Predictions and picks for Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season

Things are hopefully starting to settle down during the NFL season, making our NFL Week 5 predictions in 2022 a little easier to make.

With the frequent surprises this year, it’s not been easy. But things seemed a little more straightforward last week, giving us hope that our NFL Week 5 picks will be a little easier to make.

NFL Week 5 predictions 2022

Whether you want your NFL Week 5 picks straight up or you need to make NFL Week 5 picks against the spread, we have what we hope will be helpful suggestions for you.

The betting lines for this week’s games aren’t quite as tight as they were a week ago. But that doesn’t necessarily make our NFL Week 5 picks easier to make. Nevertheless, we put some thought into it and crunched the numbers to come up with our best NFL Week 5 predictions in 2022.

All odds courtesy of FanDuel — Sign-up to FanDuel Sportsbook for up to $1000 in free bets

Falcons vs Buccaneers

Are the Buccaneers in trouble after two straight losses? It’s possible, although it’s tough to fault Tampa too much for losses to the Packers and Chiefs, even at home.

Tom Brady and the Tampa offense started to get things on track last week with Brady throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns despite just six rushing attempts in the game by the Bucs. Getting Mike Evans back from a one-game suspension also helped the Bucs, so things are surely trending in the right direction.

It’s also worth noting that Brady is 4-0 against the Falcons since coming to Tampa. More importantly, the Falcons have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league thus far, giving up at least 20 points in every game and struggling to hold onto leads.

In fairness, the Atlanta offense has been far better than anyone could imagine. But with Cordarrelle Patterson out with an injury and the passing attack behind Marcus Mariota average at best, the Falcons could have a tough time against a Tampa defense that looked like the best defense in the league prior to last week’s showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

If the Bucs can get their defense back on track, they should be able to slow down Atlanta enough to win by a comfortable margin.

• SU Pick: Buccaneers (-460)
• ATS Pick: Buccaneers -9 (-114)

Chargers vs Browns

The Chargers have shown plenty of promise this season, but they’ve also showcased plenty of flaws. Despite leading the league in passing yards, they are last in rushing yards, showing little balance offensively.

They’ve also conceded the third-most points in the league. Justin Herbert is yet to fully translate his impressive stats into wins, and the Chargers gaining 2.7 yards per carry on the ground isn’t helping.

More importantly, the Los Angeles defense remains vulnerable against the run, allowing over 130 rushing yards in back-to-back weeks. This week, the Chargers need to find a way to contain Nick Chubb and the NFL’s second-best rushing attack.

The Browns may not have a dynamic passing attack, but Jacoby Brissett is doing enough to complement Cleveland’s running game, making the Browns a threat against the LA defense. Also, three of Cleveland’s four games have been decided by three points or less, making them a good pick as a home underdog.

• SU Pick: Browns (+130)
• ATS Pick: Browns +3 (-115)

Steelers vs Bills

The Bills got burned as home favorites against the Steelers last season, but that’s unlikely to repeat itself for a second straight year. The Bills are riding high after a comeback win in Baltimore last week in which they shut out the Ravens during the second half.

Josh Allen’s NFL MVP odds are holding steady with the Bills averaging the second-most passing yards in the league and Allen leading Buffalo in rushing.

Perhaps more importantly, the Buffalo defense has played at a high level all season, conceding just 14.5 points per game.

On the other side, the Steelers are ready to hand rookie Kenny Pickett his first career start. Pickett subbed in for the struggling Mitch Trubisky last week but ended up throwing three interceptions in a loss to the Jets. No matter who is playing quarterback for the Steelers, the Pittsburgh offense has serious limitations.

Against an intimidating Buffalo defense and the pressure to keep pace with Allen and the Buffalo offense on the road, the Steelers look vulnerable to a lopsided loss this week, which is what we’re projecting with our NFL Week 5 predictions in 2022.

• SU Pick: Bills (-900)
• ATS PIck: Bills -14 (-110)

49ers vs Panthers

Four weeks into the season, the 49ers have the best defense in the NFL. There are several players, especially Nick Bosa, who have NFL DPOY odds that are worth watching closely. However, the San Francisco offense is still struggling to find consistency now that Jimmy Garoppolo is back at quarterback.

Garoppolo has been good for one or two nice drives per game, but that’s about it. With the 49ers heading to the East Coast in a short week after playing on Monday night, they aren’t the best candidate to cover a touchdown on the road.

Of course, it’s also hard to put much faith in the Panthers. Baker Mayfield might be having the worst season of his career, averaging less than 190 passing yards per game through four weeks while completing just 55% of his passes.

However, the Panthers still have Christian McCaffrey, so all is not lost offensively. The Carolina defense has also done a nice job of keeping the Panthers in games, so even if they don’t win, Carolina will at least keep this game close.

• SU Pick: 49ers (-290)
• ATS Pick: Panthers +6.5 (-110)

Raiders vs Chiefs

The Las Vegas Raiders are relieved not to be 0-4 right now after getting their first win of the season last week. But things don’t get any easier for them, as they have to visit Kansas City on Monday night.

The Las Vegas defense will surely be put to the test, as the Raiders have conceded at least 23 points in each game this year. That will put a lot of pressure on Derek Carr, who is averaging just 6.7 yards per pass and will have to create a lot of big plays to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Speaking of Mahomes, he and the Kansas City offense scored 41 points last week against the Buccaneers. Before last week, Tampa’s defense looked like the best in the NFL, so the Chiefs made a statement by ripping them to shreds.

We took that game into account when making our NFL Week 5 predictions in 2022, leading us to think that the Chiefs will have no problem covering the spread against a lackluster Las Vegas defense.

• SU Pick: Chiefs (-360)
• ATS Pick: Chiefs -7.5 (-110)