NFL Week 5: Betting The Many Big NFL Road Dogs

• The Cincinnati Bengals lead the road underdogs getting +13.5 points at the Baltimore Ravens.
• There is plenty of betting value on these odds, like the Las Vegas Raiders getting +12.5 on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Other lines include the Philadelphia Eagles at the Pittsburgh Steelers (-7), the New York Giants at the
• Dallas Cowboys (-9.5), and the Los Angeles Chargers at the New Orleans Saints (-7.5).

LAS VEGAS – Home sweet home: A phrase that many NFL teams have come to appreciate over the years.

Whether it’s the glistening lights of Cowboy Stadium, the rugged steelwork of Heinz Field, or the rabid fans of the Superdome, the NFL has some of the greatest sporting venues in the entire world.

While the fans might not be filling up all the seats this year, there are six teams in the league who are delighted to be in the friendly confines of home in Week 5, mostly due to the fact that these six teams are all favored by a touchdown or more by the online sportsbooks like Bovada.

When it comes to betting big road dogs, there are multiple levels of analysis, trends, and voodoo that need to be accounted for. When was the last time the team won as a road dog in that stadium? What was the weather like that morning? Why does the team always cover when the offensive coordinator wears a visor instead of a hat?

These are the things savvy bettors sweat over late into the evenings trying to find a way to bet on these huge underdogs.

With that in mind, bettors can take a closer look at each of these lines and try to find some value for their next NFL betslip.

NFL Week 5 Away Team Underdogs

Starting in the AFC North where the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2-1) take a trip to M&T Bank Stadium to take on the Baltimore Ravens (3-1).

The Bengals come into this one just under a two-touchdown underdog to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. While the Bengals haven’t gotten the win/loss results they want, they have looked capable so far this season, averaging 24.8 PPG and 299 pass yards per game for rookie Joe Burrow.

For these divisional games, there is a certain advantage towards underdogs in their first meeting of the season. Naturally, there is less familiarity with each other in the first game than the second once teams have settled into their playstyles.

Additionally, while the Ravens are a great team, they are actually 4-10 ATS under Lamar Jackson as a home favorite.

Edge: Bengals +13.5

The Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) welcome the Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) to Arrowhead Stadium in the first of their AFC West matchups this year. The Chiefs are big favorites yet again coming off of their win over the New England Patriots on Monday.

The Chiefs managed to beat the Pats while playing rather poorly in the context of their ability. Patrick Mahomes only threw for 236 yards (pedestrian by his standards), and the Chiefs offense only scored two touchdowns. The Raiders looked good in their loss against the surging Bills, and have a right to be upset with their disrespect from the NFL bookies. However, the trends still lean towards Kansas City.

KC has covered nine straight games at home and is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 as favorites. The Raiders have also lost seven straight games at Arrowhead, going 1-6 ATS over that time.

Edge: Chiefs -12.5

The Philadelphia Eagles (1-2-1) make the in-state trip to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0), where they are expected to lose by around a touchdown. Somehow, the Eagles find themselves in first place in the NFC East in Week 5 with one win and one tie to their name.

Despite this crown of sadness that they currently wear, the Eagles are actually 8-3 ATS as road dogs of 7 or more since 2007, including their win last week. Philly is 5-1 ATS in their last six against the Steelers, and (for reasons unknown to the universe) are 17-5-2 ATS in their past 24 games during Week 5.

Edge: Eagles +7

The Dallas Cowboys sit at 1-3 on the season despite close and high scoring games in nearly all of their contests so far. The New York Giants sit at 0-4 on the season and have none of the requisite silver linings that the Cowboys do.

Dallas is on a 6-0 ATS run against the Giants, as well as being 13-2 ATS in their last 15 NFC East divisional games. The Cowboys will be rightfully upset at their poor results despite good play so far this season and will look to work out their frustrations against their favorite punching bag, that blue team from New York. Bettors should try not to overthink this one.

Edge: Cowboys -9.5

The Minnesota Vikings (1-3) take the trip West across the Canadian border to meet the Seattle Seahawks (4-0) in CenturyLink Field. The undefeated Seahawks bring their momentum into Week 5, and a are a touchdown favorite against the Vikings behind the stellar play of MVP-candidate Russell Wilson.

.@DangeRussWilson is on a tear. He throws his 14th touchdown of the year, the most ever through three games!@Seahawks lead 38-31 with 1:47 remaining.

📺: #DALvsSEA on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/9RobDGGsOD pic.twitter.com/a65SLItlbI

— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2020

The biggest trend here is how good the Seahawks have been before a bye week, which the team will take following this matchup with the Vikings. Seattle is 9-0 straight up and 8-1 ATS in the last nine years before a bye. Meanwhile, the Vikings are 0-6 outright and 1-4-1 ATS in their last six against the Seahawks.

Edge: Seahawks -7

The final big road dog of the week goes to the Los Angeles Chargers (1-3), who are visiting the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the New Orleans Saints (2-2). The Chargers new rookie quarterback Justin Herbert played a solid game last week against the Buccaneers, throwing for 290 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception.

The problem is that the Saints might have found their offensive groove against the Lions last Sunday, where they scored 35 and spread the ball out to a multitude of weapons in the absence of Michael Thomas.

The big voodoo trend here is the Saints' absurd track record of covering the spread in October. In addition to a cover last week, New Orleans is 17-1 ATS in their last 18 games played during the spookiest month of the year. That rate of performance is near paranormal for the Saints, and shouldn’t be trifled with unless one has a serious desire to be haunted by Louisiana Swamp Spirits for the rest of the football season.

Edge: Saints -7.5