NFL Expert Picks Week 5: ESPN Experts Picking Raiders To Beat Broncos?
NFL expert picks for Week 5 present some interesting predictions from ESPN. Among the Week 5 NFL expert picks is the ESPN analysts siding with the Cincinnati Bengals over the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN.com releases weekly predictions from experts with the network, but not all the picks from the coming week have been submitted yet. Sometimes a few of the analysts wait until closer to the weekend to complete their list of predictions.
In addition to favoring the Bengals to move to 5-0 this week, half the analysts have predicted that the Oakland Raiders will beat the Denver Broncos. The AFC West battle takes place on Sunday, October 11, with the Raiders hosting the 1:25 p.m. PT game. The Broncos come into the game with a perfect 4-0 record, while the Raiders are just 2-2 through the first four games. Despite all that, the ESPN analysts are evenly split on the outcome of the divisional game.
The Week 5 NFL expert picks from ESPN include a number of unanimous game predictions. They have the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Chicago Bears, the Atlanta Falcons beating the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Ravens beating the Cleveland Browns, the Arizona Cardinals beating the Detroit Lions, the New England Patriots beating the Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants beating the San Francisco 49ers. Several other predictions might surprise many NFL fans for this weeks action.
In the Thursday night, October 8 game, the analysts are siding with the Indianapolis Colts to beat the Houston Texans on the road. It’s a very important AFC South game, with the game-time status of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck still unknown. Currently, the Colts lead the division with a 2-2 record, but have been out-scored by 21 points this season already.
In the other Week 5 NFL expert picks from early on Sunday, the ESPN analysts have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Philadelphia Eagles beating the New Orleans Saints, the Green Bay Packers beating the St. Louis Rams, and the Buffalo Bills beating the Tennessee Titans. Chris Mortensen is the only analyst (so far) to pick the Rams to beat the Packers. He also sided with the Titans over the Bills and the Raiders over the Broncos.
As for the last of the late Sunday games, ESPN predicts the Arizona Cardinals will beat the Detroit Lions. Only Seth Wickersham has sided with the Lions over the Cardinals. Wickersham has one of the better marks for the season, going 41-22 in his predictions thus far. The leader among the ESPN analysts is Keith Jackson, who is 43-20 and just ahead of Keyshawn Johnson at 42-21.
In the Monday game from October 12, the analysts are again evenly split on the outcome. The game is the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers, with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger about to miss another week. Despite his absence, many analysts still feel that the Steelers can figure out a way to beat Philip Rivers and his Chargers. The Chargers are 2-2 to this point and the Steelers dropped to 2-2 after losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. Michael Vick looks to get the team back on the right path as the starting quarterback again in Week 5.
If the predictions hold true, the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Cincinnati Bengals should all survive the week to remain undefeated. The only other team without a loss is the 4-0 Denver Broncos. As for the only team left with no wins, the ESPN analysts have the Detroit Lions falling to 0-5 on the year. The two most interesting games from the Week 5 NFL expert picks have to be Seattle vs. Cincinnati and Denver vs. Oakland. Both match-ups could have a big impact on the 2015 NFL standings.
[Image Sources: Doug Pensinger, Andy Lyons, And Jared Wickerham / Getty Images]
