NFL Week 5 Odds: Seahawks, Chiefs see uptick from look-ahead lines
There was movement, at least when compared to look-ahead numbers, when opening lines hit after Week 4.
Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season produced some wild results, headlined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throttling the Los Angeles Rams as significant underdogs. As always, the market fluctuated after a full slate of on-field action but, when opening point spreads came to light after the dust settled, there was significant movement in a few areas.
When compared to the look-ahead lines for Week 5, the aforementioned Rams are in a less favorable position in the market. FanDuel Sportsbook listed Los Angeles as 1.5-point road favorites prior to Sunday's action but, when the market opened in full, the Seattle Seahawks were installed as 1-point home favorites over the Rams. It is noteworthy that a 2.5-point move is not as instructive as you might think because zero was involved but, at the same time, Los Angeles struggled mightily against Tampa Bay and the number reflects an adjustment.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Bears, fresh off an impressive home win over the Minnesota Vikings, actually took a hit in the market. FanDuel Sportsbook installed the Bears as 6-point favorites (in London) against the Oakland Raiders but, after Oakland pulled off an upset in Week 4, that number has dwindled to a consensus figure of only 4.5 points. There was also movement in other spots, with the Patriots now operating as 15-point favorites over the Washington Redskins (after being 13-point favorites a few days ago) and the Kansas City Chiefs sliding from 8.5-point favorites to 10-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts. Finally, the New Orleans Saints slid from 6-point favorites to 4.5-point favorites over the Buccaneers, presumably as a nod to what Tampa Bay was able to accomplish against the Rams.
The look-ahead market is always worth perusing, if only as an instructional piece, but the full slate of current point spreads can be found here.