Sam Darnold is on a bit of a revenge tour this season. First, there’s the crusade he’s on against anyone who ever doubted he could be a good starting quarterback in the NFL. But along the way, he’s also getting a crack at a couple of his old teams.
In Week 1, Darnold went into his old stomping grounds at MetLife Stadium to get a win over the other team that occupies the building. In Week 2, his Minnesota Vikings stunned the San Francisco 49ers.
This week, Darnold faces the final boss. The ex people remember him with the most. The team that made him a professional failure in the first place, the New York Jets. And the game is being played in London for all to see.
A win over that team — and their new, fancy Hall of Fame quarterback — might exorcise all those terrible memories of Darnold in green once and for all. Oddsmakers like the Vikings’ chances, setting them as 2.5-point favorites over New York. Here’s a look at that game and every other line for Week 5, provided by BetMGM.
This should be a game the Falcons can control on the ground, with how bad Tampa’s run defense has been. At the same time, this Atlanta rushing attack hasn’t been as potent as it was last year. And Tampa is 2-0 as an underdog.
This game figures to be a little more of a hassle for the Vikings, who have to make the trip to London after playing in Green Bay last week. That shouldn’t make Minnesota any less of a favorite with a rabid defense going against a Jets team that couldn’t muster a touchdown in their last game. But with New York also possessing a stout defense, it does put the under in serious play.
One of the pleasant developments to come from Carolina’s switch to Andy Dalton at quarterback is the emergence of a rushing attack that has gone over 130 yards each of the last two games. That’s important because running is likely the only way Carolina will find much success against Chicago’s defense. It’s also how the Panthers can keep their own defense on the sideline, which they’ll want to do as often as possible. Even the Bears should be able to move the ball on them.
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These teams are finally heating up but the Ravens have a chance to put an extinguisher to the Bengals before they can even catch fire. With Derrick Henry fresh off a 199-yard game, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals stopping him after they just allowed Carolina to run for a season-high 155 yards.
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I’m not really sure what to do with this line without knowing what direction Miami is going at quarterback. Tyler Huntley was put in a tough spot with his first start coming after barely a week on the job, but what we saw wasn’t encouraging.
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This will be the Commanders and Jayden Daniels’ first test against what’s considered to be a good defense. So, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond. But if the Browns can’t figure out how to move the ball themselves, it may not matter much. Washington is 3-1 ATS.
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It sounds like Anthony Richardson is good to return for the Colts, though it probably wouldn’t have mattered much. Joe Flacco can beat the Jaguars with how bad they are defending the pass. Jacksonville is favored here, though, so the Colts will try to stay undefeated ATS as underdogs (2-0).
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This should be an excellent game, but Houston has to feel good about its chances after the Ravens exposed Buffalo’s defense. Of course, the Texans don’t have a Derrick Henry. But the potential return of Joe Mixon could go a long way for the Texans, who are undefeated at home (2-0) but winless ATS (0-3-1).
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That three-point spread feels large for a team with a starting quarterback who threw for just 60 yards his last game. But this really is a perfect matchup for the Broncos. Their defense is insanely good, and they may not have to deal with Davante Adams, who’s nursing a hamstring injury. Denver may just be able to run and defend its way to another win.
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I understand no one is as hot as Jayden Daniels right now, but it can’t be a good sign for Arizona to lose at home to the Commanders by 28 before a meeting with the Niners. This spread isn’t big enough and the total isn’t high enough.
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It took about a half for Jordan Love to knock off the rust from his injury, but once he did, whew. The Packers made a furious comeback against Minnesota and almost won. If they’re carrying that type of momentum into LA with them, the Rams are in trouble.
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The Giants enter this game off an extended break after playing last Thursday, and the Seahawks come in on a slightly shorter week after playing Monday night. That may be the only thing to keep this one close in Seattle, and even that may not be enough to help the Giants.
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Pittsburgh is 3-1 ATS this season, and that feels inevitable to improve this week against a Dallas team that should feel lucky to escape the Giants with a win. The Steelers are much better defensively, and they’ve actually been respectable in the passing game behind Justin Fields.
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This is a tough game to pick against the spread with how out of sorts both teams seem to be — even as KC continues to win. That total, though, feels like something you have to hammer. The Chiefs defend the run really well, which should force Derek Carr to pass a lot. And that’s never good. And the Saints defend the pass well, which should limit how much Patrick Mahomes can push the ball down the field.
