The New England Patriots return to action in Week 5 looking to bounce back from an ugly 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It doesn’t get any easier as New England hosts 3-0 Cincinnati on “Sunday Night Football.” The Patriots opened as 2.5-point favorites, but that number is already sliding. At least one sportsbook monitored by OddsShark.com has dropped the line to even.
New England is 7-2 against the spread in their last nine home games, but they are also 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against Cincinnati. The Bengals are 5-1 ATS in their last six games, but 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
The Week 5 schedule features only one divisional matchup, with Green Bay hosting Minnesota on “Thursday Night Football.” The Packers are the second-biggest favorite of the week, at -10. The Packers are 7-1-1 straight up in their last nine games against Minnesota, but 4-2 ATS in their last six against them. The only bigger spread belongs to the New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay matchup. The Saints opened as 12-point favorites, but their loss to the Cowboys has helped move the line down to 10.5 or 11 points at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
At this early juncture, only six of 15 lines are set at less than a touchdown difference. Carolina is a 2.5-point favorite against Chicago, with both teams looking to rebound from ugly losses. Dallas is a 4-point favorite against Houston, in a game featuring two unexpected 3-1 teams. This marks only the third time these in-state ?rivals? have faced off. The Cowboys have taken two of three SU and ATS, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
Indianapolis hosts Baltimore, with the Colts installed as early 3-point favorites. The Colts have dominated this series, going 8-1 ATS in its last nine games against Baltimore. The Atlanta Falcons take their own series dominance on the road as 4-point underdogs against the New York Giants. Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last six games at the Giants.
The afternoon schedule features the suddenly impressive looking Kansas City Chiefs headed to San Francisco as a 6-point underdog. These two do not play frequently, but the Chiefs are 5-1 ATS and 4-2 SU in their last six games against the 49ers, dating back to 1994.
Week 5 closes out with Washington hosting Seattle. The Seahawks go on the road as an 8.5-point favorite, with a line that has maneuvered between that and 7 points. Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games, while Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last six home games.
