NFL Week 5: Unders, favorites dominating recent trends as London slate begins

Week 5 marks the start of the NFL's annual pilgrimage to London, with the first of four games on the agenda. In the opening London match-up, the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears will square off and, while there are more appetizing match-ups around the league from the perspective of a casual observer, there is always a bit more attention on games taking place across the pond. 

With that as the backdrop, the Bears are currently 5.5-point favorites over the Raiders with an over/under total sitting in the range of 40.5 points. Given the fact that the game will take place on a neutral field, that is a substantial nod in favor of Chicago operating as the better team but, in order to take in the full picture, a look back at the history of results in London could be instructive. 

Overall, favorites have been the best bet in the NFL's trips to London, with a 15-9 against the spread mark in 24 contests. Favorites are also 18-5-1 on the money line and, during the 2018 season, favorites were 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread in England. 

It is worth noting that the opening game is taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London, where as the vast majority of London action has existed at Wembley Stadium. Still, that would project to be only a minor factor and, from an over/under standpoint, things are actually dead-locked at 12-12 all-time. Recently, though, the under has been the stronger side, with a 6-1 record in the last seven games in London and a 3-0 mark in 2018. 

In theory, odd travel could lead to ugly football and, while the listed total of 40.5 probably builds that in to some degree, the presence of Chicago's top-flight defense is also worth noting. The Bears are 1-0 all-time in London, though that win occurred in 2011, and the Raiders are 0-2 in London, losing by a 24-point margin in both 2014 and 2018. 

Because the London game is set for a 1:00 pm ET kick-off and placed in a stand-alone window, there will be a little bit less attention for this edition. There are trends to consider, though, and the London journey continues when the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off in Week 6. 

So who should you pick in every Week 5 NFL game? And what teams will deliver huge upsets this week? Join SportsLine now to get every pick from the model that would have won over 96 percent of CBS office pool leagues last season, plus find out what home favorite is in for the shock of a lifetime.