Five Best NFL Matchups for Week 6
Week 5 of the NFL season is nearly in the books, but let’s jump ahead to Week 6. Here are the five most intriguing matchups this week in the NFL.
Eagles at Panthers, 8:25PM ET, Thursday
The Thursday Night Football matchup is a great one this week, as the 4-1 Panthers will host the 4-1 Eagles. Both teams are in the mix to not only earn a playoff berth, but also a division title. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, Carolina opened as a 3-point home favorite and that’s where the line currently sits. The total, meanwhile, sits at 46 points.
Key Trend: The favorite is a perfect 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings between these two teams. The over has also cashed in four of the last five meetings between the Panthers and Eagles.
Steelers at Chiefs, 4:25PM ET, Sunday
Pittsburgh was a Super Bowl favorite in Las Vegas last week, but that was before the Steelers suffered a mind-blowing loss to the Jaguars as a 7.5-point favorite on Sunday. Now at 3-2, the Steelers now face their toughest challenge of the season when they travel to Kansas City to take on the lone unbeaten team in the NFL. The 5-0 Chiefs are clearly the best team in football thanks to the addition of rookie Kareem Hunt, a re-tooled Alex Smith, and a defense that has overcome the early-season injury to Eric Berry. That said, the Chiefs are also banged-up along the offensive line and could be without tight end Travis Kelce, who excited Sunday night’s win over the Texans with a head injury. The Chiefs are 3-point favorites versus the Steelers after opening at -3.5.
Key Trend: The Steelers are just 1-4 against the spread in their last five games in Kansas City. The home team is also 7-2 at the betting window in the last nine meetings between these two teams.
Packers at Vikings, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The interest level in this game could be decided by what happens Monday night in Chicago. The Vikings could be 3-2 if they beat the Bears and if that’s the case, they’ll remain one game behind the Packers in the NFC North. If they lose Monday, then Sunday’s matchup takes a hit. The point spread has yet to be released for this game because the health status of Sam Bradford is still up in the air.
Key Trend: The underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the last five meetings between these two teams, while the home squad is 9-4 at the betting window in the last 13 meetings. Minnesota figures to be a home dog on Sunday, regardless of what happens Monday in Chicago.
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Lions at Saints, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
This game takes on new meaning following the Saints’ back-to-back wins before their bye. The last time we saw New Orleans, the Saints were shutting out the Dolphins in London. As for the Lions, they suffered a setback on Sunday in a 27-24 loss to the Panthers. Many believe Detroit is a playoff team, but things could turn south in a hurry for the Lions. After opening as a 3-point favorite, the Saints are now -3.5.
Key Trend: The Lions are just 2-5 against the spread in the last seven meetings between these two teams.
Patriots at Jets, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
This matchup wouldn’t have been on our radar three weeks ago but suddenly the Jets are one of the hottest teams in football. After being accused of tanking before the season, the Jets seem to validate that sentiment by starting the season 0-2. But then they rattled off victories against the Dolphins, Jaguars and Browns to vault themselves into a three-way tie in the AFC North with the Bills and Patriots. Oddsmakers clearly aren’t buying into the new-look Jets, however. New York is a 9.5-point home underdog for Sunday.
Key Trend: The Patriots are 0-4 against the spread in their last four trips to East Rutherford and are 1-6-1 at the betting window in their last eight games versus the Jets overall.