Finally, Del has a little bit of momentum he can build off going forward. Our picks were improving each week since the season began and we finally managed to get over the hump in Week 5. Del went an impressive 10-5 against the spread and finished 2-1 with his top three selections, which is the number we’ll be aiming for each week from here on out.
The goal now is to keep the good times rolling and not look back. Hopefully, we can make that happen with some tough lines in Week 5 and a few injuries that could lead to some unexpected outcomes. Here are Del’s Week 5 NFL Picks. As usual, be sure to read the analysis of the top three after the chart and check back later in the week for Doc Brown’s expert picks.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
My favorite line of the week this week is Kansas City laying three points on the road against Tennessee. Both of these teams have exceeded expectations through the first four weeks of the season, and one of them is bound to come crashing back to earth at some point. My guess is that team will be the Titans, who will be leaning on Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback after Jake Locker suffered hip and knee injuries against the Jets. Kansas City is rolling under Andy Reid. I expect that trend to continue against Fitzpatrick and company.
The second lock I like this week is Carolina giving up 1.5 points against the Cardinals. Arizona came through for me last week in the lock department, but they were still disappointing. They just barely clawed their way to victory against a Tampa Bay team that featured rookie quarterback Mike Glennon making his first NFL start. The bye week should have helped the Panthers to get their playbook in order and focus more on their strengths going forward. I still think Cam Newton has a huge season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that starts this week.
And finally, I’m going with the Chargers laying 4.5 on the road against Oakland. Terrelle Pryor should be back, but that doesn’t mean the Raiders are very good. Darren McFadden is already nursing an injury (shocker, right?) and San Diego beat a tough Cowboys team at home last week. Chargers head coach Mike McCoy has seemingly been a blessing for Philip Rivers, as he and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt have found a way to properly utilize their quarterback and his below-average arm strength. Their new and improved playcalling should be enough to cover this spread.
