It's critical to monitor NFL trends, especially after the first month of football. Home favorites are struggling so far this season, posting a 20-23 record against the spread. Some of that could be attributed to the lack of fans in stadiums, but as Week 5 looms, a number of home favorites could face challenges if recent history is to be believed. Which teams can you trust with your NFL parlays and NFL picks?
In the Sunday afternoon time slot, the Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) host the Philadelphia Eagles in the battle of Pennsylvania, while the Atlanta Falcons (-1) look to pick up their first win as home favorites against the Carolina Panthers. Amateur and professional bettors alike will make plenty of NFL bets this week, moving the NFL odds as kickoffs approach. Before you make any Week 5 NFL picks and predictions, see the NFL best bets from legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg over at SportsLine.
A beloved national treasure, Hammer enters Week 5 on a major heater: Over the final 10 weeks of last season and through four weeks of this season, he is 27-15 on his NFL best bets, a 64 percent cash rate.
This is the same handicapper who enjoyed 15 winning seasons in his 17-year ESPN run. In 2017, Hammer competed against 10 top handicappers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's NFL Challenge and beat them all, finishing 50-29-6 on NFL picks against the spread.
Now, Hammer has locked in three NFL best bets for Week 5. If you parlay them, you could be looking at a 6-1 payout. You can only see them here.
Top Week 5 NFL expert picks
Breaking down the NFL Week 5 schedule, Hammer says the Texans (-5) will handle Jacksonville for their first win. Defensively, Houston can rely on linebackers Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney for production. Cunningham ranks second in the NFL in tackles with 43, while McKinney joins him in the top ten with 37 stops already this season.
Jacksonville's offense has already allowed 13 sacks, one of the five worst marks in the NFL, and the Texans could create havoc in the front seven.
Offensively, Houston is headlined by quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. Watson also boasts 58 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground and, against a Jaguars defense that is tied for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL with four, the Texans should be able to protect their signal-caller. In crucial situations, Houston may also have an edge, with Jacksonville entering this week as one of the ten worst defensive teams in the league on third down, allowing opponents to convert 46.8 percent of their opportunities.
How to make Week 5 NFL parlays
Hammer, who has inside sources throughout the league, also jumped on the Colts-Browns matchup of surging 3-1 teams and the battle of Pennsylvania between the Steelers and Eagles. In one of those games, Hammer says, there is a complete mismatch, creating a spread that's way off. You can only see his best bets at SportsLine.
What are Hammer's top Week 5 NFL expert picks? Which side of Colts vs. Browns and Eagles vs. Steelers do you need to jump on? Visit SportsLine now to see Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's Week 5 NFL best bets, all from the legendary handicapper on a 27-15 heater.
