October 05, 2020
Week 4 was wild for a number of reasons. Two games were postponed due to COVID (one just a day, the other multiple weeks). The Eagles seized first place in the NFC East with an upset win in San Francisco, despite their 1-2-1 record. And a slew of injuries decimated rosters, once again, as they have all season long.
As we do every Monday, let's take a look at the early odds for every NFL game this week, including the Birds' Week 5 battle of Pennsylvania against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
All of the spreads you'll see below come from TheLines.com's consensus odds, and you can click over to see how they differ slightly at three different PA sports books — FanDuel, DraftKings and Bet Rivers — to decide where the best value is in Week 5.
Without wasting any more time, let's get right into it...
Buccaneers (-5.5) at Bears
Yes, it's Tom Brady's first primetime game as a Buc, but the biggest and really the only storyline you need here is that Brady will face Nick Foles — who took over as the starter for the Bears — for the first time since Foles beat him in the Super Bowl three years ago. Is Foles in his head?
😂 Peyton Manning says he should have had Nick Foles as his caddy because he knows how to beat Tom Brady hahahahaha @6abc #NickFoles #PeytonManning pic.twitter.com/DsrIoSeYaB
— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) May 24, 2020
Bengals at Ravens (-13.5)
The Bengals appear to have a legitimate quarterback of the future in Joe Burrow and he has some exciting weapons — like fellow rookie Tee Higgins — but their defense will likely be manhandled by Baltimore's rushing attack.
Panthers at Falcons (-3.5)
This line could move either way after oddsmakers get a look at the Falcons against the Packers Monday night, but this game is as close a match up on paper as you'll find this week.
Raiders at Chiefs (-12.5)
The sports books think this one's a cake walk for the defending Super Bowl champs, and they might be right, though the Raiders have at least proven to be more than a cupcake, hanging in there with the Saints and Bills in their two losses. Maybe Las Vegas can hang on to cover?
Eagles at Steelers (-7)
Philly has some momentum and confidence after beating the 49ers, and could need a win here to stay on top of the NFC East (the Cowboys play the Giants). Meanwhile, the Steelers are coming off an unexpected week off after a slew of Titans tested positive for COVID and the NFL postponed their game. Seven points is probably about right for this one.
Rams (-9) at Washington
The Rams continue their tour of the NFC East with a rather easy Week 5 matchup in Washington. The Rams haven't looked particularly great at all this season, but Washington has looked even less so.
Cardinals (-7.5) at Jets
What could be better for Kyler Murray and Arizona, looking to bounce back after a dreary loss to Carolina, than a lay-up game against the worst team in the NFL?
Jaguars at Texans (-6.5)
So, the 0-4 Texans are favorites in Week 5. That's cool. I guess the Jaguars having a top 10 passing offense and red zone attack doesn't help, as they are nearly touchdown underdogs. It's safe to say this game is do-or-die for the underachieving Texans.
Dolphins at 49ers (-8.5)
San Francisco's injuries and recent setback against the lowly Eagles isn't enough to give oddsmakers pause this week. They seem pretty confident the Dolphins have no chance in Silicon Valley.
Cowboys (-9) at Giants
The 0-4 Giants suck, pretty bad. They have very little for their fans to get excited about. The 1-3 Cowboys suck but in a totally different way, leading the NFL in yards, but also 31st of 32 teams in yards allowed. They've lost some ridiculous shootouts this season, but it's hard to see Week 5 in East Rutherford N.J. yielding the same cardiac result.
Broncos at Patriots (-6.5)
We still don't entirely know how good the Patriots really are — though their Monday game against the Chiefs could provide more information. Regardless of how their Week 4 goes, they'll be heavily favored at home against the mediocre Broncos.
Colts (-2) at Browns
Now here's a juicy one. Fresh off scoring 49 points to move to 3-1 on the year in a win in Dallas, the Browns are underdogs, at home, against the 3-1 Colts. I guess the Colts have a more veteran lineup and are therefore more reliable? The Browns can gain some much-needed respect with a Week 5 win.
Vikings (-7) at Seahawks
If Seattle didn't have arguably the worst defense in the NFL, they'd be the unquestioned best team in the NFC. But at 4-0, they need to show they can win games in more than one way. The Vikings started the season slowly but are showing signs of life. They will need to bring it to keep up with Russell Wilson.
Chargers at Saints
We'll update the line as soon as it's available.
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