that week, and that was highlighted by my winless week. Two of the favorites I laid the points with lost outright, and Arizona was absolutely smashed by Washington.
Sometimes you can say you are unlucky when you don’t place a winning bet throughout the week. That wasn’t the case with me though as Houston and Pittsburgh fell behind early, and San Francisco and New England combined for most of their points in the first half. All I can do is move on and look to right the ship in Week 5.
YTD 7-9 ATS
Week 5 NFL Betting Odds and Picks
Minnesota Vikings -2.5 vs. New York Jets
I’m not ready to fully hop aboard the Minnesota bandwagon, but I’m more than happy to ride it for a stop or two. The Vikings have been the best coached team in the league through the first month of the season. Offensive coordinator Wes Philips and long-time players Josh McCown and Keenan McCardell have helped make Sam Darnold look like a star, and Minnesota is second in the league with 8.8 YPA through four games. Darnold has surpassed Aaron Rodgers in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year betting odds, as he has completed 68.9% of his passes for 932 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The New York Jets have been very disappointing given their expectations coming into the season. They are 2-2, but their wins were against two of the worst teams in the AFC (Tennessee and New England). Aaron Rodgers is averaging just 6.6 YPA as Garrett Wilson has been a non-factor with just 9.6 YPC and under 200 receiving yards through four games. Breece Hall (3.1 YPC) has been a major disappointment too, so I don’t see this offense fixing its issues across the pond.
Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Although the Pittsburgh Steelers laid an egg on defense in Week 4, I have faith in them to bounce back against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Dallas has been one-dimensional on offense, and those are the teams that Mike Tomlin excels against with his game plans.
The Cowboys are averaging just 3.5 YPC and rank dead last in the NFL in rushing yards per game. Ezekiel Elliott is a shadow of his former self, and Dak Prescott didn’t register a QBR over 60 in a game until last week’s win over the New York Giants.
The worry is whether Pittsburgh can generate enough offense with Justin Fields under center. Russell Wilson has yet to play a snap due to a calf injury, and Fields is pretty streaky as a passer. He can be a great runner though, and I believe that will help Pittsburgh get the win and the cover.
New Orleans Saints +5 at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City has now won 10 straight games dating back to last season, but the Chiefs haven’t been dominant in those victories during this stretch. Only one of those wins was by more than one score, and the Chiefs have had to come from behind in many of those games. This is a team that knows how to hang around and squeak out a win in the end.
That’s why I’ll be taking New Orleans to cover instead of betting the Saints to win outright on Monday Night Football. New Orleans has been frisky this season. The Saints crushed Carolina and Dallas in their first two games before falling by a combined five points to Philadelphia and Atlanta. They could easily be 4-0 too as the Saints didn’t allow the Eagles on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter in Week 3, and Younghoe Koo needed to hit a 58-yard field goal in the final seconds to give Atlanta the win on Sunday.
The Chiefs have been great, but this team is now without its top receiver (Rashee Rice) and top running back (Isiah Pacheco). Travis Kelce finally showed up in a big way last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he is about to turn 35 and is facing a New Orleans defense that has been surprisingly effective.
