NFL Week 5 betting trends: Two-horse MVP race, new DROY favorite
Week 5 is in the books.As the 2026 NFL season nears the 2/3rds mark, let’s take a look at the biggest emerging betting trends and storylines.Josh Allen remains the slight favorite after his spectacular performance in Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime win over the Rams. He rushed for 121 yards in the victory, while Brock Purdy kept the 49ers undefeated with a comeback win over Seattle.Purdy opened at +1800 and has climbed all the way to +300 at FanDuel Sportsbook, while Allen has shortened from +600 to +250. Patrick Mahomes (+600) and Trevor Lawrence (+900) are also lingering, but the MVP is shaping up to be a two-horse race through five weeks.The Rams have lost three of their first five games, including Monday’s heartbreaker against the Bills, yet oddsmakers aren’t giving up on them.Los Angeles remains a co-favorite alongside the undefeated 49ers, who have surged from +1900 in the preseason to +700. The Rams, meanwhile, have slipped from +500 entering the season. Buffalo is close behind the co-favorites at +750. The Ravens (+800) are the only other team better than 10/1. After an underwhelming start to his rookie campaign, David Bailey exploded for three sacks against Cleveland on Sunday.The breakout performance vaulted the No.
2 overall pick from +1000 to +200 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, overtaking Giants rookie Arvell Reese (+300). Bailey now leads all rookies with five sacks.A pair of gut-wrenching bad beats took place on Sunday.The first came in the Bengals’ 31-24 win over the Dolphins, when Miami kicker Riley Patterson missed an extra point off the upright with less than a minute remaining.The miss handed Bengals -6.5 bettors an improbable victory while crushing Miami +6.5 backers.Commanders bettors suffered their own nightmare against the Giants.Washington, which was a 3.5-point favorite, blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead before squandering a potential game-winning field goal opportunity in overtime.The Commanders inexplicably let the clock...