Much like a week ago, Week 5 in the NFL has been defined by a schedule in continuous flux. With four games at one point or another up in the air due to positive COVID-19 tests and Hurricane Delta, the NFL has had to adjust on the fly as it tries to balance the schedule with the priority of keeping everyone healthy and safe. As of this writing, two games have been moved off Sunday and tentatively scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, though it's possible more adjustments are made in the coming days.
Each week, we'll collect all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more.
Enjoy our run-through of Week 5, and good luck in your games! All odds via William Hill Sportsbook.
What picks can you make with confidence in Week 5? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which NFL teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from the model that is up over $7,300 on its top-rated picks.
Panthers at Falcons
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Falcons -3.5, O/U 54.5
Current: Falcons -1, O/U 53.5
"Yeah, there's nothing in the world that could make me want to back the Falcons as a favorite right now. We're talking about a team that is 0-4 on the season with a horrendous defense. A team that's only proven to be good at one thing and that thing happens to be blowing games. The Panthers aren't exactly juggernauts, but losing Christian McCaffrey hasn't had as large an impact on the team as I suspected it would. I guess running backs really don't matter after all. Either way, we're on the Panthers here because Teddy Bridgewater is 19-5 ATS as a dog (14-2 ATS as a road dog), and the Falcons are only 18-33 ATS as a favorite under Dan Quinn." -- Tom Fornelli on why the Panthers are one of his best bets
Fornelli hasn't lost over the last two weeks, posting a 5-0-1 ATS record with his best bets. See who else he's taking this week in his Thursday column.
Raiders at Chiefs
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: Chiefs -11.5, O/U 56
Current: Chiefs -11, O/U 55.5
Will Brinson: "Andy Reid owns the Raiders against the spread, so I will take the Chiefs (-13) as a best bet, R.J. What say you?"
R.J. White: "Yeah, I'm leaning the other way. 13 is just too much for me. The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL right now, they're the No. 1 team in my power ratings -- I still think this line is a couple points too high ... The Under is 11-2 since 2015 in games when the Chiefs are favored by double-digits, so this type of game is where they go Under."
Brinson: "You know what? Add the Under, Deebo, as one of my best bets as well, 'cause I agree. Vegas has gone Under in 14 straight divisional road games. That is wild."
That's from the Pick Six Podcast, where I join Pete Prisco, Kenny White and Will Brinson every Friday to break down all the games from a gambling perspective and give out best bets. Give it a listen below and subscribe for great NFL content in your feed daily.
Rams at Washington
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Rams -9.5, O/U 46
Current: Rams -7.5, O/U 46
"I took the Rams to cover a large spread against the New York Giants last week and it did not happen, but covering seven points is much easier than covering 13. Ron Rivera made the decision to bench Dwayne Haskins for Kyle Allen, and the move was confusing for several reasons. Haskins threw for a career-high 314 yards and rushed for a touchdown last week against the Baltimore Ravens -- but more importantly, he did not turn the ball over. It appeared he had done enough to keep his job, but Rivera clearly thought differently. ... Washington is 1-2-1 against the spread this season with that lone cover coming against the overrated Philadelphia Eagles. All three of Washington's losses have come by double digits, so I'll go ahead and take the Rams this week." -- Jordan Dajani on why the Rams are one of his best bets
Dajani is in the midst of a strong year picking games, going 35-26-2 ATS through four weeks. See who else he likes this week in his Thursday column.
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Jaguars at Texans
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: Texans -6.5, O/U 54
Current: Texans -5.5, O/U 54.5
"The Jaguars had three key defensive players get hurt last week. Gardner Minshew throws for a lot of yards but he's up and down. I think Houston's defense will play well. And I bet the Texans had a party when Bill O'Brien got fired. Deshaun Watson will have a big game against that Jags defense and he's due for a big win. Lay the points." -- Hammerin' Hank Goldberg on why the Texans are one of his best bets
Goldberg is hitting on 64 percent of his regular season best bets over the last 14 weeks (including last season). See who else the legendary handicapper loves this week over at SportsLine.
Cardinals at Jets
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Cardinals -8, O/U 47
Current: Cardinals -7.5, O/U 47
"The Cardinals have certainly come back to earth on both sides of the ball and have left much to be desired the last two weeks. They have taken major steps backward, but the good news is they get to face the worst team in football this week. They have to take a few more shots downfield and open that offense up and now is a perfect time to do so. It still might not be that pretty, but they're playing the Jets and all I need is an outright win here." -- Jason La Canfora on why he's teasing the Jets as part of his best bets
La Canfora has posted a winning record on the year. See which team made the teaser with the Cardinals as well as the NFL insider's other best bets in his Friday column.
Eagles at Steelers
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Steelers -7, O/U 47
Current: Steelers -7, O/U 44
"I was on the right side with Philadelphia last week, taking the points and even predicting a SU win over San Francisco, but I'm fading them this week. Carson Wentz still looks lost under center and the offensive play-calling under Doug Pederson in that win over the Niners was questionable at best. While they were able to get away with it against a hobbled 49ers club, they won't be so fortunate against a well-rested Steelers club, who had their Week 4 game with the Titans postponed. Since 2018, the Steelers are 8-1 ATS vs. the NFC." -- Tyler Sullivan on why he's making the Steelers one of his locks of the week
Sully is coming off a strong 9-6 ATS week that has him six games over .500 for the year. See all of his picks in his Wednesday column.
Bengals at Ravens
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: Ravens -13, O/U 52
Current: Ravens -13, O/U 50.5
"Are the Bengals the best 1-2-1 team in NFL history? I kid, I kid. Kind of -- Joe Burrow is freaking awesome. This kid is so ridiculously polished for a rookie quarterback (especially for one drafted in a pandemic!) on a team with a really bad offensive line. The Bengals probably aren't going to win this game, but the Ravens are dealing with a Lamar Jackson injury, and I would expect we see a healthy dose of Robert Griffin III in the second half if Baltimore has a lead. Burrow loves the backdoor, so I'll take the two touchdowns here and watch him stroll through late." -- Will Brinson on why the Bengals are one of his best bets
Brinson made a compelling case for the Bengals on the Pick Six Podcast, but you can check out all his Week 5 picks in his Thursday column.
Dolphins at 49ers
Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: 49ers -8.5, O/U 48
Current: 49ers -8, O/U 50.5
If you're still alive in your survivor pools, you have plenty of great picks this week. The Chiefs, Ravens and Cowboys are all massive home favorites. We talked up using the Rams in Week 5 in last week's column, aiming for a back-to-back double-dipper on Washington opponents. But with Jimmy Garoppolo ready to return to the 49ers, don't rule out going with San Francisco either. Miami put rookie tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve this week, and I expect a 49ers D-line that's still dangerous without Nick Bosa to feast up front. Kyle Shanahan should run the ball all over the Miami defense and help the 49ers pick up an easy win.
But out of all the options, which should you pick? Check out Mike Tierney's survivor pool analysis, including which team drew almost 50% of support last week and which favorite he's settled on to get you to Week 6, over at SportsLine.
Giants at Cowboys
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: Cowboys -11, O/U 54
Current: Cowboys -8, O/U 53.5
"This month will probably decide the Giants' fate for this season. They get the Cowboys, then Washington and then Philly all before Halloween. I've been pleasantly surprised by the Giants D (outside of that 49ers game ... yuck), but the offense just cannot hold up its end of the bargain. Feels like New York needs the bye to get here and hit reset, but instead, the Giants have to wait until Week 11 for that." -- Jonathan Jones on why the Cowboys will roll in Week 5
Jones entered Week 5 at 40-22-1 straight up, but that mark improves to 40-19-1 straight up if you remove Thursday Night Football, which is a nonfactor at this point of the week. See the rest of his winners for Week 5 in his Friday column.
Colts at Browns
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: Colts -2.5, O/U 47
Current: Pick 'em, O/U 47.5
"I think the wrong team is favored here. That Colts defense has looked awesome, but Indy's schedule has been pretty suspect. The Browns just scored 49 on the Cowboys, and before you remind me how bad the Cowboys defense is, Dallas had actually been solid against the run heading into that game. The Browns O-line is just dominant right now, which makes me worry less about injuries at running back. Meanwhile, the Colts offense is not impressive at all, ranking 22nd in points per drive, 30th in third-down success rate and 28th in red-zone success rate. If that strong Browns D-line can get some pressure on Philip Rivers, I think this is game over, especially with the Colts ranking 32nd in yards per carry." -- R.J. White on why the Browns are one of his best bets
I've cashed twice in the Las Vegas SuperContest, widely considered the toughest sports gambling competition in the world. I've also hit on over 57% of my picks over the past five years combined. You can see all five of my Week 5 picks against the SuperContest lines by heading to SportsLine, and use promo code WHITE to sign up for $1 for your first month of access to all SportsLine's picks and analysis.
Vikings at Seahawks
Time: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Seahawks -9, O/U 57.5
Current: Seahawks -7, O/U 56.5
The Sunday night matchup features two teams I know well, as I'm on a combined 54-22 ATS run picking games involving the Vikings and Seahawks. That includes hitting over 77 percent of my Vikings picks, and those games have been a big factor in my success in the SuperContest.
I do think this game has a good chance to go Over the total, but after noticing a severe line move off the lookahead number and diving into the stats and matchups on both sides of the ball, I've locked in a strong play on the spread over at SportsLine.
Broncos at Patriots
POSTPONED
Chargers at Saints
Time: Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Open: Saints -7.5, O/U 52
Current: Saints -8.5, O/U 50.5
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Larry Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Last year, he went 58-39 on his against-the-spread NFL picks, giving his followers a profit of more than $1,500.
Hartstein is 7-1 in his last eight picks involving the Chargers, and he has a strong pick for Monday's game between L.A. and New Orleans. Check out which side of the spread he loves over at SportsLine.
Bills at Titans
Time: Tuesday, 5 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on CBS All Access
Open: OFF
Current: OFF
"I'm not sure what the best thing about living in Nashville is for me, but I can you that it's definitely not the fact that the Titans have turned the city into ground zero for the NFL's first coronavirus outbreak. ... The problem for the Titans is that trying to stop Josh Allen seems like it might be slightly difficult to do without any actual practice. Basically, I think the Bills are going to be able to move up and down the field on Tennessee's defense and although I feel like the Titans offense will able to keep things interesting, I don't think they're going to be able to outscore Buffalo in a shootout. I'm picking the Bills to win even though it means all of my neighbors are going to hate me (my neighbors expect me to pick the Titans every week). Of course, I haven't really been hanging out with my neighbors since the pandemic started, so I don't really care what they think." -- John Breech on why he has the Bills winning by three
Breech made this pick before the game was rescheduled to Tuesday, but he didn't make it his lock of the week. You can see which team earned that honor in -- fittingly -- his Tuesday column.
Thanks for checking us out, and good luck with your picks!
