The first month of the 2021 regular season is almost in the books with just the Raiders and Chargers left on the schedule for Monday Night Football. This latest slate of games was once again impressive as we saw both New York teams earn their first win of the season in overtime while Tom Brady made his long-awaited return to New England and was able to squeak out a win against his former club.
While we still have one more game left on the docket, it’s never too early to take a gander at the upcoming Week 5 slate of games, that has a number of notable inner-division matchups. Below, you’ll find the opening lines for each contest along with a quick breakdown of where each team is at this stage of the year.
Week 5 early odds
(All lines from Caesars Sportsbook, all games on Sunday unless noted)
Rams (3-1) at Seahawks (2-2), Thursday
Opening line: Rams -1
Los Angeles suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the Cardinals and will now head to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that that was able to grab a quality road win against the 49ers. Russell Wilson was in vintage form in Seattle’s win, completing 16 of 23 for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 26 yards and another score. As for the Rams, they struggled to contain the Cardinals offense, particularly on the ground where they gave up 216 yards on 5.4 yards per carry and two touchdowns. Heading into this game, he Rams are 5-1 ATS following a straight-up loss and are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with Seattle.
Jets (1-3) at Falcons (1-3)
Opening line: Falcons -4
The Jets were able to take advantage of a banged up Titans receiver unit and earn their first win of the season, fending off Tennessee in overtime at MetLife Stadium. Meanwhile, Atlanta nearly earned its second win fo the season, but allowed Washington to score back-to-back fourth quarter touchdowns to pull off the comeback win. Not only are these teams both 1-3 on the season, but they are also 1-3 ATS as well. The Falcons come into this matchup 1-5 ATS in their last six as a favorite. As for the Jets, they are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall. There does seem to be little confidence in the Falcons at -4 as this number has already been dragged down to -3.5.
Lions (0-4) at Vikings (1-3)
Opening line: Vikings -8
The public leaned heavily on the Lions against the Bears in Week 4 and were not rewarded for it as Detroit fell to 0-4 and failed to cover against Chicago, losing 24-14. While that loss may have folks fade the Lions in Week 5, they’ll be going against a Vikings team that was limited to just seven points against a tough Browns defense. Historically, the Vikings have responded well to losses as they are 40-17 ATS in their last 57 games following a straight-up loss. Detroit, meanwhile, is 1-5 ATS in their last six games on the road.
Saints (2-2) at Washington (2-2)
Opening line: Saints -1.5
The public may be buying into the Taylor Heinicke magic. After the Saints opened as a 1.5 point favorite on the road, this number has started to tick in the direction of Washington, falling to just Saints -1. Washington comes into this game after a fourth-quarter rally that edged them over the Falcons to move them to .500 on the season. Meanwhile, the Saints gave the Giants their first win of the season after Saquon Barkley rushed for a game-winning touchdown in overtime. Despite the loss, New Orleans will look to keep their 8-3 ATS record over their last 11 heading in a positive direction in Week 5. However, Washington does enter this matchup 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win.
Patriots (1-3) at Texans (1-3)
Opening line: Patriots -7.5
Despite having identical records, the Patriots and Texans are on two different trajectories. New England nearly took down the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in Week 4, while Houston was shut out by the Bills in a game where they managed 109 yards of total offense. With that in minds, it’s no surprise to see the Patriots as more than a touchdown favorite. That said, Bill Belichick’s team is 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as a favorite.
Dolphins (1-3) at Buccaneers (3-1)
Opening line: Buccaneers -9.5
After a gutsy road win in Foxborough, the Bucs will head back to Tampa to face the Dolphins, who’ll still have Jacoby Brissett under center with Tua Tagovailoa (ribs) sidelined. Brissett totaled 199 yards passing and two touchdowns in the loss to the Colts, but the offense was shut out for two quarters before trying to mount a comeback in the fourth. The Dolphins defense had a surprisingly poor day against a banged up Indianapolis offense that totaled 349 yards while dropping 27 points. That likely is why this number has since ticked over into a double-digit advantage for Tampa Bay. The Bucs come into this game 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall and in their last six at Raymond James Stadium. The Dolphins do have a strong history bouncing back from a loss, however, owning a 7-1 ATS record in their last eight games following a loss.
Packers (3-1) at Bengals (3-1)
Opening line: Packers -3
Money seems to be coming in for the Packers as this spread has already jumped over the field goal threshold to -3.5 for this Week 5 matchup in Cincinnati. Both teams are 3-1 to begin the year and each is coming off a Week 4 victory. Of course, the Bengals played on Thursday, meaning they’ll be a bit more reseted for this head-to-head. However, these teams have responded differently in the past to wins. For Green Bay, they are 5-1 ATS following a straight up win. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is 1-6 ATS in their last second after getting into the win column the previous week.
Broncos (3-1) at Steelers (1-3)
Opening line: Broncos -1.5
Denver is undefeated no more. The Broncos were handed their first loss of the season on Sunday at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Steelers are also heading into Week 5 looking to rebound for a loss after they were handed a 10-point defeat by the Packers. While Heinz Field has historically been a great edge for the Steelers, they open as a home underdog with the Broncos sitting at -1.5 for this matchup. Over their last six home games, Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS, which is likely what has contributed to the Broncos having the advantage. It also doesn’t hurt that Denver is 4-1 ATS in their last five heading into this game.
Eagles (1-3) at Panthers (3-1)
Opening line: Panthers -4
The Panthers were another unbeaten who suffered their first loss of the year in Week 4. The Cowboys offense was too much to contain for Carolina, who allowed Dallas to drop 36 points on Sunday, including a 20-0 run in the third quarter. Philadelphia’s defense didn’t fare much better this weekend as they allowed Patrick Mahomes to throw for five touchdowns in their building en route to a 42-30 loss, moving them to 1-3 on the season. Historically, those losses have bled into the next game for the Eagles as they are 1-11 ATS in their last dozen games after losing by double-digits at home. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 5-0 ATS after an ATS loss the previous week.
Titans (2-2) at Jaguars (0-4)
Opening line: Titans -7
The public was not impressed with the Titans following their loss to the Jets. So much so that after this spread opened at Tennessee -7 for their Week 5 matchup with the Jaguars, it was quickly pushed down to -4 and went as low as -3.5. Of course, the statuses of both Julio Jones and A.J. Brown will be worth monitoring throughout the week and will likely dictate some more movement depending on if they’ll be able to play after missing Week 4. Despite their winless record, the Jaguars were impressive at times during their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Bengals, which likely gave even more confidence to bettors, who were quick to hit them at +7. Tennessee is 1-5 ATS in their las six as a road favorite.
Browns (3-1) at Chargers (2-1)
Opening line: Pick’em
Each and every week, the Browns defense seems to get even better. After piling up nine sacks in Week 3, Cleveland held the Vikings to just seven points in Week 4 and held the Minnesota’s offense to just 255 yards. Not only are the Browns 3-1 for the season, but they are also 3-1 ATS, making them one of the safer bets to begin the year. As for the Chargers, they’ll be taking on the Raiders during Monday Night Football. Once there is a result in that game, you’ll likely see this line shift toward one of these two clubs.
Bears (2-2) at Raiders (3-0)
Opening line: Raiders -6.5
It still remains to be seen what Matt Nagy will do at the quarterback spot going forward, but Justin Fields did impress in the Bears’ Week 4 win over Detroit. He helped move the chains, completing 11 of his 17 passes for 209 yards and an interception. That said, if Andy Dalton is healthy, it’ll be curious to see if he slots back in as QB1. Of course, the Raiders could be entering this game still undefeated on the season, depending on if they are able to get a win over the Chargers on Monday night. Already, however, folks seem to buying in on Fields as this spread has dropped to Raiders -4.5 after opening at -6.5. In their last seven games as a road dog, the Bears are 1-6 ATS.
49ers (2-2) at Cardinals (4-0)
Opening line: Cardinals -2.5
The Cardinals are one of the few undefeated teams entering Week 4 that remained perfect over the weekend, getting a win over the Rams. The running game proved to be dominant for Arizona as they were led by Chase Edmonds and quarterback Kyler Murray. While the Cardinals are riding serious momentum heading into Week 5, the 49ers will likely be without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for this one after he suffered a calf injury. That means, No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance will ascend to QB1 status for this game if Garoppolo is officially sidelined. That development has already altered the line as the Cardinals are now a 5-point favorite.
Giants (1-3) at Cowboys (3-1)
Opening line: Cowboys -8.5
The Cowboys are the only team in the NFL that is a perfect 4-0 ATS to begin the season and have now opened as a 8.5-point favorite against the Giants, who just earned their first win of the season. Dallas’ offense is firing on all cylinders at this point as Dak Prescott was able to throw for four touchdowns against Carolina while Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown in the win. While the Cowboys have been impressive, folks were quick to take the 8.5 points with New York and this line has since dropped to Dallas -7. Coming into Week 5, the Giants are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against the NFC East.
Bills (3-1) at Chiefs (2-2)
Opening line: Chiefs -3.5
The “Sunday Night Football” head-to-head is a rematch of the AFC Championship from last season. While Kansas City opened as a 3.5-point favorite, this advantage has since fallen under a field goal to 2.5. That could be thanks to Buffalo’s dominant past three weeks where they’ve outscored their opponents 118-21. Of course, the Chiefs are a much different beast than the likes of Washington, the Dolphins and the Texans, so Buffalo will still have plenty to try and contain in this matchup. The Bills are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games, while Kansas City is 1-7 ATS in their last eight games at Arrowhead.
Colts (1-3) at Ravens (3-1), Monday
Opening line: Ravens -6.5
Both of these AFC teams are coming into Week 5 following wins on the road. After opening as a 6.5-point favorite, this line has moved to Ravens -7 with a chunk of the early money leaning in the direction of Baltimore. The Ravens have played well at home as of late, owning a 4-0 ATS record and head into this primetime game with a 9-3 ATS record over their last 12 overall. While the Colts have played well on the road (6-2 ATS), they do have a bit of a letdown following an ATS win, owning a 1-4 ATS mark.
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