Don’t fear Cardinals, Panthers vs. spread

Top wagering picks for NFL Week 5 based on lines from BetMGM:

Panthers at Lions

Carolina has held three of its four opponents to under 25 points. It has an impressive defense and should be able to bottle up Lions RB David Montgomery and company. Carolina started to put it together in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings and was up 13-7 going into the half. Bryce Young was 25-for-32 for 204 yards. His efficiency is getting better, and his completion percentage is impressive. Detroit is 3-1 ATS and should be a strong public favorite, which would bode well for bettors who want to fade the Lions, as taking the opposite of public favorite is typically wise in sports betting. Detroit is just 1-1 ATS at home as well, losing outright as a home favorite to the Seahawks in Week 2. Given Young’s continued improvements and the quick Carolina secondary, back the PANTHERS (+9).

Ravens at Steelers

AFC North football is hard, smashmouth football, and that’s what fans should expect in this game. The Ravens scored 55 points combined against the Bengals and Browns. The Steelers have two games this season in which they scored in the single digits. Their offense is not productive, and it seems likely to stay that way with Kenny Pickett leading the charge. The Steelers rank near the bottom of the NFL in completion percentage. Similarly, the Ravens are still banged up and could be short many key players on both sides of the ball. The Ravens are 1-3 Over/Under while the Steelers are also 1-3 O/U. With the Steelers’ rock-solid defense has allowed 22 or fewer points in two of four games, expect Lamar Jackson and company to struggle moving the ball. Given the Steelers’ elite-level defense and consequent lack of offense, take the UNDER (38.5).

Bengals at Cardinals

The Bengals will continue to be public favorites when the lines are this unbelievable. Prior to the season, this was like a touchdown or even double-digit spread game, but it changed after the Bengals’ 1-3 start. Cincinnati has covered just once but, given its high-level players on offense, should continue to be a public darling. Also, the Cardinals may not be as bad as we expected. They lost 20-16 to Washington, which is 2-2, on the road in Week 1. They lost 31-28 to the Giants, who made the playoffs last year, in Week 2. They beat the Cowboys and lost by 19 to the 49ers yet scored 16 points against a tough defense in that game. Arizona has flaws, but at home against a Bengals team that will be down Tee Higgins and may still have a quarterback (Joe Burrow) who’s not at 100%, the Cardinals are worth taking. Back the

The Panthers’ Bryce Young has completed 65% of his passes so far during his rookie season. BOB DONNAN/ USA TODAY SPORTS