NFL Week 5 expert picks against the spread – Del’s picks

After another solid week that featured an 8-4-1 record against the spread and a 2-0 record in locks of the week, it is safe to say Del is settling in for the 2014 season. For those of you who are keeping track, Del is 5-0 with his last five locks and has turned his slow start around in a hurry. But enough beating of the chest, because there is still plenty of work to be done.

There are a lot of big spreads out there this week, which can make for tricky picking. Making selections straight up isn’t all that difficult in a week like this, but there are either going to be blowouts across the league or a lot of underdogs will be covering. Let’s see if we can make sense of it. Here are Del’s Week 5 picks against the spread, with analysis of this week’s locks after the chart. Check back later in the week for Doc Brown’s picks.

Are the Dallas Cowboys for real? Are the Houston Texans for real? There isn’t an expert in the nation that would have predicted Week 5 would feature a battle between the 3-1 Cowboys and 3-1 Texans, but here we are. I still don’t know how they did it, but the Cowboys managed to shut down Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and company in primetime last week. Their offense wasn’t too shabby, either. DeMarco Murray looks like the best running back in the NFL and Jason Garrett finally seems like he has learned what his team’s strengths are. Rather than having Tony Romo chuck the ball up 40-50 times, Dallas has established a fantastic run game behind a great offensive line. JJ Watt is always a concern, but I think the Cowboys are more legit than the Texans and it will show in Dallas.

The Jets have not done much right this season, but Rex Ryan remains committed to Geno Smith. After a brutal loss against the Lions last weekend that inspired Geno Smith to shout an F-bomb at a heckling fan, the Jets head all the way across the country to face a Chargers team that could be the most underrated in football. Philip Rivers, who has completed over 70% of his passes, is throwing the ball better than he has at any point during his 11-year career. The Jets, on the other hand, have the worst secondary they have ever had under Ryan. That sounds like a recipe for a comfortable San Diego win.