NFL Plays & Predictions: Week 5

After going 1-1 for Week 4, it's time we get the wagon BACK on the road and get back to the winning ways we were experiencing to begin the season!

Week 5 looks like a tricky slate of games because of injuries, a London game (Yuck!), and difficult to read games (I'm looking at you winless Texans & Titans!).

I was still able to find three plays featuring teams riding hot streaks coming into Sunday: Da Bears, Browns, and 49ers. All of these teams aren't favorites, but all three of these teams could find themselves getting the dub this weekend.

Bears ML (vs. Packers)

The Chicago Bears find themselves in a position that they haven't experienced since I was a junior in high school (I get it! I'm old!). They find themselves are FAVORITES on the road in Green Bay, Wisconsin for the first time since the 2006 season.

This is probably because the Packers have not been as solid as we are use to and some are questioning the future of this Head Coach Matt LaFleur. Josh Jacobs be unavailable because of his "legal issues" hasn't helped as they are dead last in rushing offense (58 rush yards per game).

The Bears have been very solid to start the season despite losing Caleb Williams to injury in their Week 2 loss for the Minnesota Vikings. Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent have manned the fort nicely, and it looks as though Bagent will get his second straight start today.

If the Bears can jump out to an early lead and lean on the run game of Swift and Johnson, then I see them being able to control the game and win the time of possession battle. Chicago is the top rushing offense in the league, averaging 196 yards per game on the ground. The Packers defense is also in the Bottom 5 defense vs the run, giving up an average of 139 run yards per game.

Emotions will also be high as the Bears will definite want to get Ben Johnson his first win at Lambeau Field since becoming the Head Coach of the Bears.

Browns +2.5 (vs. Jets)

Anyone who says they saw the Cleveland Browns with three wins after their first four games of 2026, then they are a liar and maybe can't be trusted. No one saw the Browns being 3-1 to start the season. I definitely did not see this coming as I had them as a one win team this season.

I'm assuming the Browns are the dogs in this games because they are on the road today. The Browns have only played twice on the road so far where they loss to the Jaguars and came back following a thunderstorm again the Buccaneers.

The Jets have only had one singular home game to start the 2026 season which was a narrow defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. They actually led 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Packers would score 13 unanswered fourth quarter points to squeeze by with the OT win.

Deshaun Watson has been performing solidly to start the season and I expect that to continue. He hasn't turned over the ball a ton with only two interceptions so far this season, and the Browns have done a fairly nice job keeping him upright with him only being sacked two times in each of the last three games.

The Jets just snapped their 20-game streak without forcing an interception last week against the Bears. However, anyone can tell you that only one interception in your last 20 games is not a good stat.

This game will be a close one, but I think the Browns will do enough to cover and could possibly win the game outright too!

49ers +3 (vs. Seahawks)

There's something that doesn't sit right about writing about the San Francisco 49ers as an underdog. They are easily the best team in the NFC (coming from a Vikings fan) and are the top scoring offense in the NFC (only trailing the Bills in the league by 1.3 points per game).

I have a lot of respect for Sam Darnold and the defending Super Bowl champions, but they look mortal through the first four weeks of this season.

They narrowly escaped a loss to the Patriots in Week 1 and only won because Drake Maye doesn't know how to throw the ball to HIS team, they lost to a Commanders team who the Eagles, Cowboys, and Colts were able to beat, and they've played the Cardinals and Chargers in their other two wins...need I say more?

Even with the 49ers playing those same Cardinals, the Dolphins, the banged up Rams, and the Broncos, this looks like one of the most explosive offenses in the NFC. Plus, I'll take Kyle Shanahan in almost any game against Seattle. He's 14-4 all time against the Seahawks and knows how to prepare his team for the loud environment which is Lumen Field (doesn't sound as cool as Qwest Field or CenturyLink Field). This is going to be a wake up call for the Seahawks.

Parlay Odds for this picks: +602 FanDuel
Parlay Odds for all 3 money lines: +895 Ceasars

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