NFL Week 5 Picks

POSTED IN Football Betting | no comments

NFL Week 5 Schedule

The 5^th week of the NFL regular season is scheduled as following:

Good news everybody! The referee lockout is finally over with and the regular refs are back on the field. We all hope the upcoming and future matches this season go much smoother than what has been going on since the start of the season.

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams; Cardinals to Win

The Odds

The Arizona Cardinals, despite not posting any impressive stats, have been able to go 4 – 0 during this regular season. This is a huge surprise for most, as they did not think the Cardinals would do very well this season.

In terms of skill and ability, both teams are pretty equal, with just one very important factor, the overall defense. The Cardinals have proven once and again that their defense is what truly gets them their wins. They have a positive turnover ratio, proving they are capable of holding on to the ball, as well as getting it back. Even with their sub-par passing coverage, they will be able to cover and guard against the Rams QB Sam Bradford, as he has a weak offensive line to protect him and has a tendency to buckle under pressure. The one aspect the Rams are good at is the running plays, but that is where Arizona has a good defense.

The Rams do not have such a solid lineup, and it will allow the Cardinals to take advantage and score. Most of the Cardinals games have ended with a close score, but I do believe that in this instance, they will be able to outscore the Rams.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Redskins; Redskins to Win

The Odds

This is another opportunity for the Falcons to continue with their winning streak, but sadly I believe that the Redskins will be able to stop them in their tracks and take that winning streak from them.

The Washington Redskins are going to have to shut down the Falcons passing game if they want to win this match. The Falcons offensive line has not been showing a very strong pass protection, which could let the Redskins break up or even intercept any of the passes. Both teams have a very good turnover ratio, meaning this matchup will be settled by which team is able to step the others offense in a more effective manner. The Redskins are playing at home, after winning their first game, which was on the road. Their defense may not be the best, but they showed impressive skill during their win against Tampa Bay.

The one aspect that will certainly help the Redskins beat the Falcons is their superior offense. It is clear that the Falcons rely more on passing than rushing, while the Redskins have a better rushing game, but are still capable of passing the ball. This will be to their advantage, as the Falcons have a big gap in their rushing defense.

This match-up will certainly have a high score, with each team taking their turns to score. In the end though, the Redskins will win the match by even the slightest margin.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers; Steelers to Win

The Odds

This match is going to be an extremely well fought and played game, between two teams that have excellent defenses. The Steelers have been using their defense to keep their opponents at bay, while using their passing game to win their only game against the New York Jets. Even though the Eagles have won more games than the Steelers, they have been unable to score very much. The one area that the Eagles could possible cause any problems for the Steelers would be to cover their passing game.

The Eagles are prone to losing the ball quite often, while the Steelers have been able to maintain a good balance between losing and getting the ball back. The games that the Steelers have lost were just by a few points, but when they played at home, they were able to outscore their opponents while stopping them from scoring. On the other hand, the Eagles have done poorly on the road. This is the advantage that the Steelers will have, along with an excellent defense, for beating the Eagles.

This match score will be relatively low, as both teams defense will be causing a lot of turnovers.

Tennessee Titans vs. Minnesota Vikings; Vikings to Win

The Odds

The Vikings have been doing well their last few games. They have just got back from winning their first away game against the Detroit Lions. The most important aspect a team needs to have when trying to defeat an opponent at home, is to have a much better defense than they do. In this case, the Titans defense does not have very good chances of stopping the Viking offense. On the other hand, with their home field advantage, and having a much better defense, the Vikings are sure to stop any kind of play that the Titans may use. The one aspect the Titans could cause problems is with their passing, which does surpass the Vikings.

The Titans have also been proving that they are very prone to losing the ball. They have a poor turnover ratio, and on top of that they are not very good at the third down conversions. The Vikings will be able to use this against them, and stop their passing plays, which could possibly shut down the Titan offense.

The particular match-up is going to be somewhat skewed, as the Vikings are able to defend and attack in a very balanced manner, while the Titans simply do not have a very good team; especially when it comes to playing on the road.

Houston Texans vs. New York Jets; Texans to Win

The Odds

The Houston Texans will be playing for their 5^th straight win this season, which they are very likely to get. The Texans simply have a much better team, overall, than the New York Jets do. Even with the Jets home field advantage, the Texans are sure to trample over the Jets. The Texans have proven that whether they play at home or on the road, it does not matter, as they will still be able to play and win regardless of the situation or their opponent.

The Jets do have one good defensive aspect; they are good at stopping the passing plays. This, however, is moot since the Texans are good at both passing and rushing, so they can easily overcome that one obstacle. The Texans are also able to recover the ball and maintain more time in possession than their opponents. The offensive line does a good job of protecting their quarterback, as well as creating openings and blocking for the running plays. It would seem the Mark Sanchez, the Jets QB, has not been doing as well as last season, with a high number of interceptions.

The great thing about the Houston Texans is that they utilize every single member of their team, and they do it in an elegant and efficient manner. Even the kickers have an important role to play and are used to their advantage. This game will end with the Texans 5^th straight win, and with a pretty high final score.

Recommended Reading:

NFL Week 2 Picks NFL Week 7 Picks NFL Week 8 Picks NFL Week 10 Picks NFL Week 6 Picks NFL Week 4 Picks NFL Week 9 Picks NFL Week 3 Picks