NFL Week 5 Picks: Guide for Latest Vegas Odds and Winning Predictions

 It has been slow going for Matt Patricia in Detroit.

After a couple of brutal games to start the season, the Lions showed they have some decent weapons to work with as they found a way to defeat the New England Patriots in Week 3, and that put a smile on their new coach's face.

The Lions had some momentum in Week 4 at Dallas, but the game ended in typical fashion for this long-suffering franchise, as a last-second field goal sent them home with a 1-3 record.

That's not good, but there have been some encouraging signs the past two weeks with Matthew Stafford picking up his play after a rough start, the discovery of a running game and a solid receiving crew that includes Golden Tate, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Theo Riddick.

The one thing that has escaped the Lions is a proficient defense, but you have to figure that Patricia will figure this out—and sooner rather than later.

The Lions face their first division game of the season with the Green Bay Packers coming to Detroit, and this is the time to expect a sharp effort. Stafford should be able to take advantage of an ordinary Green Bay defense, but what will Rodgers do against the Lions defense?

He is likely to have a big game, as receivers Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison are a potent trio. The Lions rank second against the pass, but that figure may be skewed because the Detroit run defense ranks 32nd in the league. 

Teams have been able to punish the Lions with the run, but that's not the best part of Green Bay's game. Rodgers is not likely to be cowed by the Lions' ranking against the pass.

Still, the Lions are 15-point home underdogs according to OddsShark, and they should be prepared to play their best game of the season. Green Bay will give the Lions all they can handle, but the home team will win by a field goal.

Week 5 Point Spreads and Predictions

Indianapolis at New England (-10.5), New England

Jacksonville at Kansas City (-3), Kansas City

Tennessee (-3) at Buffalo, Tennessee

Atlanta at Pittsburgh (-4), Atlanta

Denver at N.Y. Jets (-2.5), Denver

Green Bay (-1.5) at Detroit, Detroit

Baltimore (-1.5) at Cleveland, Baltimore

N.Y. Giants at Carolina (-7), Carolina

Miami at Cincinnati (-5.5), Cincinnati

Oakland at L.A. Chargers (-6), Los Angeles

Arizona at San Francisco (-3), Arizona

L.A. Rams (-7.5) at Seattle, Los Angeles

Minnesota at Philadelphia (-3), Philadelphia

Dallas at Houston (-3.5), Houston

Washington at New Orleans (-7), Washington

All point spread information courtesy of OddsShark.

Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers

The Raiders got their first win of the season in Week 4, beating the Cleveland Browns in overtime. While head coach Jon Gruden knows his team made several mistakes and still has a long way to go before it will be consistently successful, he has to be pleased with the outcome. His team took advantage of its final fourth-quarter possession to score a touchdown and a game-tying two-point conversion before winning in the extra session.

The Chargers have been quite inconsistent in their first four games, and that's a rather generous assessment for a team that was mentioned as a possible AFC Super Bowl team throughout much of the preseason.

The Chargers have big issues on defense and special teams, and they had to fight from behind to get past the battered San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.

The quarterback battle between Derek Carr of the Raiders and Philip Rivers of the Chargers has the potential to be exciting and high-scoring. The final drive against Cleveland should do a lot for Carr, while Rivers always plays with confidence and will not hesitate to fire the ball all over the field.

He also has plenty of help from running back Melvin Gordon, and the Chargers' balance should make life difficult for the Raiders. 

Los Angeles ranks eighth in yards per game, but the defense has been an issue, as that unit ranks 23rd in yards allowed.

The Chargers are the better team and have more weapons. That should allow them to win this game at home and cover the six-point spread.

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle

The Seahawks have battled hard and won their last two games after struggling in the first two weeks of the season.

They should be fired up to play the Rams at home and could give Los Angeles a battle for one or two quarters. 

However, the chances for an upset seem slim at this moment. That's because the Rams look like the best team in the NFL in the early season.

We're not saying that the Rams are going to roll through 16 consecutive opponents and put together a legendary season, but they should be able to keep their hot streak going for at least two or three more weeks.

The quarterback-running back combination of Jared Goff and Todd Gurley is impressive on an every-week basis, and the play of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods has been like a hammer coming down on Los Angeles opponents.

Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he will battle for 60 minutes, but he does not have enough weapons right now. Wideout Doug Baldwin has returned from injury, and he has modest statistics to this point—five catches for 50 yards—but he could find a way to cause problems.

The Rams should win this game by double digits and cover the 7.5-point spread.