Week 5 NFL Picks: Over-Under Advice, Final-Score Predictions and Odds

Although there isn't a single game between teams with a winning record going into Week 5, the slate of NFL games should feature plenty of excitement.

The upcoming weekend is highlighted with teams desperately looking to get on the right path after mediocre starts to the season. Even those currently sitting at 1-3 know they are still capable of getting to the playoffs as long as they start winning in a hurry.

Whether the top teams can keep up their strong play or the middling squads turn desperation into success, each game will be fun to watch. Here is a look at predictions for all the games along with betting advice for over/under lines.

Away	Predicted Score	Home	ATS Pick	O/U
Jacksonville Jaguars	28-27	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	JAX +3	Over 42
Chicago Bears	20-24	Kansas City Chiefs	CHI +9.5	Under 45
Washington Redskins	14-31	Atlanta Falcons	ATL -7.5	Under 48
Seattle Seahawks	13-17	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -3	Under 43.5
New Orleans Saints	24-34	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -5	Over 49
Cleveland Browns	13-20	Baltimore Ravens	BAL -6.5	Under 43
St. Louis Rams	17-27	Green Bay Packers	GB -9	Under 46.5
Buffalo Bills	14-16	Tennessee Titans	TEN +2	Under 42
Arizona Cardinals	31-24	Detroit Lions	ARI -2.5	Over 45
New England Patriots	38-21	Dallas Cowboys	NE -8.5	Over 49.5
Denver Broncos	24-21	Oakland Raiders	OAK +4.5	Over 43.5
San Francisco 49ers	17-20	New York Giants	SF +7	Under 43
Pittsburgh Steelers	27-17	San Diego Chargers	PIT +3	Under 45.5

Note: All spread info courtesy of Odds Shark.

Top Over/Under Picks

Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals (Under 43.5)

Scott Eklund/Associated Press

The Seahawks defense is back to being the Seahawks defense. While there were some bad plays over the first two games during the 0-2 start, the unit has been as good as ever in the past two games.

It was instrumental in wins over the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions while only allowing three combined points, not counting the fumbled return for a touchdown against the offense.

One of the major differences was the return of Kam Chancellor, who held out the first two games while dealing with contract disputes. When asked about whether the safety is responsible for the improved play, head coach Pete Carroll gave the obvious answer, via John Boyle of Seahawks.com:

"

It sure looks like it doesn’t it. It sure looks like it. We’ve just played really good football, and the guys are starting to get that feeling. It takes time to develop and get that sense, but they really are starting to get that feeling. Now here we go with the best challenge in the NFL, so we’ll see what that all means. But up until this point the turnaround has been obvious and he’s been instrumental.

"

Although the Cincinnati Bengals have moved the ball well offensively this season (at least 24 points scored in each game), getting into the end zone will not be easy at all against Seattle.

On the other hand, the Bengals defense could be set for a big day after harassing Alex Smith last week with five sacks. Considering the Seahawks struggles on the offensive line and the fact Russell Wilson was brought down six times in Week 4, the pass-rush could be a major factor in this one.

With Marshawn Lynch out once again with a hamstring injury, per ESPN's Field Yates, Seattle won't have much success offensively either.

Both these teams have a chance to go deep in the postseason this year, but this battle will be more of a showcase of defensive talent than offensive.

New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys (Over 49.5)

It's been a small sample size of three games, but the New England Patriots offense looks dominant so far. The team is scoring a league-leading 39.7 points per game and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

Boomer Esiason of Inside the NFL had high praise for the red-hot unit:

That 2007 team scored 589 points (36.8 per game) behind historic marks from Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Brady appears to be playing as well as ever and Rob Gronkowski has been just as much of a scoring threat as Moss. Julian Edelman has also nicely filled in the role left open by the departed Wes Welker.

Meanwhile, there is even more balance with LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis combining to equal a strong run game that can be used in different situations. The Dallas Cowboys could have a hard time keeping this offense in check.

One area Dallas will be able to succeed is offensively with the run game. Joseph Randle hasn't exactly replaced DeMarco Murray, but the offensive line is still dominant and should be able to push around a Patriots defense giving up 4.9 yards per carry, which is tied for worst in the NFL.

Even if some of the points come in garbage time, the Cowboys will find a way to get onto the scoreboard and help this remain a high-scoring battle.

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans (Under 43.5)

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

The play of Tyrod Taylor was one the big stories in football through the first few weeks of the season. However he looked mortal in a Week 4 loss to the New York Giants as he only led the offense to 10 points. You can blame penalties and bad luck, but he still had a total QBR of 16.6 out of 100, which was his worst of the year by far.

It won't get any easier on Sunday with most of his top weapons unavailable:

The Tennessee Titans have played well defensively to start the year, ranking sixth in the NFL with just 308.3 total yards allowed per game. The scoring numbers aren't as good, but turnovers against the Indianapolis Colts make this look worse.

Coming off a bye, this squad should be able to keep the banged-up offense in check.

Of course, the Bills still have a lot of talent on the defensive side of the field. While the secondary has been suspect at times, the defensive line is capable of shutting down the Titans' run game (no matter who is in the backfield) while causing serious pressure for Marcus Mariota.

This will likely be a slow, back-and-forth game with few points, ensuring it stays well below the under.  

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