The 2024 NFL season marches on with an exciting Week 5 lineup, where teams have the chance to make a significant impact. Thursday Night Football features a showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons.
On Sunday morning, the New York Jets will clash with the Minnesota Vikings in London. The Buffalo Bills are set to face the Houston Texans later that day, while the Dallas Cowboys square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup. Monday Night Football brings us the New Orleans Saints versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Which teams will step up and deliver standout performances in Week 5? Let’s delve into the NFL Vegas odds for some of the big games.
Below are the odds from three of the best Vegas NFL Football betting sites.
Football bettors can look forward to a taste of southern rivalry on Thursday Night Football as the Atlanta Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off Week 5. Tampa Bay dominated a depleted Philadelphia Eagles squad in Week 4, while Atlanta narrowly edged out the New Orleans Saints without scoring an offensive touchdown. Oddsmakers have set the initial line for this divisional clash just under the key number of a field goal, with Atlanta favored by 2.5 points and the total sitting at a modest Over/Under of 43 points.
Check out our MyBookie sportsbook review for more information about this betting site.
In Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings were slight favorites against the New York Giants, who, led by Daniel Jones, are seen as a struggling team under Brian Daboll. The Vikings took care of business in that matchup. After that, a tough stretch of their schedule began, but Sam Darnold and the Vikings weren’t fazed. Now sitting at 4-0 and heading to London, oddsmakers are starting to show them more respect.
Last week, the Vikings were 2.5-point road underdogs against the Green Bay Packers. They’re getting the same line this week, but this time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The New York Jets entered the season with high hopes, but Aaron Rodgers has yet to meet those expectations.
Typically, home-field advantage is worth around three points, but playing in London isn’t quite the same as being at U.S. Bank Stadium. However, it’s worth noting that Minnesota has never lost in London, and they’ll be looking to maintain that 4-0 streak this week.
Houston’s pass defense is one of the best in the NFL, leading the league with a stingy 57.5% completion rate allowed and ranking fifth in passing yards allowed at just 161 per game. For the Bills to succeed, they’ll need to figure out how to stretch the field, as their inability to do so through the first four games has made them predictable. Defenses are now crowding the line of scrimmage without fear of the deep ball, which congests the short and intermediate passing lanes while also boosting run defense. This is an issue offensive coordinator Joe Brady must address quickly.
If RB Joe Mixon is healthy enough to suit up, the Texans should follow Baltimore’s recent game plan and establish him early on the ground. While Mixon isn’t on the same level as Derrick Henry, the way Buffalo struggled to stop Henry behind an injury-riddled Ravens offensive line suggests Houston should at least try. If the Bills manage to shut down the run, C.J. Stroud can take over. Unlike Josh Allen, Stroud has an arsenal of dynamic receivers, including Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Bell (if he’s available after missing Week 4 against the Jaguars).
The Dallas Cowboys find themselves as underdogs for the third time in five weeks as they gear up to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fresh off a win over the New York Giants, the Cowboys are hitting the road once more, heading back to the East Coast. On the other side, the Steelers suffered their first setback of the season, falling behind early against the Indianapolis Colts and failing to mount a successful comeback.
New Orleans Saints (2-2) are back on the road for a primetime showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football. The Saints are coming off a tough loss to the Atlanta Falcons, who sealed the game with a last-second field goal by Younghoe Koo. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) remain unbeaten after a 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.
In Week 4, the Chiefs were 8.5-point road favorites against the Chargers before securing their fourth straight victory. The Saints, who opened as 1.5-point underdogs against the Falcons last week, now sit at 2-2 after a narrow 26-24 defeat in Atlanta.
Since the NFL merger in 1970, these teams have faced off just 12 times. The Chiefs won their most recent matchups, including a 32-29 road win in Week 15 of the 2020 season and a 27-21 home victory in Week 7 of 2016. Saints quarterback Derek Carr, however, is quite familiar with Kansas City, having started 17 games against them during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, though he has only won three of those meetings.
