Wagering on the underdogs proved to be profitable in Week 5 of the NFL regular season with teams getting points going 8-6 against the betting line. Home dogs had a particularly good time over the weekend going 3-1 straight up and winning all four games against the line. The Seattle Seahawks were the only home underdog to lose straight up last week, falling 33-31 to the Rams, though they covered the 7.5-point closing line.
Points and touchdowns are on the rise in the NFL, but oddsmakers have adjusted the totals accordingly. For the third time this season the money was split evenly between the over and under with the games going 7-7 through Sunday night’s contest. Home moneyline favorites were profitable with those teams going 8-2 straight up for the second straight week. Philadelphia and San Francisco were the only home chalk to lose outright.
NFL Week 5 Betting Summary
| WAGER | Favorite/Underdog |
| Straight Up | 9 – 5 |
| ATS | 6 – 8 |
| WAGER | Total (O/U) |
| Over/Under | 7 – 7 |
Biggest Week 5 Upsets
Buffalo Bills ( +6 ) 13, Tennessee Titans 12
As bad as the Bills have looked at times this season, they are only one game behind AFC East leaders Miami and New England. For the second time in three weeks, Buffalo pulled off the biggest upset of the week, knocking off the Titans as a 6-point dog on Sunday. Both wins have come against teams that reached the postseason and won at least one game last year.
While Josh Allen was the focus of Buffalo’s upset win in Minnesota a few weeks ago, LeSean McCoy finally get into the action last week. After having just 29 touches through the first four games, McCoy had 26 touches against the Titans and amassed 108 scrimmage yards. The Bills held Tennessee to four field goals and cashed the under for a third straight game.
Minnesota Vikings ( +3.5 ) 23, Philadelphia Eagles 21
The Vikings got some revenge from last season’s loss in the NFC Championship, but more importantly they got their season back on track. Going winless in their previous three games with a defense that got hammered by Buffalo among them, the Vikings needed something good to happen. They got it in Philly as a 3.5-point underdog.
The Vikings were able to put the clamps on Carson Wentz and they forced a pair of turnovers, one of which directly resulted in a touchdown by Linval Joseph. We saw plenty of that last year from the Vikings as they allowed the fewest points since their 24-16 win over the Niners in the season opener.
Cleveland Browns ( +3 ) 12, Baltimore Ravens 9
It wasn’t pretty, but for a team that needs wins it was a thing of beauty. Playing their third overtime game of the season and second in a row, the Browns upset the Ravens with a late field goal that knuckled over the cross bar. It was a nice performance after losing the previous week in Oakland in a game the Browns probably should have won. To come out against a team tied for first in the division entering the day, the Browns proved to be a resilient group and moved to 4-1 against the spread this season while remaining unbeaten at home.
Arizona Cardinals ( +3 ) 28, San Francisco 49ers 18
There are no more winless teams in the league after the Cardinals upset the Niners on the road as a 3-point pup. The Cards were outplayed in nearly every aspect, but they were opportunistic forcing five turnovers and scoring touchdowns off three of them. I thought this was a crazy line coming in with the Niners reeling from the loss of Jimmy Garoppolo just a few weeks earlier. They did compete with the Chargers last week behind C.J. Beathard, but now that the reality has set in, the Niners just might be the worst team in the NFC West. The Cards are 3-0 ATS in their last three and they cashed the over for the first time with their win in Northern California.
NFL Betting Odds
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