Week 5 NFL Picks For PUMPJACKS!
Week 5 arrives with the first bye weeks of the 2026 season, and there are several fascinating matchups on tap. The Jaguars, Vikings and other early-season surprises are being asked to prove they’re for real, while some established contenders are already facing pressure. Here are my straight-up winners for all 15 games:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Spread: Cowboys -8.5
Pick: DALLAS
Dallas gets a great opportunity to continue its momentum from a wild Week 4 victory over Houston, while Tampa Bay is coming off a disappointing home loss to Green Bay. With QB Baker Mayfield, the Bucs will be hard-pressed to win a game. The Cowboys’ offense has been productive, and playing at AT&T Stadium should give them another advantage. I’m taking Dallas to win comfortably.
Philadelphia Eagles at Jacksonville Jaguars
Spread: Jaguars -7
Pick: JACKSONVILLE
This might be the most intriguing game of the early Sunday slate, with the 3-1 Jaguars hosting an Eagles team that’s lost two straight. Jacksonville has been one of the league’s biggest surprises and is playing confident football under Liam Coen. The Jaguars keep rolling and win in London
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins
Spread: Bengals -7
Pick: CINCINNATI
The Bengals were stunned by Jacksonville last week and should be highly-motivated to get back on track. Miami, meanwhile, has struggled badly to start the season and is coming off a loss to Minnesota. There’s a very good chance they won’t win a game this season, and it definitely won’t be this week. Cincinnati’s offense should be too much for the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Spread: Bears -3
Pick: CHICAGO
This is a fascinating NFC North battle because Chicago is beginning to look like a legitimate contender. The Bears have already shown they can win on the road, while Green Bay is coming off a quality victory in Tampa Bay. I’ll take Chicago’s momentum and overall balance to carry the Bears to a road win.
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets
Spread: Jets -2.5
Pick: CLEVELAND
The Browns are 3-1 during a terrific start and have already demonstrated that their defense can make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. The Jets have home-field advantage, but I’m not convinced they’ve earned the right to be favored by much here. Give me Cleveland in a close, low-scoring affair.
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Spread: Texans -7
Pick: HOUSTON
Houston is coming off an extremely entertaining loss to Dallas, but the Texans’ offense continues to show plenty of firepower. Tennessee has had difficulty generating consistent offense and now faces a Houston defense that should be able to create pressure. The Texans bounce back with a convincing road victory.
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
Spread: Steelers -2.5
Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
The Colts looked terrific in dismantling Washington last weekend, while Pittsburgh is coming off a stunning loss at Cleveland. Indianapolis has quietly put together some very impressive football early in the season. I’m taking the Colts outright in a matchup that could come down to the fourth quarter.
Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots
Spread: Patriots -3.5
Pick: NEW ENGLAND
New England enters this one riding an enormous confidence boost after knocking off Buffalo in Week 4. The Patriots’ defense has shown it can create problems, and the home-field advantage at Gillette Stadium matters. The Raiders made it interesting last week in a 30-27 home loss to Kansas City, but it showed they’re not ready to hang with the big boys. We’ll take New England to make it two straight wins.
New York Giants at Washington Commanders
Spread: Commanders -3.5
Pick: NEW YORK GIANTS
The Giants have quietly become one of the more interesting teams in the NFC after beating Arizona last week, all with a back-up QB. Washington’s quarterback situation is a major concern heading into this divisional matchup, and that could prove decisive. I’m going with the Giants to pull another road upset.
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Spread: Vikings -1.5
Pick: MINNESOTA
The Vikings are one of the NFL’s last remaining undefeated teams, and they’re getting it done with defense and special teams. Their offense hasn’t exactly been explosive, but Minnesota continues to find ways to win while the Saints home blowout loss to Atlanta on Monday Night Football proved they are who we thought they were. I’ll stick with the unbeaten Vikings to escape New Orleans with another victory.
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers
Spread: Broncos -3.5
Pick: DENVER
Denver’s loss to San Francisco last week wasn’t pretty, but the Broncos remain a physical, well-coached football team and the 49ers are proving to be the classic of the NFL. The Chargers have also shown flashes but have been inconsistent, including last week’s loss to Seattle which kept them winless. I expect Denver’s defense to make the difference in a close road game.
Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals
Spread: Lions -4.5
Pick: DETROIT
Detroit suffered a shocking loss to Carolina last Sunday and should be angry about it. Arizona has already shown it can score points, making this one potentially explosive, but the Lions have too much talent to remain down for long. Detroit gets back on track with a road win.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Spread: Seahawks -3
Pick: SEATTLE
This could be one of the best games of the entire weekend. Seattle is coming off an impressive victory over the Chargers, while San Francisco just handled Denver and continues to look dangerous. I’m taking the Seahawks at home in what should be a terrific NFC West battle.
Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons
Spread: Falcons -3
Pick: Ravens
Lamar Jackson didn’t practice on Wednesday and his status is up in the air for Sunday’s game. No Lamar = no chance a Falcons team who’s posted stunning road wins at Green Bay and New Orleans this season. Now’s their time to do it at home.
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
Spread: Rams -2.5
Pick: BUFFALO
The Bills are entering dangerous territory after losing to New England, but I think they’re being underestimated here. Josh Allen is still Josh Allen, and Buffalo should be highly motivated to avoid falling to 2-3. Plus, the Rams might be fat following their Week 4 win at Philly. I’m taking the Bills to rebound with a statement road win on Monday night
DISCLAIMER: Spreads are current Week 5 lines and are included for context only; the selections above are straight-up winners, not ATS picks. Picks are solely for entertainment purposes and not to be used as betting advice.
