Beware of Dog: Five NFL Underdogs That Will Bite in Week Five

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In Week 4, the underdogs were biting again.

Washington, St. Louis, Cleveland and Denver stunned the NFL world and grabbed a victory. Jacksonville pulled off the biggest upset of the week and beat the Indianapolis Colts. BetMania had the Jaguars listed as eight point underdogs. The Jags were not even expected to come close to winning, but they sent Peyton Manning home with a loss.

This list does not include the teams that came close to pulling off upsets but fell just short like Detroit, San Francisco, and Carolina.

Just goes to show that on any given Sunday—any team can win in the NFL.

Here are five teams that can pull off the upset in week five.

Cleveland Browns

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The Browns may be the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL because they are getting no respect. They are coming off a win against the Bengals yet they are still considered underdogs when they host the Atlanta Falcons this week. BetMania has the Browns posted as three point dogs.

The Falcons are winning but their play is inconsistent. They escaped a loss against the 49ers and their offense is hit or miss.

Peyton Hillis has emerged as a premiere running back—putting up big numbers in back-to-back games. The Browns are playing good enough to win and they have the home field advantage. The Browns have a realistic shot of winning this game. And they have the backing of the dawg pound?

Arizona Cardinals

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This game might be a stretch but why not? The Cardinals have struggled with their offense, and looked bad against the Bolts in week four, but they are a better team at home. It is that style of play that has prompted BetMania to list them as seven point underdogs against the New Orleans Saints.

This is more a play against the Saints, then on the Cardinals. The Saints looked downright horrible against the Panthers and did just enough to get a win. Now they head to the road and still have plenty of questions. They have a hobbled quarterback in Drew Brees and still have a questionable kicking game. Max Hall should be an improvement at quarterback for the birds.

This might sound crazy, but I bet no one would have thought Jacksonville had a chance against the Colts.

Oakland Raiders

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I drank the Kool-Aid that Raiders' Nation was pouring last week, and I was duped into taking the Raiders as three point dogs against Houston. Here I am again lining up to back them against the Bolts.

BetMania has the Raiders as three point home underdogs once again when they battle the San Diego Chargers. It’s hard to back a team that just let you down, but here is why I think the Raiders have a shot this weekend...

The Raiders are a divisional dog, and if you have read any of my articles, the home divisional dog has been a windfall for football bettors this year. The Raiders fit that bill this year and the Chargers have been horrible road favorites. The Chargers fell flat against Kansas City and again against the Seattle Seahawks.

A poor performance on the road and a home divisional dog—is enough reason for the Raiders to be worth a look in week five.

Denver Broncos

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 The Broncos have been a tough team to gauge in 2010. They lost a road game to the Jacksonville Jaguars and then beat the Titans as 6.5 point underdogs. One thing for sure is that Kyle Orton has looked great as the signal caller for the Broncos. BetMania has them listed as seven point road underdogs heading into the game with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are coming off a very emotional win against a division rival as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the closing seconds.

The Broncos prove to be worth a look in this game against the Ravens. Since the Broncos rely on the pass and can move the ball in the air, they are never out of any game. The Ravens will be in letdown mode and that makes the Broncos a dangerous dog in week five.

 

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel Free to contact Matt at [e-mail]

Washington Redskins

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According to BetMania the Redskins are three point home puppies to the visiting Green Bay Packers. The Packers are a very talented team, but have played mistake prone football in the last two games. They gave a win away to the bears on Monday night and followed that up with a sub-par effort at home to the Lions.

Donovan McNabb and the Redskins looked flawless in defeating McNabb’s old team. The Redskins seem to be the type of team that plays up (or down) to the competition. If they can avoid letdown after an emotional win—they have the chance to pull off the upset.

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Week Five Picks Against the Spread for every Game

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel Free to contact Matt at [e-mail]