NFL Week 5 Predictions 2021: Upset Picks, Straight Up Winners Include 49ers, Jets

Underdogs continue to thrive with five teams pulling off upsets on the fourth Sunday of the 2021 NFL season. A few favorites could be in trouble on the upcoming schedule as they face teams that might be turning a corner.

Here are the best upset picks for Week 5 with betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Seattle Seahawks (+114) vs. Los Angeles Rams

The betting line is only 1.5 points, but the Seahawks are still underdogs on “Thursday Night Football.” Playing at home against a division rival on a short week, Seattle has just as good of a chance as Los Angeles to kick off the Week 5 schedule with a victory.

Russell Wilson is flying under the radar in the 2021 MVP race. Despite all the talk about Matthew Stafford or Kyler Murray potentially winning the award, Wilson is actually the quarterback who leads the league with a 129.9 passer rating. Wilson is known for having impressive performances in primetime, particularly on Thursday nights, when the veteran has a career 9-1 record.

Seattle ranks last in total defense, but Los Angeles’ defense has been underwhelming through one month. The Rams have only given up one fewer point than the Seahawks. L.A. has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.4% of their passes. Seattle still has a real home-field advantage, and the Rams barely escaped Indianapolis with a victory in their only road game.

New York Jets (+160) vs. Atlanta Falcons (London)

Atlanta continues to be one of the most frustrating teams in the NFL. The Falcons were defeated handily in their one game as favorites, and they blew a chance to beat the Washington Football Team in Week 4. Laying 3.5 points away from Atlanta in Week 5, the Falcons are not to be trusted.

The Jets finally got their first win of the season, defeating the Tennessee Titans 27-24 in overtime. Zach Wilson had his best game as a pro, by far, throwing for 297 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 97.3 passer rating. It was the first time the rookie faced a defense that ranks outside of the top five. Atlanta’s defense is even worse than Tennessee’s, giving Wilson and New York’s offense a chance to keep their positive momentum going.

New York’s defense has been a bright spot in 2021. The Jets are seventh in opponents’ yards per play, putting the unit 19 spots ahead of the Falcons. No team has scored more than 25 points against New York. Atlanta is 1-6 in its last seven games when scoring 25 points or fewer.

San Francisco 49ers (+200) at Arizona Cardinals

There is value on the 49ers after a drastic change in the betting odds. The lookahead line for this matchup had the Cardinals favored by 1.5 points with San Francisco at +106 on the moneyline. Following the Week 4 results, the point spread jumped to 4.5 points and the 49ers’ odds nearly doubled.

Trey Lance didn’t play particularly well in Week 4 when he was thrust into action and forced to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, who is expected to miss multiple games with a calf injury. The rookie could be much better with a week of practice under his belt as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. Garoppolo is the better quarterback at this stage of their careers, but Lance offers more big-play ability that gives San Francisco a chance to pull off the upset.

Murray is 1-3 in his career against the 49ers, including a loss last year in which C.J. Beathard was San Francisco’s quarterback. In 2020, the 49ers limited Murray to 5.3 yards per attempt, one passing touchdown and two interceptions in two games. Arizona isn’t quite as good as it looked in its 37-20 win over the Rams.