There are always some surprises each season in the NFL and that certainly goes for the first month of action.

While many fans may be focused on league heavyweights like the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, a few other teams have drawn headlines early in the season.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has seen his career revived in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 4-0 record after knocking off the Packers in Week 3.

The team now sits atop in the NFC North. The Washington Commanders also lead the NFC East as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been a force and has his team atop the NFC East at 3-1.

Through four games, Daniels has completed 81.1%of his passes for 897 yards and a 107.4 quarterback rating with only one interception.

Seattle is off to a nice early run as well at 3-1 and leading the NFC West despite a tough loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 4.

In the AFC, the Steelers may be surprising some with a 3-1 record and a lead in the North. With a struggling offense, it remains to be seen if that can continue.

Here’s a look at what to watch for this week.

Matchups to Watch

Are the Jets for real? The Aaron Rodgers-led squad has a real chance to prove it and bounce back from an ugly loss to the Broncos.

They’ll square off against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings this week, who boast an undefeated record with impressive wins over the Packers, Texans, and 49ers.

After suffering a 35-10 loss to the Ravens, the Buffalo Bills will also be looking to get back to winning, but face off against a tough Houston Texans team this week.

Here’s a look at some other matchups to watch.

• Buccaneers at Falcons – This is a key NFC South battle and the Buccaneers (3-1) continue to roll after a nice win over the Eagles in Week 4.
• Raiders at Broncos – Both teams sit at 2-2 and will be looking to stay in the playoff race in this AFC West showdown. Both quarterbacks, Gardner Minshew and Bo Nix, have both been a bit up and down so far.
• Cowboys at Steelers – Dak Prescott looked great in Week 4 against the Giants, but can the Cowboys (2-2) get it done against a tough Steelers (3-1) defense?
• Saints at Chiefs – The Saints (2-2) have been in every game this season, but face a much tougher test against the Chiefs (4-0). The bad news for New Orleans, tight end Travis Kelce returned to form in Week 4.

Week 5 NFL Odds

Ready to make those selections for this week? Here’s a look at this week’s odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

Matchup	Betting Line	Moneyline	Total
Buccaneers at Falcons	Falcons -1.5	Buccaneers +114 Falcons -134	43.5
Jets at Vikings	Vikings -2.5	Jets +134 Vikings -158	40.5
Ravens at Bengals	Ravens -2.5	Ravens -146 Bengals +124	50.5
Panthers at Bears	Bears -4.5	Panthers +176 Bears -210	41.5
Dolphins at Patriots	Patriots -1.5	Dolphins -102 Patriots -116	35.5
Bills at Texans	Bills -1.5	Bills -112 Texans -104	47.5
Colts at Jaguars	Jaguars -2.5	Colts +128 Jaguars -152	46.5
Browns at Commanders	Commanders -3	Browns +141 Commanders – 172	43.5
Cardinals at 49ers	49ers -7.5	Cardinals +295 49ers -370	49.5
Raiders at Broncos	Broncos -1.5	Raiders +110 Broncos -130	35.5
Giants at Seahawks	Seahawks -6.5	Giants +215 Seahawks -260	43.5
Packers at Rams	Packers -3	Packers -168 Rams +142	48.5
Cowboys at Steelers	Steelers -1.5	Cowboys +116 Steelers -136	43.5
Saints at Chiefs	Chiefs -5.5	Saints +205 Chiefs -250	43.5

* The Lions, Chargers, Eagles, and Titans are all on a bye this week.

Interesting Prop Bets

The Bengals have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is averaging 77 yards per game. Look for Jackson to go over 50 yards at -150.

Derrick Henry is also a good bet to hit the 100-yard mark at +150.

Picks for the People

It’s a good thing these picks are simply for entertainment purposes, right? Last week we finished 2-3 – what happened Bills? Anyway, a new week awaits and hopefully things go better.

Here are some picks for Week 5.

• Buccaneers at Falcons – Look for quite a bit of scoring in this one, enough to top the 43.5 point total.
• Giants at Seahawks – The Giants just flat out look awful. Look for that to continue as the Seahawks appear to have ramped up the offense over the last two weeks. Seattle covers the 6.5 points.
• Browns at Commanders – Going with the hot hand as Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is on fire. The Browns don’t look great and Washington once again takes command, topping the 3-point spread.
• Saints at Chiefs – New Orleans has been a tough customer all year long. The Saints are inside the top 10 in offense and may keep this one within a field goal.

If you want to read more or find our picks for this week, see our latest articles including our top picks for Week 5 Prop Bets and our tips for the best Week 5 Parlays, brought to you by Lawrence.