NFL Picks Week 5: Best Bets to Take for Jets vs. Falcons Monday Night Showdown

Monday night is finally here and that means another exciting matchup on Monday Night Football—this time between the New York Jets and the host Atlanta Falcons.

If you aren't a fan of either team, placing a bet on this game will no doubt enhance the viewing experience, and some of the lines from Las Vegas present some must-take bets.

Let's take a look at the spread for this game as well as a couple of favorable over/under wagers you can make based on the trends of each team.

Betting lines courtesy of Bovada.lv.

The Spread (Falcons -10)

The 2-2 Jets were brought crashing back down to earth last week after being dismantled by the Tennessee Titans, 38-13. Such a loss was a bit surprising considering it was thought the Titans and Jets were pretty even teams in most departments.

Week 5 will present a much tougher matchup for the Jets defense. The Falcons possess one of the most potent offensive units in the NFL as evidenced by their No. 4 ranking through the air. That's a stark contrast to the Titans' No. 29-ranked squad from one week ago.

The Jets defense will have its work cut out for it, and the Falcons will put some points on the board in this one. New York may be able to reach the end zone in this game, but don't expect it to happen often with New York ranking No. 28 in the NFL in total points.

Granted, the Falcons defense is horrid against the pass with a No. 26 ranking, but the Jets and their rookie quarterback have a middle-of-the-road passing attack (No. 15) overall, and Geno Smith's 68.6 QB rating is 31st in the league.

Being that the Falcons will be scoring some points in this one and the Jets will be hard-pressed to score any, taking the Falcons to cover the spread is a wise choice.

Bet: Falcons will cover (Final Score: Falcons 31, Jets 10)

Over/Under For Game (43.5)

Aside from its performance last week, the Jets do have a solid defense with a No. 8 and No. 4 ranking against the pass and run, respectively. Sure, the Jets defense won't be able to do enough to win this game, but it will at least stop Matt Ryan and company from blowing the doors off of it.

If averages hold up, the Falcons (23.5 points per game) and the Jets (17 points per game) will meet the under requirement in this game.

In reality, the Falcons will likely score slightly more than their season average after seeing what the Titans did to the Jets last week, and the Jets will score less, so don't expect this game to be as close as the point averages may indicate.

New York will have a tough time moving the ball on the ground—which has been a strength of late—thanks to the Falcons' No. 5 rush defense. The Jets' lack of offense and a stout Atlanta defense will stop these two teams from surpassing the over threshold.

Bet: Take the under

Over/Under First Half (23)

In three of their first four games, the Falcons have scored 14 points or less in the first half. The only time they scored more came back in Week 2 when they did it against the Rams; however, St. Louis has trailed going into the half in three of its first four games this season, so that's not a surprise.

The Jets have scored 12 points or less in the first half of three of their first four games. The only time they scored more (17) came against a lowly Buffalo Bills defense in Week 3 that ranks No. 19 and No. 24 against the pass and run, respectively.

The lack of production for both of these squads in the first half of their past games is a good sign for the under here.

The Falcons will likely find the end zone a few times in the first two frames, and even if the Jets score a touchdown themselves, a 14-7 score will get the job done. Look for the Jets to fail to reach the end zone at all in the first half with the Falcons enjoying solid success on offense against a stiff defensive team like the Jets.

Bet: Take the under