NFL Week 5: ATS favorites bounce back early, slip late

The first four weeks of the NFL season were dominated by underdogs, at least from an against-the-spread perspective. Underdogs finished the first month with a sparkling 38-24-1 record that included an 11-4 performance in Week 4 and, in general, that meant an ugly start for casual bettors who tend to lean toward favorites. In Week 5, however, things stabilized a bit and favorites turned in a mild winning showing. 

With Monday night's game between the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers still pending, favorites finished at 7-6-1. There is a bit of wiggle room in that figure with regard to the Baltimore Ravens and a three-point win over the Pittsburgh Steelers because the number was 3.5 at some shops but, all told, it was a much more favorable week from teams that were "supposed" to win. 

The Houston Texans decimated the Atlanta Falcons as a favorite of less than a touchdown at home and a pair of two-touchdown favorites covered with the ease in the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. There were some dicier showings, headlined by the Carolina Panthers covering in a one-score game, but the 1:00 pm ET slate was particularly kind to favorites. 

Later in the day, favorites came up empty, posting an 0-3 record in the 4:00 pm ET and 8:20 pm ET windows. That featured the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs all losing outright as favorites but, in the end, it wasn't enough to overcome the work accomplished earlier in the day. 

Monday night's game installs the 49ers as 5-point favorites over the Browns but when that game concludes, the calendar will flip to Week 6 and a whole new schedule of appetizing match-ups.