Week 5 NFL Picks: Spread Advice, Best Odds and Full Game Predictions
The Washington Redskins struggled out of the gate, losing their first two games in unimpressive fashion to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
While they haven't played exceptional football since, they have rebounded with wins over the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, so it's clear they are moving in the right direction. Look for more improvement when the Redskins make the short trip to Baltimore to take on John Harbaugh and the Ravens.
Just as Kirk Cousins is starting to find his rhythm at quarterback, the Redskins also are developing an interesting running attack with Matt Jones. The running back had 22 carries for 117 yards against Cleveland, and he was running decisively throughout the game.
The Ravens dropped a home game to the Oakland Raiders in Week 4 after three consecutive victories, but John Harbaugh's team is not a balanced unit. The Ravens are below average in terms of offense, but they rank first in yards allowed per game, so there is quite a bit of vulnerability.
Cousins has the ability to find the open receiver and get it to him in stride. Most importantly, Cousins started the game against Cleveland on fire, as he hit his first nine passes of the game. Any time a quarterback can do that, it puts tremendous pressure on the defense.
We like Cousins to start the game off by finding tight end Jordan Reed and wideout Pierre Garcon while getting the best of the Baltimore defense. The Redskins are 3.5-point underdogs, according to Odds Shark. We like the Redskins to come away with the straight-up win.
| Arizona at San Francisco | Ariz. -3 | 42 | SF; under |
| Washington at Baltimore | Balt. -3.5 | 45 | Wash.; over |
| Tennessee at Miami | Mia. -3.5 | 41.5 | Tenn.; under |
| Houston at Minnesota | Minn. -6.5 | 40 | Minn.; under |
| Chicago at Indianapolis | Ind. -4.5 | 47.5 | Chi.; over |
| N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh | Pitt. -7 | 48.5 | Pitt.; over |
| Philadelphia at Detroit | Phil. -3 | 46 | Det.; over |
| New England at Cleveland | NE -10.5 | 46.5 | NE; under |
| Atlanta at Denver | Den. -5.5 | 47.5 | Atl.; under |
| San Diego at Oakland | Oak. -3.5 | 49.5 | SD; under |
| Buffalo at L.A. Rams | LA -2 | 39.5 | Buff.; under |
| Cincinnati at Dallas | Even | 45.5 | Cin.; under |
| N.Y. Giants at Green Bay | GB -7.5 | 48 | NYG; over |
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
At the start of the season, the New York Jets looked like they might be the division opponent that could challenge the New England Patriots.
The Jets have long been known for their defensive skills, but the offense appeared balanced and dangerous with the addition of running back Matt Forte to join quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.
After splitting their first two games, the Jets went to Kansas City and got taken apart by the Chiefs, as Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions.
That game apparently left a mark, as NFL protocol usually indicates that good teams bounce back with much better efforts when they get embarrassed. That didn't happen, as Fitzpatrick threw three more interceptions in a 27-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Three losses in their first four games is not the end of the world for the Jets, but head coach Todd Bowles and Fitzpatrick are under fire. Going to Pittsburgh to take on the high-powered Steelers is not the ideal way to turn things around.
The Jets may be without Decker (shoulder), cornerback Darrelle Revis (hamstring) and guard Brian Winters (concussion).
Nevertheless, Marshall is making noises like the Jets are going to win this game. “We will have better results — that’s a fact,” Marshall told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Starting Sunday, we will have better results.”
We are skeptical. The Steelers are seven-point favorites in this game, and the combination of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown looks unstoppable. The Steelers should be able to score early and often.
Look for Pittsburgh to add to the Jets' pain by recording a double-digit victory.
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
The New York Giants are in the middle of a difficult stretch on their schedule, as they follow their Monday night loss at Minnesota with another road game against an NFC North opponent. The Giants will attempt to take down the rested Green Bay Packers, who are coming off a Week 4 bye.
The Giants have a high-powered offense with Eli Manning and wideouts Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard, and while that unit was held in check by the Vikings, there is too much talent there for any slump to continue.
The Packers have the weapons to be a game-breaking offense with Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and we see this game as a back-and-forth shootout on Sunday night.
The Giants have the sixth-ranked offense in the league and should get back in stride, but the Packers rank 29th in that category.
We are not putting much stock in that last figure, because the Packers scored 34 points in their Week 3 victory over the Lions, and 31 points came in the first half.
The total in this game is 48 points, and the over looks like the way to go. We see both quarterbacks producing consistently, and that will allow the over bettors to have a smile on their faces by the early stages of the fourth quarter.
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