NFL Picks Week 5: New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and 3 Awesome Moneyline Plays

While picking a game against the spread is the most common way for an amateur gambler to place a wager on an NFL game, the moneyline is another intriguing option that should be considered. Instead of giving or getting a certain amount of points, you pick the game heads-up and win a certain amount based on the line.

For example, if you were to put $100 on the Buffalo Bills at +135, your payout would be $235. Here are three awesome moneyline plays for Week 5. All odds courtesy of Bodog.

Chicago Bears (+200) at Detroit Lions

Chicago beat Detroit in both head-to-head matchups last season. Granted the Lions are a better team in 2011, but the Bears aren't a pushover either. Their only losses came against New Orleans and Green Bay, and they'll be the more desperate team as they try to stay in the NFC North race.

Matt Forte leads the team in both rushing and receiving, making him one of the more important offensive players in the league. Slowing him down will be priority No. 1 for the Lions on Monday. If he's over 100 total yards, Chicago has a chance.

Division games are usually close because both teams know each other so well. This should be no different, and Detroit is due for a let down eventually. It will be a close game that won't be decided until late in the fourth quarter, making Chicago's +200 a very good value.

Oakland Raiders (+185) at Houston Texans

The Raiders will come out with heavy hearts on Sunday after the passing of legendary owner Al Davis. If there was ever an organization that could be summed up in one man, it is Oakland. He represented an entire fan base with his hard-working attitude.

Don't think that won't be on the Raiders' minds as they travel to Texas. They are going to want to win this one for the boss. That might be the extra motivation they needed to push themselves past the favored Texans, who escaped an ugly game against Pittsburgh last week.

Houston's run defense is giving up 108 yards per game, which is good news for Darren McFadden. The workhorse back will see another heavy load on Sunday, and as he goes the Raiders will go. If the Raiders can pull it out for Al, it will pay off nicely.

New York Jets (+290) at New England Patriots

The Jets are coming off back-to-back big losses in which their highly-regarded defense allowed 34 points in each game. And you can bet Rex Ryan isn't happy about it. They will come out more motivated than ever on Sunday against their arch enemy.

Ryan has said the team will return to a run-first approach against New England after a more pass-happy offense has failed. That's good news in the long run because you can't trust an entire offense in the right hand of Mark Sanchez.

The first two possessions will decide this entire game. If the Jets fail to score and the Patriots get seven, it's all but over. I don't expect that to happen, though. It should be a tight game, which makes the prospect of tripling your investment worth the risk.