NFL Picks Week 5: Advice on Latest Vegas Odds and Spreads for Upcoming Schedule

Sometimes the best storylines in sports are the unexpected ones. And that's been the case with Gardner Minshew II this NFL season.

A rookie quarterback drafted in the sixth round in April, Minshew was expected to be the Jacksonville Jaguars backup this year. But when Nick Foles went down with a broken left clavicle in the season opener, Minshew stepped into action.

The former Washington State quarterback has impressed while leading Jacksonville to a 2-2 start. That includes a win Sunday, when the underdog Jaguars went on the road and upset the Broncos.

Despite winning each of the past two weeks, Minshew and the Jaguars are underdogs again this week. They could be a smart bet as they look to build off their momentum.

Here's a look at the odds for that matchup, as well as the rest of the Week 5 games, along with predictions and potential upsets to watch for.

Week 5 Odds, Predictions

Picks are made against the spread

L.A. Rams at Seattle (-1.5)

Arizona at Cincinnati (-4.5)

Buffalo at Tennessee (no line)

Chicago (-4) at Oakland

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-3.5)

Minnesota (-4.5) at N.Y. Giants

N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia (no line)

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (no line)

New England (-15.5) at Washington

Jacksonville at Carolina (-3)

Atlanta at Houston (-5)

Denver at L.A. Chargers (-6.5)

Green Bay at Dallas (-3.5)

Indianapolis at Kansas City (-11)

Cleveland at San Francisco (-3.5)

Odds obtained via Caesars

Potential Upsets

For the second straight week, the Jaguars are a good team to bet on as they go on the road and look to earn a victory.

Minshew has passed for 905 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception, and he's likely getting more comfortable as he adapts to the NFL. The past two weeks, he's led the Jags to victories over the Titans and the Broncos.

And even when Jacksonville trailed 17-6 at halftime in Denver, Minshew kept his cool.

"We weren't going to freak out," Minshew said, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "We were down 11 and we got some points just before half; that was huge. We knew we were going to get the ball back and have a chance to get right back in the game. We never doubted."

The Panthers are similar to the Jaguars, as they're 2-2 after losing their first two games of the season. Plus, they're also without their starting quarterback, Cam Newton (left foot injury), and are playing an inexperienced quarterback in Kyle Allen.

Expect a competitive game at Carolina, but with the Jaguars getting three points, again bet on them and bank on Minshew continuing his impressive start.

As for other games, the Packers and Browns could also be good teams to bet on as road underdogs.

Green Bay is more of a gamble, as it's traveling to Dallas to face another one of the NFC's top teams. Both the Packers and Cowboys are coming off a loss, so neither team is going to want to start a losing streak.

But the Packers have a strong offense, which should help in a game that could go back-and-forth and turn into the teams trading points late. Don't count out Aaron Rodgers leading an upset victory for Green Bay.

The Browns just scored 40 points in an impressive road win over the Ravens and now travel to take on the 49ers, one of three undefeated teams at 3-0. However, San Francisco's trio of victories have come against teams with a combined record of 3-9.

It seems like a smart bet to take Cleveland with 3.5 points, as it seems likely it will go on the road and earn another strong victory.