FanDuel NFL Best Bets: TSN staff picks for Week 5

Each week, members from our betting team will share their best bets from the slate of NFL games in hopes of building the ultimate 8-leg parlay on FanDuel.

You can ride the parlay or play the picks on their own, but we made sure to leave an empty space in the box for you to join in and add your biggest lock for the week! Just save the image below and add your own pick to the middle square if you want in on the parlay.

Here’s what we’re rolling with for Week 5 of the NFL season.

Best Bets Week 5

Eric Cohen - Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 (-110) 

When you bet on the NFL, it’s important not to get too caught up with what you saw last week. On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs jumped out to a 17-0 lead vs. the New York Jets then had to hold on for a 23-20 victory. Patrick Mahomes played one of the worst games of his NFL career. I don’t expect this to be the case against a shaky Minnesota Vikings defence.

Speaking of defence, the Chiefs have quietly had a very good year on that side of the ball. They have given up just 15 points per game this season. I expect Mahomes to bounce back and Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins to make his usual mistakes at the worst possible time.

We are getting a good number based on KC’s struggles Sunday night and hopefully we will take advantage and improve to 4-0 in our Best Bets!!!

Connor Ford - Miami Dolphins over 1.5 first half touchdowns (-182)

The New York Giants have been unwatchable at the start of games this season. Actually, scratch that. They’ve been unwatchable, period. It won’t get any easier this week against an explosive Miami Dolphins offence that will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Through four weeks, the Giants rank 31st in the NFL allowing 19.3 points per game in the first half. Meanwhile, the Dolphins sit atop the NFL averaging 21.5 first-half points. The Giants simply don’t have the personnel to go toe-to-toe with Mike McDaniel’s ascending offence. 

The Fins have also been great at scoring on their final drive of the first half, so I’m confident they cover this line even if it’s closer than expected. Miami has scored at least two touchdowns in every first half this season and I expect that trend to continue this week against an inferior opponent. 

Evan Render - Buffalo/Jacksonville over 48.5 points (-110)

It just feels like it’s only a matter of time before the Jacksonville Jaguars get clicking offensively. This seems like a perfect spot for them to do so.

The Buffalo Bills will get theirs. Since Week 1, Josh Allen and crew have basically been unstoppable.

Doug Pederson, who I’m very high on, knows this and will likely empty out the playbook knowing they need touchdowns and not field goals.

This isn’t Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Essentially, any total less than 50 points with Buffalo right now is an auto bet because of how they’re scoring. If you combine that with the loss of Tre'Davious White and a Jaguars team that’s too talented to not at least keep up, I see this game going over that number.

Give me Jags/Bills over 48.5 and let’s keep rolling here.

Chris Brieda - Ja'Marr Chase over 6.5 receptions (-138)

The Cincinnati Bengals urgently need to start stacking W’s, and they’ll need Ja’Marr Chase to help make that happen.

Chase’s comments to the media last weekend voicing his frustrations about how he’s “always open” had me thinking about other instances of star wide receivers demanding the football.

Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown both came out with some of the best showings of their careers in recent weeks after vocalizing their demands earlier this season.

While Chase hasn’t found the end zone yet, the Bengals receiver has been targeted consistently through four weeks, so I don’t expect a drop off in opportunities for touches:

Week 1 — 9 targets, 5 receptions
Week 2 — 8 targets, 5 receptions
Week 3 — 12 targets, 15 receptions
Week 4 — 9 targets, 7 receptions

He has gone over 6.5 receptions in each of the last two games, and this is a desperate Bengals side going up against an Arizona Cardinals pass defence ranked 24th in the NFL.

While this isn’t a playoff game in Buffalo or Kansas City, it’s still a must-win game on the road for a team that prides themselves as road warriors.

Arizona has been pesky all season, and I expect them to at least keep it close enough to warrant Joe Burrow to keep passing the ball to his main man throughout all four quarters.

Additionally, Tee Higgins is questionable to play this week, which potentially opens the door for more Ja’Marr Chase.

I also like Chase to score a touchdown, but for now I’ll take him to catch the ball over 6.5 times this Sunday.

Christian Marin - Miles Sanders under 40.5 rushing yards (-114)

The Detroit Lions are allowing a league-low 60.8 rushing yards per game this season and they have yet to allow a running back to rush for more than 50 yards in a game. They’ve also only allowed more than 40 yards to a running back just once so far through four weeks, and completely limited guys like Kenneth Walker and Bijan Robinson in their matchups.

Miles Sanders only has 158 rushing yards on the season and 115 of those rushing yards came in the first two games of the season. The Carolina Panthers running back is also coming off a groin injury, so I’m expecting Canadian Chuba Hubbard to get involved in the run game in this one.

On top of that, I’m not expecting Detroit to trail in this one, so Carolina might have to throw for a majority of their possessions.

Aidan Thakkar - Bijan Robinson over 77.5 rushing yards (-114)

Bijan Robinson has hit this number in two out of four games thus far and, honestly, this matchup against the Houston Texans may be his best opportunity yet.

The Texans have averaged the sixth-most rushing yards against in the NFL this season.

Najee Harris’s best game of the season came against Houston last week, and ditto for Travis Etienne Jr. in Week 3.

It could be a big statement game from Bijan this week so I’m taking the over on his rushing yards at 77.5.

Drew Morrison - 49ers -3.5 (-111) + Detroit Lions -9.5 (-108)

The Sharps will tell you to beware of 3.5-point spreads, but I’m not sharp, as my BEST BETS record would indicate. 

Strategy moving forward: Take wild swings until the home runs make up for an ugly average. That said, this swing feels like it’s coming on a 3-0 count. 

The San Francisco 49ers are just better than the Dallas Cowboys.  They’re more talented, better coached, and they’re healthier.  While Micah Parsons is expected to play, if he’s anything less than 100 per cent, Dallas is in trouble. 

Oh yeah, Christian McCaffrey has at least one touchdown in all four games this season and has scored in each of his last 13 games dating back to last season…expect him to score again this week!

And to get back to .500 for the year, give me the brand new Detroit Lions -9.5 at home to the Carolina Panthers. 

Feeling pretty sharp all of a sudden.

The odds on this 8-leg parlay are +9952* and $10 would pay $995.22 on FanDuel Canada.

*Odds subject to change.