NFL Week 5 Picks: Latest Odds and Predictions for Prime-Time Games

It doesn't get much better than prime-time football. On Sunday night, it's the last barrier between you and the work week. On Monday night, well, it's something to look forward to to solve any cases of the Mondays.

This week's matchups may not present clashes between teams that look like Super Bowl contenders at the moment, but they are intriguing contest and, in some cases, must-win games for the teams involved. Let's take a closer look at these contests and offer some predictions.

Date	Time (ET)	Watch	Odds
Sunday, Oct. 11	8:30 p.m.	NBC	Giants (-7)

The New York Giants could easily be 4-0 right now. After losing their first two games late in the fourth quarter, the Giants have responded by winning two in a row. Right now, they look like the class of a weak NFC East, though once Tony Romo and Dez Bryant return to the Dallas Cowboys, that might change. 

Led by Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have the league's ninth-ranked scoring offense, which doesn't bode well for a San Francisco defense that gives up 27.5 points per game, tied for 28th in the NFL. 

The bigger concern for the Niners, however, is an offense averaging just 12 points per game. Colin Kaepernick (727 passing yards, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 62.1 completion percentage) has seemed to regress again this year, and he doesn't exactly have dynamic weapons in the passing game.

One of those weapons, Anquan Boldin, is frustrated by the play of his team, though he wouldn't go so far as to say that frustration extended to his quarterback, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"

I don’t listen to what people say. People are going to come out with theories one way or the other. My job is to come out and play football. Me and Kap are on great terms. Our relationship hasn’t changed just because were not winning football games. I don’t have frustrations with Kap. I have frustrations with us as a team not doing what we’re capable of doing.

"

The best way to overcome a struggling quarterback is by relying on the run game. It appeared the Niners were going to take that approach this season after Carlos Hyde rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in Week 1, but since that game, Hyde has registered just 114 rushing yards on 36 carries in the past three games.

The Niners aren't going to win a shootout with the Giants. If they can't win in the trenches and control time of possession, they'll lose this game. Regardless, the defense simply isn't good enough this year to slow down Manning and the Giants.

Prediction: Giants win, 28-17

Date	Time (ET)	Watch	Odds
Monday, Oct. 12	8:30 p.m.	ESPN	Chargers (-3)

Every NFL game can be broken down in multiple ways, but every so often, the key to a game is so obvious it almost assuredly will be the deciding factor in a matchup.

When the Steelers play the Chargers, the contest will ultimately come down to one factor: whether Mike Vick can efficiently lead Pittsburgh's offense.

If he can, the Steelers are capable of beating the Chargers, even on the road. Le'Veon Bell is one of the top running backs in the NFL, if not the top player at his position. Antonio Brown is the league's most consistent wideout. If the Steelers get good quarterback play, they'll put up plenty of points. 

Philip Rivers, Keenan Allen and the Chargers should put up plenty of points, too. Even if Vick and the Steelers get into a rhythm on offense, the Chargers are explosive enough on offense to win a shootout. That's why Andrea Hangst of Bleacher Report thinks the key for the Steelers is to sustain regular pressure on Rivers:

"

It's less about how Rivers reacts to pressure when he has time to throw and more about the Steelers making sure that pressure gets home when they send it.

Whether by a traditional three- or four-man rush or in blitzing situations, sacks lead to yards lost and to drives killed. Letting Rivers throw under duress may not work on every occasion, but that doesn't mean the Steelers should sacrifice the pass rush for coverage just because Rivers has done well while throwing with defenders in his face.

"

In other words, this game will come down to the quarterbacks. In a battle between Rivers and Vick, well, it's pretty hard not to take Rivers.

Prediction: Chargers win, 31-20

All odds via Oddshark.com.