NFL Week 5 odds, picks: Giants upset Vikings, Browns cover in prime time against 49ers

CBS NFL writer Jordan Dajani gives his picks for Week 5 of the 2019 NFL season

By Jordan Dajani

Oct 3, 2019 at 9:53 am ET • 5 min read

More than a third of the NFL is currently sitting at 2-2, 13 teams to be exact. This season has been full of parity so far, which has left bettors still wondering which teams are due to break out soon and which will falter.

Once again, we had several surprises in Week 4. The Packers suffered their first loss of the season, the Browns dominated the Ravens, the Bills covered against the Patriots and the Buccaneers dropped 55 points on the Rams in Los Angeles.

The Saints also won their second straight game without Drew Brees, Kyle Allen won his second game in a row for the Panthers and Patrick Mahomes beat the Lions despite failing to throw a touchdown pass. Expect more of these surprises in Week 5, and I'm putting my money where my mouth is by picking seven underdogs to cover or win flat out.

Will Brinson, Pete Prisco and R.J. White break down all of this week's games with their picks, parlays and best bets on Friday's Pick Six Podcast. Give it a listen below and be sure to subscribe:

Let's jump on in:

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Ravens -3.5

Mason Rudolph received some flak for his performance against the Bengals on "Monday Night Football.'' While he led the Steelers to a 27-3 win, he threw 17 of his 28 passing attempts to running backs. It was all check downs and screens, while he threw only a couple of balls downfield. I believe that this was Mike Tomlin's game plan -- which is fine when you're facing the lowly Bengals. But if you want to win in the NFL, you're going to have to take some chances downfield, no matter who is throwing the ball. The Ravens will be looking for a rebound win after the embarrassing loss they took to the Browns last week, and if I'm Wink Martindale, I'm alternating between sending the house after Rudolph and sending three pass rushers while I take away everything close to the line of scrimmage.

The pick: Ravens 31-17 over Steelers

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Titans -3

It's the old Music City Miracle matchup, and both teams are just as unpredictable as that play was back in 2000. The Bills got off to a 3-0 start, but Josh Allen suffered a concussion against the Patriots last week and his status for Sunday is up in the air. If he sits out, Matt Barkley will get the start. He was unimpressive in relief duty, throwing for 127 yards and an interception in the 16-10 loss. Even if Allen starts, he was pretty bad against the Patriots as well. He threw for 153 yards and three interceptions, as he continues to struggle out of the starting gate this season. The Titans are no powerhouse, but I think they can cover three points at home. They recorded statement wins against the Browns and Falcons, but also registered pitiful losses which they suffered against the Colts and Jaguars. You never know what kind of Titans team is going to take the field on Sunday, but with the quarterback position currently a question mark for Buffalo, give me Tennessee.

The pick: Titans 24-17 over Bills

What picks can you make with confidence in Week 5? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which NFL teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from the model that is up over $7,000 on its top-rated NFL picks.

Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Point spread: Vikings -5.5

I'm starting to wonder if Kirk Cousins is ever going to turn the corner. The Bears have a good defense, but posting just six points and allowing Chase Daniel to get a win last week is almost enough for Vikings fans to give up on the season. On the other side, Daniel Jones is one of the most talked-about players in the NFL right now, and for good reason. The Giants took a chance by inserting him into the starting lineup following an 0-2 start, and it turned out to be a great move. Jones has won his first two starts and has done so without Saquon Barkley and Golden Tate. This week he gets back Tate, who will be making his Giants debut at MetLife Stadium. I think his arrival will help Jones tremendously, and that Pat Shurmur will give him an important role in the offense immediately. Cousins will have a better day since this Giants defense is pretty bad, but the questions in Minnesota continue as the Vikings suffer their second straight loss.

The pick: Giants 28-24 over Vikings

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Point spread: Bengals -3

Two winless teams, two first-year head coaches. Something has to give in this matchup. If you asked yourself which team has played better over the first four weeks of the season, you'd probably answer the Bengals, but they have been regressing week after week. They had a strong performance in the season opener, but that was about the last time they were even remotely competitive. Monday night's performance against the Steelers was very telling about how the Bengals view this season. They did a better job at running out the clock than Pittsburgh did. Cincinnati is on a short week and they lost wide receiver John Ross to injury. Take the Cardinals +3.

The pick: Cardinals 20-14 over Bengals

Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Point spread: 49ers -3.5

The Browns registered maybe the most impressive win by any team so far this season with their 40-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Following their loss to the Rams in Week 3, many started to question Freddie Kitchens' credentials and if the Browns even had a chance to reach the postseason. They responded by dropping 530 yards of total offense against a 2-1 team with a good defense. We could look back at this win as a turning point for the Browns, and they have another chance to prove their worth against an undefeated 49ers team on the road in primetime. While San Francisco has yet to register a loss, Cleveland will be the best team its faced so far this season. The Buccaneers, the Bengals and then the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers aren't exactly victories fans go around bragging to their friends about, but still, this team has potential. Jimmy Garoppolo is undefeated in his four home starts with San Francisco. He can become the sixth quarterback since 1990 to win 12 of his first 14 career starts with a win on Monday night. I'll pick the 49ers to win, but take Cleveland to cover.

The pick: 49ers 34-31 over Browns