NFL Point Spreads Week 5: Best Picks Against the Spread

Hard to believe we are at the quarter-pole already of the 2017 season as every team but two has played 25 percent of its regular-season schedule. The byes begin this week with Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington and Denver all off. Here’s a quick look at all the Week 5 matchups with Sports Interaction NFL odds. Games Sunday unless noted.

New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday

Interesting (if perhaps useless) note here in that New England and Tampa Bay are two of the three NFL teams that are not named after a specific U.S. city or state. Can you guess the other? Hint: It plays in the NFC. The Patriots look to avoid a rare two-game skid after being stunned this past Sunday, 33-30 at home by Carolina. New England’s defense ranked No. 1 in points allowed last year but is the league’s worst in 2017. The Bucs beat the Giants on a field goal as time expired.

Point spread: Patriots -5.5
Pick ATS: Tampa Bay

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals

Buffalo was an upset winner in Week 4, knocking off the previously unbeaten Falcons 23-17 in Atlanta. The Bills stopped the Falcons at the Buffalo 10 with less than a minute remaining. Cincinnati got its first win of the year, 31-7 in Cleveland. These teams played Week 11 last year in Cincinnati and the Bills won 16-12. The Bengals lost star receiver A.J. Green to injury on the first pass of the game.

Point spread: Bengals -3
Pick ATS: Cincinnati

New York Jets at Cleveland Browns

Before the season, many were referring to this as the “Toilet Bowl” of the 2017 season between the league’s two worst teams. While the Browns have looked the part at 0-4, the Jets shockingly have two wins after a 23-20 overtime win over Jacksonville in Week 3. This still might be the Browns’ best chance to avoid 0-16. The Jets won in Cleveland last year, 31-28.

Point spread: Browns -2
Pick ATS: Cleveland

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions

Matchup of former No. 1 overall picks (and ex-SEC quarterbacks) in Carolina’s Cam Newton and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford. Newton played his best game of the season in an upset of the Patriots on Sunday, throwing for 316 yards and a score while rushing for another. Detroit is also 3-1 after a 14-7 win in Minnesota.

Point spread: Lions -3
Pick ATS: Detroit

San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts

Just one combined win between these last-place teams, that belonging to Indianapolis. The Colts were routed in Seattle on Sunday night, 46-18, playing again without quarterback Andrew Luck. He’s not expected to make his season debut here, either. San Francisco isn’t far from being 3-1, as after a blowout loss in Week 1 it has dropped the past three by a combined eight points. The Niners fell in Arizona 18-15 in overtime Sunday.

Point spread: Colts -2
Pick ATS: Indianapolis

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

This is the latest in an NFL season this century that a team has had its home opener. The Dolphins were supposed to host the Buccaneers in Week 1, but that was postponed due to Hurricane Irma. Miami was the home team last week against the Saints in London, and lost 20-0. The Fins are averaging just 8.3 points per game. Tennessee was destroyed 57-14 in Houston, and QB Marcus Mariota didn’t play after halftime due to a hamstring injury. This line will be TBA until his status is clear. The Titans won in Miami also in Week 5 last year, 30-17, behind three Mariota TD passes and one TD run.

Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Wait on Mariota

Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants

This is probably the real “Toilet Bowl” game of the week as both clubs are 0-4 – although the Chargers and Giants are each much more talented than the Jets or Browns. Three of L.A.’s four losses have been by three points or fewer. New York has lost the past two weeks in Philadelphia and Tampa on a field goal as time expired.

Point spread: Giants -4
Pick ATS: New York

Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia is atop the NFC East at 3-1 and has won back-to-back games by a combined five points. The Eagles played Week 4 at the Chargers without star defensive end Fletcher Cox due to a calf injury so monitor his status this week. Arizona was nearly part of potentially the NFL’s first tie of 2017 Sunday but scored a TD in the waning seconds of overtime to beat San Francisco 18-15.

Point spread: Eagles -6.5
Pick ATS: Philadelphia

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers

Jacksonville was a road favorite in Week 4 for the first time in six years but lost 23-20 in overtime at the Jets. Blake Bortles completed just 15 of 35 for 140 yards with a TD and a pick. Pittsburgh improved to 3-1 with a 26-9 win in Baltimore. Le’Veon Bell blew up with 144 yards and two TDs on 35 carries. He also caught four balls for 42 yards.

Point spread: Steelers -9
Pick ATS: Jacksonville

Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders

The Ravens have looked terrible the past two weeks in blowout losses to the Jaguars and Steelers, scoring only 16 combined points. Oakland was the NFL’s highest-scoring team through two weeks but has managed just 10 points in each of the past two games, both road losses. Derek Carr is in question for this one after he left Sunday’s six-point defeat in Denver with back spasms. Baltimore hosted Oakland last year and lost 28-27. Carr had four TD passes, including the winner to Michael Crabtree with 2:12 left.

Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Wait on Carr

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams

Seattle has been a vastly superior team to the Rams the past few years, but for whatever reason, the Seahawks have had trouble with L.A., which has won four of the past six meetings (dating to St. Louis days). The teams split in 2016, with Los Angeles winning at home 9-3 in one of the most forgettable games of the season. These Rams are vastly improved offensively and one of the NFL’s early surprises.

Point spread: Rams -2.5
Pick ATS: Seattle

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys

Easily the marquee matchup of Week 5 and a rematch of last season’s thrilling NFC divisional round game at AT&=T Stadium, won by the Packers 34-31. An amazing Aaron Rodgers 36-yard completion to Jared Cook in the final seconds set up Mason Crosby’s 51-yard field goal as time expired. No one would be surprised if these teams met again this January.

Point spread: Cowboys -2.5
Pick ATS: Dallas

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

The Sunday night game, and already the third prime-time date of the season for the Chiefs, who are on a short week after hosting Washington on Monday night trying to remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team. These teams met Week 2 last year in Houston and the Texans won 19-12. But two of the NFL’s top rookies obviously weren’t on the field then in Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt and Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, who accounted for five TDs in Sunday’s blowout win vs. the Titans.

Point Spread: TB
Pick ATS: TBA

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears, Monday

It’s all about the starting quarterbacks here. Will the Vikings have Sam Bradford? He has missed the past three games with a knee injury. Will the Bears turn to rookie Mitchell Trubisky in place of a struggling Mike Glennon? This writer’s guess is yes. These NFC North rivals split last year, each winning at home.

Point spread: Vikings -3
Pick ATS: Chicago if no Bradford, Vikings if he plays