NFL Football Picks

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t look so hot vs. the Jets on national television last week. The Vikings weren’t exactly good either against the Panthers. Oddsmakers have installed Patrick Mahomes and KC as a short -4.5 road favorite in Week 5. Who covers the spread? Get Loot’s KC/Min pick here!

The best bet of the 2023 NFL season has reared it’s head in the Week 5 matchup between the New York Jets and Denver Broncos! Get Loot’s NYJ/Den prediction here!

Atlanta’s defense is still banged up and still not playing at a high level and the Dallas Cowboys should take advantage. It’s starting to become evident that Dak Prescott is not the 2nd Coming of Troy Aikman and he is prone to making mistakes. The Dallas offensive success rests on their offensive line and the running of Ezekiel Elliott. If Dallas can get the run game going, that is when Dak is at his best. Can the Dallas offense move the ball and stay within 3? Bob Clark breaks down the game and gives his NFL pick.

There is always a chance with the Steelers when they are favorites – especially on the road – that they will lay an egg and outright lose a game they should win. But in this case, they have revenge on their minds. The Jags came into Steel City twice last year and beat the Steelers, including the playoff game that ended the Steeler season. The Jags had no hesitation about trash talking after both of those games, which should still be fresh in the Steelers minds. Is this narrative enough to give your bookie action on the Steelers -6? Keith Allen gives his NFL pick.

Sportsbooks say the Rams are more than a FG better but do the numbers align with this thinking? The key stat that separates these teams and the only statistical blemish for the Rams is red zone efficiency. This is the chink in the Rams armor that may end up holding them back down the stretch. They are only scoring touchdowns on 56% of their trips to the red zone, good for only 16th in the league. The Chiefs are scoring touchdowns at a 71% clip, good enough for 6th in the league. In the Rams game against the Saints 2 weeks ago LA also struggled converting on third down, converting only 37% of third downs and also were 0 for 2 on 4th downs. The Rams fill up the stat sheet and remind us of the Greatest Show on Turf, but they are not converting when they need it most. Keith Allen takes a deeper look at the matchup and gives his prediction.

The Texans have some young and dynamic talent in their ranks, including one of the game’s best receivers DeAndre Hopkins. D-Hopkins has been supreme in 2018 as he already owns seven scores and 894 receiving yards just past the half-way mark of the season. He serves as quarterback Deshaun Watson’s primary target in a passing offense that accrues 248.9 yards per game. But the bread and butter of Houston’s game is their rushing attack which compiles 120.2 yards on the ground per game (11th in the NFL). The sportsbooks have set the line at Texans -3. Will this offense be enough to cover against the spread? Keith Franks has the NFL prediction.

It is clear that this Seahawk team is limited in certain phases but they are still near-elite in others, including leading the league in rushing at 152 yards per game. Pete Carroll will not be shy about deploying that running game against the 22nd ranked rush defense of Green Bay. Is that matchup enough to make Seattle the favorite here? Ted Walker gives his NFL prediction.

The Titans and the Colts have met each other 47 times dating back to 1970 when they were the Houston Oilers and the Baltimore Colts. The Colts have dominated this divisional series as of late, winning 12 of the last 15 matchups going back to 2011. What does that mean? Like the historical numbers at the roulette table… absolutely nothing! Rick Wise breaks down the actual game and offers his free pick.

The Panthers are 3.5 favorites priced at -110 at online sportsbooks. Granted, the last game Carolina played didn’t paint either side of the ball in a good light. Cam Newton has otherwise been pretty solid this season. Aerially, they aren’t that prolific, even with Devin Funchess, rising DJ Moore, still-effective tight end Greg Olsen, and a massively-successful ball catching back in Christian McCaffrey. Against a Detroit pass-defense that can be solid, Carolina might have to rely more on the run. Luckily for them, they are in good hands with McCaffrey and Newton, who has a renewed focus on running the ball. Is the ground game the answer to covering the spread? Loot has your free pick.

Let’s point out that the Rams just had 4 of their last five games on the road. Things could look better as they get the next two at home, followed by a bye-week. They can dig in at home a little bit and shake off some of the road-weariness that started showing at New Orleans last week. Still, maybe they’ve been overrated a bit? They were the preseason darlings of just about everyone and they’ve been awesome at 8-1. But they have started to show some cracks in the armor. Will the Seahawks be able to build a game plan and stay within 10 points? Loot has an NFL pick and prediction.