Welcome to Week 5 in the NFL, where the Cincinnati Bengals will look to upset Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, the Denver Broncos will try to make it two straight victories against the Davante Adams-less Las Vegas Raiders, and Justin Fields will look to lock up the Pittsburgh Steelers QB1 job with a prime-time victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
As we do every week, we’ve collected all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine and put them in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more. Ready? Let’s jump in.
All NFL odds via SportsLine consensus odds.
Which picks can you make with confidence in Week 5? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception.
New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings (London)
Time: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Jets -3.5, O/U 44.5
“I’m actually excited to watch this game and that’s because it features the best quarterback in the NFL going up against Aaron Rodgers. HAHAHAHA. See what I did there. If I had written that sentence three months ago, I would have been laughed off the internet. Not only does Sam Darnold have the highest QB rating in the NFL through four weeks, but he also leads the league in touchdown passes with 11 (no other QB has more than eight). The reason he’s been so good is because he has a lot of weapons and he knows how to use them all.
“The Jets currently have the second-best pass defense in the NFL, but that stat is kind of misleading because they held Bo Nix to 60 yards in Week 4, and holding Bo Nix to 60 yards isn’t as impressive as it sounds. (As a matter of fact, three of the top-eight passing defenses have one thing in common: They’ve all played Nix.)
“I’m not sure if Darnold will outplay Rodgers, but I like his chances. The Jets QB got beat up in Week 4 and was definitely hurting after getting sacked five times and taking 14 HITS against the Broncos. When you’re 40 years old, two hits can make your body hurt, so I have no idea how Rodgers survived 14 hits. Also, when your entire body hurts, the last thing you want to do is jump on a seven-hour international flight.
“The first win of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching career came against Rodgers, and I’m guessing that his 25th win is also going to come against Rodgers. If this pick hits, I’ll be celebrating by having tea and crumpets, because that’s the London way. And also because I love tea and crumpets.”
John Breech is taking the Vikings to cover the small number in London. To check out his Week 5 column and read his takes on time zones, click here.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bengals -1.5, O/U 46.5
“Styles make fights, and the Bengals are way short on DTs and cannot stop the run — as the Panthers just showed — and are running into the worst team possible here. The Bengals’ defensive line is a lot like the one in Dallas the Ravens ran 45 times on for 274 yards. Baltimore’s three-headed rushing attack will be a problem here. Lamar Jackson has a long history of explosive runs versus this defense and averaged 5.0 yards per carry against them as a team last year. Mike Macdonald is no longer the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, but he left behind a blueprint to shut down Joe Burrow, who is 1-3 against Baltimore over the last two years while averaging just 5.9 yards per attempt with an 85.3 rating. The Ravens are 4-2 ATS in their last six at Cincinnati and 7-3 ATS on the road since the start of last season, with a 5.60 average cover margin (third-best in the NFL). Cincinnati is just 5-5-1 at home ATS in that span. Lamar Jackson is 5-2 ATS in his last seven games at Cincy, very close to where he played his college football in Louisville. He likes putting on a show there.”
Jason La Canfora has made Ravens -2.5 a best bet this week. To check out his other best bets, head on over to SportsLine.
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Texans -1.5, O/U 48
“Houston is averaging a whopping 10 penalties per game, while Buffalo is committing half as many fouls. In a great quarterback matchup on Sunday between Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud, that will be the difference. The Texans are a young team who is working on their maturity, while Buffalo is a veteran club looking to bounce back after the curb stomping on Sunday night in Baltimore. Allen (+350) and Stroud (+1000) are my two favorite MVP bets to make thus far in 2024 and they’ll put on an offensive show. Start all of the fantasy players you can in this one.”
SportsLine expert Eric Cohen has made his exact NFL score predictions for Week 5, and he likes the Bills to beat the Texans. To read Cohen’s exact score predictions for each game this week, head on over to SportsLine.
Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Bears -5.5, O/U 42
“Don’t look now, but things are somewhat starting to click for the Bears offense. Over the last two weeks, Caleb Williams has been far more productive through the air and is coming off his best statistical game of the season (106.6 passer rating vs. Rams) in Week 4. While this team still has some growing pains to go through, it has a favorable matchup at home here against the Panthers, who are giving up a league-high 32.3 points per game this season. Andy Dalton has raised the floor of the Carolina offense since taking over for Bryce Young, but he isn’t someone who should instill a ton of fear, particularly against this Bears defense that is just outside the top-10 in the league in fewest yards per play allowed and are tied for the third-most takeaways. Also, Chicago has been pretty automatic at home, as it is 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS at Soldier Field in its past seven games, including five straight covers.”
Tyler Sullivan likes the Bears to cover at home this weekend. To read his best bets for Week 5, click here.
Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Browns -2.5, O/U 43.5
Before you make any Week 5 NFL picks or NFL parlays, you need to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say. Hartstein tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. His weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which are 83-55-3 (60.1%, +22.15 units) since its inception in 2022.
This week, he’s taking the points with Cleveland as a best bet:
“The Commanders have thrived in the underdog role the past two weeks, but now dress up as substantial favorites. This will be the best defense Jayden Daniels has faced. The Browns’ offense has looked pathetic with poor offensive line and QB play and a slew of inexcusable dropped passes. But against the Commanders’ shaky defense, the offense has a chance to look much better. I’m expecting a tight game and taking the points.”
To check out Hartstein’s other best bets for Week 5, head on over to SportsLine.
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Jaguars -2.5, O/U 47
“The Colts have not won in Jacksonville since 2014, but this Jaguars team is reeling. At 0-4, this is a must win or they are truly done. The Colts don’t know who will start at quarterback with Anthony Richardson dinged up. It could be Joe Flacco. It won’t matter. The history stays the same. The Jaguars will get their first victory.”
CBS Sports Senior NFL Writer Pete Prisco likes the Jaguars to win at home on Sunday. To read his breakdown of every game this week, click here.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Dolphins -3.5, O/U 45
“In case you haven’t noticed, things aren’t going very well for Miami. The Dolphins are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t led a game with time left on the clock, and they’ve been outscored by an average of 20 points in each of the last two games without Tua Tagovailoa. It wasn’t surprising that Tyler Huntley looked so out of sync with an offense he had less than two weeks to learn, and now he has to go on the road to face Jerod Mayo’s defense.
“I understand the Patriots offense isn’t among the most prolific in the league, and they just lost center David Andrews due to a shoulder injury. But the Dolphins are 1-6 without Tagovailoa at quarterback, and didn’t even score a touchdown in that lone victory. This will be a low-scoring affair, but I’ll take the Patriots to win at home.”
Jordan Dajani likes the Patriots to hand the Dolphins a loss this weekend. To read his weekly column, click here.
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: 49ers -9.5, O/U 47
“San Francisco has won four straight games in this series and has scored 38, 38, 35, and 45 total points in those contests. After watching the Cardinals get shredded by the Commanders on Sunday, do you have any confidence in them slowing down Brock Purdy’s 49ers on the road? I don’t. San Francisco puts up another big number in a convincing win.”
SportsLine expert Eric Cohen has made his exact NFL score predictions for Week 5, and he likes the 49ers to roll on Sunday. To read Cohen’s exact score predictions for each game this week, head on over to SportsLine.
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos
Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Broncos -1, O/U 41
“Broncos games this season have featured a combined 29.3 points per game, which rank fewest in the NFL. Yes, Bo Nix has struggled, but he has the backing of the most underrated defense in the NFL.
“I took a look at the Broncos defense in my column this week. Denver has the highest blitz rate (49.7%) and third-highest pressure rate (40.7%) in the NFL this year. The Broncos also have the highest sack rate in the league (11.8%) after ranking 20th in 2023 (6.8%). Only the Vikings have recorded more sacks than the Broncos this season. Vance Joseph’s unit currently ranks No. 2 in yards allowed per game (256.5) and third in points allowed per game (13.8). They have now gone three straight games allowing 13 or fewer points.
“The Raiders have had the Broncos’ number as of late, but the Davante Adams trade news breaking this week probably won’t help camaraderie. He’s also reportedly not suiting up on Sunday because of his hamstring injury.”
Jordan Dajani likes the Broncos to keep it rolling this weekend. To read his Week 5 column, click here.
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Rams -1.5, O/U 48.5
“It was a shaky start for Jordan Love in his return to action last week against the Vikings, but the Packers quarterback was able to will his team back into contention late. That flashes the high ceiling I had on this Green Bay squad coming into the year, and I think it is poised to show it to us again in Los Angeles as a road favorite. The Rams defense has been horrid through the first month, ranking 31st in scoring, 32nd in yards per play allowed and 30th on third down (50% conversion rate). While all eyes will continue to be on Love as he works his way back into top form, this could be a Josh Jacobs showcase, as the Rams are allowing a league-worst 165.6 yards on the ground this season.”
Tyler Sullivan likes the Packers to beat the Rams by double digits this weekend. To read his best bets for Week 5, click here.
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Seahawks -3.5, O/U 43
“This is a long trip for the Giants, but they will be rested having played last Thursday, while the Seahawks played Monday night. Seattle is really banged up on defense, so this could be a game for the Giants offense to show something. The Seattle offense showed Monday night it can score. Look for points as the Giants hang around, but Seattle wins it.”
CBS Sports Senior NFL Writer Pete Prisco likes the Giants to cover in Seattle. To read his breakdown of every game this week, click here.
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers
Time: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Cowboys -1.5, O/U 43
Before you make any Cowboys vs. Steelers bets or predictions, you need to see which side SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White is on. White is on a 65-34 roll (+2735) on Steelers spread picks, so he knows what he’s talking about. We can tell you White is leaning towards the Under in this matchup, but to see his official pick on the spread, head on over to SportsLine.
New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs
Time: Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Chiefs -8, O/U 44.5
The Kansas City Chiefs will look to stay unbeaten when they battle the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football.” New Orleans has lost two in a row, including a 26-24 decision at Atlanta on Sunday, while Kansas City defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-10, in Week 4. Before you make any Saints vs. Chiefs bets or predictions, you need to see which side SportsLine NFL expert Danny Vithlani is on. Vithlani is on an incredible 22-7 roll (+1431) on NFL spread picks.
We can tell you Vithlani is taking the Under in this matchup, but to check out his official pick on the spread, head on over to SportsLine.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
October 4, 2024 | 2:20 pm
