NFL Week 5 Pick’em Pool Predictions (2024)
Welcome to Week 5. We got another massive upset in the 2024 NFL season thanks to the Denver Broncos. How will the New York Jets fare after that loss when they take on the undefeated Minnesota Vikings? The Miami Dolphins were painful to watch in Week 4. Can they turn it around and take down the New England Patriots? Who will win a key matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans? Are the Pittsburgh Steelers in danger of dropping back-to-back games when they battle the Dallas Cowboys?
Here is our best NFL pick’em advice for Week 5.
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NFL Week 5 Pick’em Pool Predictions
New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are undefeated and playing incredible football. Though they only won their last game by two points, they led 28-7 entering the fourth quarter and were never actually in danger of losing the game. Sam Darnold has now thrown for 11 touchdown passes, as the offense has scored at least 28 points in three of four games.
Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off a hideous loss to the Denver Broncos. In the game, the Jets allowed just 186 yards of offense, but they were unable to score a touchdown, as they lost 10-9. After the game, head coach Robert Saleh blamed the Jets' performance on the weather. While it was a cop out, he also has a point.
On Sunday, the Jets won't have to deal with the weather. Their defense is good enough to give Sam Darnold problems. He's been incredible this season, but we know enough about him to know there are bad games in his future. The Jets' defense will be the story, but the offense does just enough to secure this minor upset.
Pick: Jets
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
Why are the Patriots only favored by one in this game? They’ve lost three games in a row, and their last two losses have been by a combined 38 points. However, they're still a complete football team, and the Dolphins are a total mess.
Tyler Huntley was put in an impossible situation on Monday night. It was made even more impossible by coach Mike McDaniel's terrible play-calling. He did nothing to get his offensive weapons more involved and make things easier on Huntley.
Perhaps McDaniel learned his lesson and will commit to a simpler playbook with basic run plays and such on Sunday. The Patriots are allowing less than 100 rushing yards per game. If the Dolphins' great players can't get the ball in space, then it doesn't matter if they're great. The Patriots are simply better than them right now.
Pick: Patriots
Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans
The Bills were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, as they dropped their first game of the season. The defense allowed 271 yards rushing, 199 of which belonged to Derrick Henry. The offense only put up 236 yards.
Meanwhile, the Texans won a thriller over the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they moved to 3-1 and 2-0 against the two best teams in the AFC South. Joe Mixon looks set to return for the Texans, which is huge news. The Bills' run defense is terrible.
With all that said, the Bills are going to win this game. The Texans don't do anything particularly well, except get the ball to Nico Collins, but the Bills' pass defense is good enough to keep him relatively quiet. The Texans have yet to win a game by more than six points. The Bills have blown two teams out. The Texans aren't as good as their record suggests.
Pick: Bills
Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Cowboys are coming off a mini-bye after beating the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. The team has not looked right this season. Dak Prescott and his offense are in for a tough task on the road in Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
That said, the Steelers showed a lot of blemishes in Week 4. After holding their first three opponents to 10 or fewer points, they allowed the Indianapolis Colts to score 27. The offense was stagnant until the Colts' lead was so large that they started allowing the Steelers to move the ball, so long as big plays weren't had.
Winning a primetime game in Pittsburgh is no easy feat. The Cowboys will be without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. While Justin Fields has been fine, he's not good enough to take advantage of these absences. The Cowboys win a low-scoring contest.
Pick: Cowboys
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Wednesday:
- NFL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds & Picks
- MLB Same Game Parlay Odds & Picks
- MLB Home Run Prop Bet Odds & Picks
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.