NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 5: Advice and Predictions

by Spencer Toth - 10/1/2024

NFL survivor pool picks Week 5 Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs

Surviving an entire NFL season is one of the most lucrative achievements a bettor can obtain. It requires selecting a winner each week in the NFL without repeating selections over the course of the season. Less than 5% of survivor pool entries are still alive after Week 2 and Week 3 saw so many heavy favorites lose outright. Last week, there were only 4 teams with 5+ point spreads, with the Jets (-7) being the only team not to win outright. The 49ers (-10), Texans (-6), and our selection, the Chiefs (-7) all got the win, getting us one step closer to the ultimate glory.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Here are your NFL Week 5 survivor pool picks ranked from most to least confident, in addition to our official survivor pool pick of the week.

Seattle Seahawks (-6.5) Over New York Giants

This is the best selection to make this week. Not only is it the most confident pick, but the Seahawks don’t have too many easy wins left on their schedule. Geno Smith has been consistent for the Seahawks. And even though their defense has let them down this season, Daniel Jones will not be finding much success. The Giants are a train wreck, as their offense continues to fall asleep at the wheel. After some nervous weeks, the Seahawks will cruise to a big win over New York and will be our official selection this week.

Kansas City Chiefs (-5) Over New Orleans Saints

It’s always risky to take primetime games in your survivor pool, as the national TV coverage can produce unexpected results. However, the Chiefs are still undefeated on the season and will not take their first loss at home against the Saints. Kansas City’s offense has been a shadow of their former selves, but their defense continues to step up to the plate when it matters most. Saying this, the Chiefs should still probably be saved for another week later in the season.

Washington Commanders (-3) Over Cleveland Browns

The Commanders have gotten off to a red hot start this year, and now is the perfect time to cash in with your survivor pool. Jayden Daniels has been lights out for Washington, scoring points on 21 of their last 23 possessions. This hot streak will eventually end, but it won’t be against the Browns. Cleveland and Washington are headed in two completely opposite directions, and the Commanders are an excellent pick this week.

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) Over Cincinnati Bengals

Don’t let a win over the Carolina Panthers distract you from what this Bengals team really is. Their offense is solid, but their defense is one of the worst in the league. Baltimore has shaken off their 0-2 start and looks poised to capture the AFC North title once again. Lamar Jackson and co. continue to make smart plays on offense, and their defense is just as good as always. However, the Ravens will be big favorites several times this season, so you must be careful with when you pull the trigger.

San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) Over Arizona Cardinals

There is no reason to use the 49ers unless all four previously mentioned teams have been used. San Francisco has the potential to be a dominant team and will probably figure things out later in the season. They are big favorites for a reason, and will still probably win, but this 49ers team will be double digit favorites multiple times later this year and should be used then.

Dallas Cowboys (+2.5) Over Pittsburgh Steelers

Despite being underdogs, the Cowboys are a safe survivor pool pick for this week. Pittsburgh’s defense was disrupted by Joe Flacco last week and will struggle to maintain their high standards against the Cowboys. Dallas is starting to figure things out, and they will beat the Steelers regardless of what this spread says.

Chicago Bears (-4) Over Carolina Panthers

The Panthers lost by double digits to the previously winless Bengals, and this is the perfect game for Caleb Williams to shine in. Williams has struggled this season, but he has slowly been getting better throughout the year. Expect him to take another step forward against the Panthers at home this week. There won’t be a better time to use the Bears than at home against the Panthers, so this could be a sneaky good pick for Week 5.

Denver Broncos (-3) Over Las Vegas Raiders

In a similar vein to the Bears, the Broncos won’t have too many easier opponents than the Raiders at home. Denver pulled off a nice upset against the Jets last week, leaning on their defense to get them over the line. Las Vegas has so many issues right now, both on and off the field, that it is hard to see them picking up a road win.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) Over Atlanta Falcons

The Buccaneers are way better than the Falcons at this stage of the season and are a pretty safe pick to make. However, they still have a pair of games against the Panthers and games against the Giants, Chargers, and Raiders. There are better options out there this week.

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) Over LA Rams

The Packers got Jordan Love back from injury last week, but it wasn’t enough to hand the Vikings their first loss. Love will have had another full week to get ready for this game, and he should be able to lead his team to victory. The Rams are always on upset watch with sneaky Sean McVay calling plays, but the Packers are still a relatively safe pick this week.

New York Jets (+2.5) Over Minnesota Vikings

Fading an undefeated team in a survivor pool is never fun, but this is as close to a must-win game as it can be for the Jets at this stage of the season. The Minnesota Vikings will stumble across the pond in London, England, with Aaron Rodgers putting on a clinic for the European fans.

Miami Dolphins (+1) Over New England Patriots

This game really shouldn’t be touched. However, if you really want to use up a low-tier team, the Dolphins are a good choice. Miami has the offensive pieces needed to pick the Patriots apart and will play better defensively than they did on Monday night.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) Over Indianapolis Colts

The Jaguars cannot afford to drop to 0-5 if they want their slim chances of a playoff spot to remain alive. The Colts caught the Steelers by surprise when Richardson went down with injury, but the Jaguars will have a coherent game plan to shut down Joe Flacoo. Jacksonville will be playing with desperation and will find a way to win at home.

Houston Texans (+1) Over Buffalo Bills

Don’t even consider touching this game. These are two strong teams who need to be saved until later in the season, and this will be a tight game right down to the wire.

Survivor Pool Pick of the Week: Seattle Seahawks Over New York Giants

Get NFL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

Start:	October 7, 2024 @ 8:15 PM
Expert:	Raphael Esparza (VSI)
Free $60 Account Sign Up

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 5: Advice and Predictions

Most Recent NFL Survivor Pool Picks