We have NFL predictions for six games on Sunday afternoon, including a case for both sides of the spread on one.
We're betting two ugly unders with totals that cannot be low enough and make cases for two underdogs at 1 p.m. ET. For the late slate, NFL expert John LanFranca makes the case for the Packers in the national game of the week at 4:25 as they take on the Rams.
According to our Public Betting page, the Commanders and Seahawks are the most popular sides of the Sunday afternoon slate. For Sunday Night Football, it's no surprise that the Cowboys are getting a big majority of bets and money against the Steelers.
Here are our NFL predictions & picks for Week 5.
NFL Predictions, Picks
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 1 p.m. | |
| 1 p.m. | |
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 4:05 p.m. | |
  | 4:25 p.m. | |
Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Panthers vs. Bears: Don't Trust Chicago
By Sam Farley
The Panthers are 1-1 with Andy Dalton under center but the difference is staggering. They've scored 60 weeks with the Red Rifle compared with just 13 with Bryce Young at QB. This is one fo the best offensive lines in the league against the pass rush which gives optimism that they should be able to deal with the Bears' defense. The line has already come in from +5.5 to +4 and I'd be happy taking the Panthers at anything over +3.
Pick: Panthers +4 (-110)
Ravens vs. Bengals Pick: Baltimore Will Stay Hot
By Kyle Murray
This is potentially a hangover spot for the Ravens coming off of a dominant win against Buffalo, and while the Bengals tend to play up to their competition, this is still a team that lost to New England and allowed Washington to score nearly 40 points. The Ravens have had a difficult schedule, and although their loss to the Raiders is hard to excuse, they dominated a Buffalo team last week that could easily compete for a Super Bowl.
Pick: Ravens -2.5 (-110)
Colts vs. Jaguars: The Case for Indianapolis
By Kyle Murray
I am just not sure the Jags deserve any respect right now. The Colts are coming off of a strong win against a formerly 3-0 Steelers team, and the Jags have yet to find the win column. There are some question marks around the health of Anthony Richardson, but I'm not so sure that Joe Flacco is a downgrade at all with how Richardson has been playing. The Jaguars defense has been atrocious, and the team has yet to score more than 20 points in a game this season.
Pick: Colts +3 (-110)
Colts vs. Jaguars The Case for Jacksonville
Trevor Lawrence has seemingly played his best football in his career against the Colts and I expect that trend to continue. The Jaguars are due for some positive regression when it comes to converting third downs, as they rank 30th in the league through four weeks. The cure for this ailing Jacksonville team is this Indianapolis defensive unit.
The Colts defense has forced the fewest three-and-outs on a per possession basis league-wide as they continue to rack up key injuries. The Jaguars should be able to stay on schedule for the duration of this game, ranking 6th in adjusted line yards created per rush. The Colts defense has stuffed just 16% of rushes at or behind the line of scrimmage, ranking 24th in the NFL.
Lawrence has also had success against the Colts cover-3 heavy defense. According to Sharp Football, Lawrence has shredded this Indy defense to the tune of a 78.3% completion percentage on attempts against the Colts cover-3 in their past meetings. Colts' defensive coordinator is unlikely to make an drastic changes in scheme, especially without his top cornerback Kenny Moore, who is slated to miss Sunday's game.
All signs point to the Jaguars best offensive performance of the season as they look to get their first win. I am expecting an inspired performance here to potentially save Doug Pederson's job.
Pick: Jaguars -3 (-110)
Dolphins vs. Patriots: Total Can't Be Low Enough
By Kyle Murray
When you look at the teams who are putting up points in the NFL this season, most of them have strong QB play. Do you notice what these two teams do not have? You guessed it: strong QB play. These are arguably the two worst offenses in recent memory, as neither team averages more than 14 points per game (Miami averages 11.3, while the Patriots average 13).
Pick: Under 35.5 (-110)
Raiders vs. Broncos: Bet This Low Under
By Kyle Murray
Both of these teams have been very low-scoring squads so far, as the Raiders average 19.5 points per game while the Broncos sit at 15 points per game. With this game expected to be close based on the spread, I think both teams will be able to run the ball more and slow this game down quite a bit.
Pick: Under 36 (-110)
Packers vs. Rams Against the Spread Pick
The Rams defense is losing the line of scrimmage through four weeks. LA ranks 32nd in adjusted line yards per rush, which has translated to them giving up 6.4 yards per play in total this season, also ranking them last in overall defense. Not only are they the worst on a per-play basis, but they are giving up the 3rd most plays of 20 or more yards and the most plays of 30 or more yards.
Guess who happens to have generated the most explosive plays league-wide offensively, that's right, the Packers. One reason for the Packers' ability to create big plays is the luxury of pass protection to allow plays to develop. The Green Bay offensive line is responsible for the 3rd best adjusted sack rate allowed, at just 4.8%. It took Jordan Love time to get comfortable last week against the Vikings, but once he got into a rhythm, the Packers moved the ball up and down the field with ease.
Furthermore, Matt LaFleur has been dominant in this spot previously, covering the spread in 8 of 10 games as a favorite following a Packers straight up loss. LaFleur has only been in this exact spot as a road favorite three times in his coaching career following a loss, Green Bay covered the spread in all three of those instances.
Pick: Packers -3 (-115)
