Yahoo Sports NFL betting, odds: First look at Week 5 lines, including Rams-Seahawks and Bills-Chiefs
The Week 5 NFL slate is highlighted by a couple of juicy prime-time games, including the rare Thursday night marquee matchup.
The highlight of the week isn't the Los Angeles Rams-Seattle Seahawks matchup on Thursday night, but an AFC championship game rematch on Sunday night. The Buffalo Bills, coming off three blowout wins, travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won that AFC title game last season.
Here is the first look at the Week 5 lines, with the spreads from BetMGM:
Los Angeles Rams (-1) at Seattle Seahawks
The Rams were the talk of the NFL after Week 3, and then got blown out at home by Arizona in Week 4. That's how the NFL goes sometimes. Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak with a win at San Francisco.
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons (-3.5)
Last season the Jets' first win didn't come until December. It didn't take so long this time. They won on Sunday when the Titans missed a potential game-tying field goal in overtime. The Falcons lost a tough one to the Washington Football Team, and are 1-3 just like the Jets.
Green Bay Packers (-3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
This is an interesting line. It shows a lot of respect for the Bengals, who barely got by the Jacksonville Jaguars last Thursday. The Packers are rolling, having won three in a row after a rough opening day against the Saints.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-7.5)
The Lions were competitive for three weeks, and then got dominated by the Bears. The Vikings were flat on Sunday too, scoring just seven points in a loss to the Browns.
Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5)
The Broncos lost Sunday after quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went out due to a concussion. His status for this game is uncertain. The Steelers continued to struggle mightily on offense in a loss to Green Bay, and it's telling they're just 1.5-point favorites at home against a team that might be without its quarterback.
Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10.5)
There's a possibility for a letdown by the Buccaneers after an emotional, hard-fought game at New England. But Miami hasn't been very good yet.
New Orleans Saints (-1.5) at Washington Football Team
Good luck figuring out the Saints, who have alternated between looking dominant and awful through four weeks. Washington pulled out a tight win at Atlanta, but still isn't favored at home in Week 4 against the NFL's most unpredictable team.
Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers (-3.5)
This line could go up. The Eagles have lost three in a row, and gave up a lot of points the last two games. The Panthers lost in Week 4 at Dallas, but they were competitive into the second half until the Cowboys pulled away.
Tennessee Titans (-4.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Titans had a bad loss at the Jets and are a fairly small favorite at a bad Jaguars team. It's hard to know what to make of the Titans before we know the status of injured receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, who both missed Week 4.
New England Patriots (-9.5) at Houston Texans
The Patriots have been battling, but their 1-3 record is a tough reminder about how hard it can be in the NFL. They get a much easier challenge this week. Bill Belichick against rookie quarterbacks has always been a good betting angle.
Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders (-5.5)
Justin Fields looked a lot better in his second start, and maybe that's why the Bears are getting less than a touchdown in this game. The Raiders will be coming off a Monday night game against the Chargers.
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers (-1)
Among the non-prime time matchups, this might be the best one. The Browns and Chargers both look like teams that could be sneaky AFC contenders, and the line reflects how good this game should be.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-7.5)
The Giants got an impressive overtime win at New Orleans, but still are more than a touchdown underdog. That's because Dallas has looked good all season, even in an opening-week loss at Tampa Bay. The Cowboys offense is hard to stop.
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (-4.5)
It appears Jimmy Garoppolo could miss this game, so we could see Trey Lance's first start. Given the 49ers' quarterback situation and Arizona's great win at the Rams, it's a surprise the line is so low. It did go from Cardinals -3.5 to -4.5 overnight.
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-3)
The Bills have looked great the past three weeks, reestablishing themselves as a threat to win the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are always a threat to win the Super Bowl. This should be a fun game. The Chiefs being just a field-goal favorite shows respect to the Bills.
Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens (-7)
The Colts-Ravens game should have been a better Monday night matchup, but the Colts haven't lived up to expectations. They did get a road win at Miami in Week 4. The Ravens finally got a decisive win, beating the Broncos 23-7.
