NFL Week 5 Favorites 2011: The first quarter of the season is over, which means the league is starting to sort itself out a bit. Teams are beginning to take on an identity and the playoff picture at least has a frame. A few of this weekend's matchups will bring things further into focus as the Raiders face the Texans, the Eagles take on the Bills, and the Jets meet the Patriots. Get $50 in Free NFL Picks Here.
The "are they for real" line of the week:
Philadelphia Eagles vs Buffalo Bills (+3)
Apparently the odds makers are convinced the Eagles 1-3 start is more fluke than the Bills 3-1 start is real. Would that be the case had Buffalo not folded against Cincinnati on Sunday? Who knows. What is certain, though, is the fact that Philadelphia has difficulty holding onto a lead. Each of the last three weeks the Eagles held a third quarter advantage but failed to win the game. That begs two questions: are the Eagles a good team that caught some bad breaks or are they a just a bad team? This weekend's meeting with Buffalo will go a long way toward answering those questions. It will also reveal a thing or two about the Bills and what can be expected of them going forward.
The "barking dog" line of the week: Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons (+4)
Atlanta has been mostly unimpressive this season while the Packers offense has looked virtually unstoppable. Green Bay also stomped the Falcons 48-21 in the divisional round of the playoffs last season. Ignore those things this weekend. The Falcons are coming off back to back road games (1-1) and they have been darn near unbeatable at home with Matt Ryan under center. There is no doubt the Packers are the better team, but this game will go down to the wire as the Falcons turn in their most inspired performance of the season.
The "rebound" line of the week: Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans (-7)
Oakland looked poised to trade blows with the Patriots yesterday until Jason Campbell tossed the worst interception since Neil O'Donnell hit Larry Brown in Super Bowl XXX. The Raiders defensive line and rushing attack will give them a chance to rebound and stay in the playoff hunt this weekend at Houston. The Texans look to be a different team this year, but they will, most likely, be without Andre Johnson and it could be argued they have faced only one legitimate opponent (Saints).
NFL Week 5 Favorites 2011: Provided by BetOnline.com
Arizona Cardinals +3 (-125), Over 43 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings -3 (+105), Under 43 (-110)
Philadelphia Eagles -3 (+100), Over 48.5 (-110)
Buffalo Bills +3 (-120), Under 48.5 (-110)
Oakland Raiders +7 (-130)
Houston Texans -7 (+110)
New Orleans Saints -6 (-105), Over 52 (-110)
Carolina Panthers +6 (-115), Under 52 (-110)
Cincinnati Bengals +1 (+110), Over 36 (-110)
Jacksonville Jaguars -1 (-130), Under 36 (-110)
Seattle Seahawks +10 (-115), Over 41.5 (-110)
New York Giants -10 (-105), Under 41.5 (-110)
San Diego Chargers -4.5 (-110), Over 48 (-110)
Denver Broncos +4.5 (-110), Under 48 (-110)
Green Bay Packers -4 (-110), Over 53.5 (-110)
Atlanta Falcons +4 (-110), Under 53.5 (-110)
Tennessee Titans (NA)
Pittsburgh Steelers (NA)
New York Jets (NA)
New England Patriots (NA)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NA)
San Francisco 49ers (NA)
Kansas City Chiefs (NA)
Indianapolis Colts (NA)
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Chicago Bears +6 (-110), Over 47 (-110)
Detroit Lions -6 (-110), Under 47 (-110)
BYE WEEK: Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, Miami, Washington, Baltimore
