This past Sunday was one of the more bizarre collection of games we've seen this season. Kickers were missing extra points at every turn, everyone on the Giants got hurt, David Mills tattooed the Patriots for three touchdowns and the Lions took a lead with 37 seconds left in the game and still lost. We also got some fascinating PB&J commentary thanks to weather delay in Bill-Chiefs. Like I said, it was a weird day in the NFL.
While we still have one more game left on the docket, it's never too early to take a gander at the upcoming Week 6 slate of games. Below, you'll find the opening lines for each contest along with a quick breakdown of where each team is at this stage of the year.
Week 6 early odds(All lines from Caesars Sportsbook, all games on Sunday unless noted)
Opening line: Buccaneers -6.5
This number has already bumped up to Buccaneers -7 as bettors seem to have been impressed by Tom Brady's five-touchdown performance against the Dolphins. That said, the Eagles were impressive in their late comeback over the Panthers in Carolina. One thing that's worth noting for this head-to-head to begin Week 6 is that Brady is reportedly dealing with a thumb injury. However, it isn't expected to limit his availability on Thursday night. Tampa Bay enters this game 5-1 ATS in their last six.
Dolphins (1-4) at Jaguars (0-5)Opening line: Dolphins -3
We have ourselves another London showdown this week and it'll be the Dolphins facing the Jaguars. Both of these clubs are coming into this international matchup after losing in Week 5. In fact, the Jaguars are winless on the season and Miami has lost four-straight following their victory in the opener. The good news for the Dolphins is that Tua Tagovailoa, who has been sidelined due to a rib injury, has a chance to make his return in this matchup, which could boost Miami's odds above this field goal mark once given the green light.
Chiefs (2-3) at Washington (2-3)Opening line: Chiefs -6
The Chiefs have been a surprise team so far this season and not in the way most imagined as they are under .500 entering Week 6. A large reason for that is due to Kansas City's poor defense, which is allowing 7.1 yards per play (the worst mark in NFL history). Meanwhile, Washington's defense has also been a disappointment thus far as they too sit below .500. Given the lethal firepower that the Chiefs possess on offense, it's no surprise to see them still stand as a road favorite. It's worth pointing out that both of these teams are 1-4 ATS this season.
Rams (4-1) at Giants (1-4)Opening line: Rams -6.5
While this number opened at Rams -6.5, the spread as already jumped tremendously to Rams -10.5. That's largely thanks to the slew of injuries New York suffered in their Week 5 loss to the Cowboys, including quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. With their statuses up in the air, that has the Rams -- widely considered a top-two Super Bowl threat in the NFL -- in the driver's seat, especially after getting some extended rest playing on Thursday.
Opening line: Colts -10
Houston nearly earned it's second win of the season at home against the Patriots but allowed New England to mount a comeback after getting out to a 22-9 lead in the third quarter. Davis Mills did look much more comfortable than he had at any other point this season, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Still, Houston isn't considered to be a good football team and the Colts should be looked at as a heavy favorite, albeit as long as they don't suffer any injuries during Monday night's game against Baltimore.
Bengals (3-2) at Lions (0-5)Opening line: Bengals -3.5
Both of these teams lost in heartbreaking fashion in Week 5. Detroit was on the doorstep of its first win of the season, taking a one-point lead with just 37 seconds left in their matchup against the Vikings. However, Minnesota was able to quickly get down the field enough for Greg Joseph to hit a 54-yard field goal as time expired. Field goals were also an issue for the Bengals as they lost an overtime thriller to the Packers. Kicker Evan McPherson had a couple of opportunities to boot his team into the win column, but both times he was unable to do so. This line will be worth watching due to the status of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who went to the hospital after suffering a potential throat contusion. While he's expected to be fine, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on as the week progresses.
Packers (4-1) at Bears (3-2)Opening line: Packers -4.5
Both of these NFC North teams were able to pull out a win on Sunday with the Packers kicking their way to an overtime victory over the Bengals while the Bears held the Raiders to just nine points. Despite being within a game of each other in the standings, Green Bay is the more talented team and history has them finding success in Chicago. In their last 22 meetings at Soldier Field, the Packers are 17-5 ATS. The favorite is also 4-1 ATS in their last five head-to-heads.
Opening line: Ravens -3
While the Ravens still have their "Monday Night Football'' matchup left on the schedule, the Chargers can now start to put them in the crosshairs after a wild win over the Browns. Los Angeles scored 26 points in the fourth quarter while Justin Herbert finished with 398 yards passing and five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). That win and cover now makes the Chargers 8-1 ATS over their last nine games.
Vikings (2-3) at Panthers (3-2)Opening line: Panthers -1
Minnesota pulled a rabbit out of their hat in a last-second win over the Lions and will now head to Carolina to face a Panthers team that was outscored 15-3 in the second half in their loss to Philadelphia. The Panthers do seem like a more well-rounded team than the Vikings at the moment, which is why they are slim favorites to open the week, but this is a virtual coin flip of a game. For what it's worth, Minnesota is 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a win while the Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last six following an ATS loss.
Cardinals (5-0) at Browns (3-2)Opening line: Browns -3
The Cardinals stayed perfect on the season after they were able to take down the 49ers, who started rookie Trey Lance for the first time in his young career. They'll now head to Cleveland to face a Browns team that lost in a shootout against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. While the Browns are a talented team, it does seem pretty enticing to be able to gain a field goal lead with the lone undefeated team remaining in the NFL. It also doesn't hurt knowing that Cleveland is 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games.
Raiders (3-2) at Broncos (3-2)Opening line: Broncos -2.5
Both of these AFC West squads were on the losing end of their Week 5 contests and will now look to bounce back in Denver. The Raiders seemingly had no answer offensively against the Browns, managing just nine points in the loss. Derek Carr arguably had his worst outing of the season in the loss, throwing for 206 yards and an interception. Meanwhile, Denver struggled to contain the Steelers passing attack as Ben Roethlisberger threw for 253 yards (10.1 yards per reception) and two touchdowns in the win. Denver is getting a home field bump of 2.5 points, which has historically held with the home team being 8-2 ATS in their last 10 matchups.
Cowboys (4-1) at Patriots (2-3)Opening line: Cowboys -1
This is another line that has shifted pretty quickly. Dallas' odds have increased to -4 in the aftermath of both of these clubs finishing up Week 5. While they were able to escape Houston with a win, Davis Mills threw for three touchdowns against New England's secondary, which should have Dak Prescott salivating about his upcoming trip to Foxborough. Even at Dallas -4, this seems low enough to hammer the Cowboys. Mike McCarthy's team is also the lone 5-0 ATS squad in the NFL.
Seahawks (2-3) at Steelers (2-3)Opening line: Seahawks -2.5
Naturally, this number has changed quite a bit following Russell Wilson's finger injury. With him sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Steelers are now looked at as a -4.5 favorite as they play host to Seattle, who'll start Geno Smith in this primetime head-to-head. Pittsburgh's offense seemed to come alive in Week 5 as Ben Roethlisberger was in vintage form. That said, the Steelers are also dealing with the injury bug as receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is feared to have suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. While the Steelers are now slated
