With the Detroit Lions on a bye in Week 5, we take a look at the opening betting odds from around the NFC North.
Every Monday morning we take a look at the latest odds for the upcoming week in the NFL, courtesy of the good folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook. But with the Detroit Lions on a bye in Week 5, we decided to take a look at the rest of the teams in the NFC North.
While the Lions will use Week 5 to get healthy, the rest of the teams in the NFC North all have very winnable games on their schedule. Spoiler: They’re all favored.
Minnesota Vikings (4-0) vs. New York Jets (2-2): Vikings -2.5
The Vikings took care of business against the Packers in Week 4, winning 31-29, and remain one of the last undefeated teams in the NFL. Minnesota jumped out to a 28-0 lead over Green Bay but allowed a late end-of-half touchdown to keep the door open. The Packers scored two touchdowns (and a two-point conversion) in the fourth quarter to pull within six points, but a Vikings field goal sealed the deal, even though the Packers added another late score to keep the final score close.
After dominating the first half, the Vikings looked incredibly vulnerable in the second half and almost let the game get away from them. If they were facing a hot team in Week 5, they might be in trouble, but they face a Jets team that just lost 10-9 to the Broncos in their home stadium.
Even though this is an overseas game in London, England, I’m honestly surprised the line isn’t larger.
Green Bay Packers (2-2) at Los Angeles Rams (1-3), Packers -3
The Packers couldn’t complete the comeback over the Vikings, but Jordan Love looked to be settling in during the second half, after missing the previous two weeks due to injury.
“We fought the whole game and started making plays later, but too little, too late,” Love said after the game.
Green Bay will be traveling to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles next Sunday to take on a Rams team that remains decimated due to injury. Despite their bare-bones unit, you can never count out Matthew Stafford, who showed that in Chicago on Sunday, mounting a comeback of his own, but also falling just short of securing a win.
Chicago Bears (2-2) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-3), Bears -4.5
After the Rams successfully kicked two field goals, the Bears scored a touchdown and kicked their own field goal to take a 10-6 lead into the half. The teams traded scores in the second half but the Rams only scored one touchdown (they also failed on the two-point conversion and made two field goals), while the Bears got it in the end zone twice to go up 24-18. Stafford got the ball back with a minute and a half remaining and a chance to win the game, but with pressure in his face, he forced a throw that was intercepted to seal a Bears victory.
Meanwhile, the Bears take on a struggling Panthers team, who are figuring out that benching quarterback Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton may not be the key to unlocking success that they thought it might be. The Panthers spent most of their Week 4 trailing the Bengals by two scores and ended up losing 34-24.
