Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 5 NFL Picks

Week 4 Results:
Rick: 8-8; Flip: 9-7
Cumulative: Rick: 25-35-4; Flip: 22-38-4

Thursday, October 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-1.5, 43.5), 8:15 pm (Prime Video) - The Falcons are home for a third straight week and come off a 26-24 win over the Saints. They are finding their best offense and the defense has been good enough the past three weeks, producing a 22-21 win over the Eagles and losing a tight one, 22-17, to the Chiefs.

Tampa Bay is 3-1, leading the division and were last seen wrecking the Eagles, 33-16. The Bucs and Falcons split their divisional series last season, each winning on the road. Falcons should produce a win and tighten up the divisional race, but that's far from a certainty.

Coin Flip: Atlanta

Fearless Rick's Pick: Falcons 27 Buccaneers 24

Sunday, October 6

New York Jets vs Minnesota Vikings (-2.5, 40.5) (at Tottenham, London) 9:30 am (NFLN) - 4-0 Vikings meet unlucky Aaron Rodgers and the Jets (not a rock band). Had a few plays gone differently for the Jets, especially in their rain-drenched 10-9 loss to Denver, the Jets might be 4-0.

The Vikings have beaten good teams: Giants, 49ers, Texans, and Packers - and done so confidently. Can the Jets contain Justin Jefferson for 60 minutes? Probably not.

Coin Flip: New York Jets

Fearless Rick's Pick: Vikings 24 Jets 16

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (-4, 41.5), 1:00 pm (FOX) - The Panthers got a win two weeks back when Andy Dalton replace Bryce Young at QB, topping the Raiders in Las Vegas, 36-24. Cincinnati put them away, 34-24, last week.

The Bears are not really that good and neither is their rookie QB, Caleb Williams, so giving four points may be a stretch. Looking for a close game.

Coin Flip: Carolina

Fearless Rick's Pick: Panthers 24 Bears 23

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5, 50.5) at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 pm (CBS) - The Ravens have just too much firepower in their running game for Cincinnati to handle. The Bengals started out 0-3, and got a win by beating possibly the worst team in the league, Carolina, 34-24.

Who's not favored at home should be a red flag.

Coin Flip: Baltimore

Fearless Rick's Pick: Ravens 30 Bengals 21

Buffalo Bills (-1, 47.5) at Houston Texans, 1:00 pm (CBS) - Battle of 3-1 division leaders has Buffalo on the road after being trounced in Baltimore last week, 35-10. Meanwhile, Houston rebounded from a 34-7 loss at Minnesota to defeat Jacksonville, 24-20, last week.

Everything points to a tight game featuring two talented, playoff-bound teams. Home field should count for something, but in this case Houston gets a point. Take it.

Coin Flip: Buffalo

Fearless Rick's Pick: Texans 26 Bills 24

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3, 46.5), 1:00 pm (CBS) - Jacksonville has yet to find a way to win this season. At 0-4, they look like playoff outsiders. Indy QB Anthony Richardson and RB Jonathon Taylor are both questionable and the Jags whipped them twice last season. Jaguars are overdue and this is a good spot for a win.

Coin Flip: Indianapolis

Fearless Rick's Pick: Jaguars 24 Colts 17

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-1, 35.5), 1:00 pm (FOX) - Can't take the Dolphins at any point without Tua, so it looks like a lost season in Miami. Both teams are sub-par, 1-3, but New England can pick up it's first home win of 2024 against a depleted Dolphins' squad.

Coin Flip: Miami

Fearless Rick's Pick: Patriots 20 Dolphins 13

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders (-3, 44.5), 1:00 pm (FOX) - The Browns dropped to 1-3, losing a 20-16 decision in Las Vegas last week. Cleveland's offense leaves much to be desired, having scored 15, 16, 17, and 18 points in their four games, so they're likely to score 14 or 19 against the rising Commanders, winners of three straight.

QB Jayden Daniels is almost certain to be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and may bid for league MVP. Washington may be the best pure play of the week.

Coin Flip: Washington

Fearless Rick's Pick: Commanders 38 Browns 14

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3, 36), 4:05 pm (FOX) - Las Vegas has a pretty good defense, but so do the Broncos, plus, Bo Nix seems to have found a groove and a passion for winning. Denver's wins over Tampa Bay and the Jets after losing their first two games suggests the Broncos are heading for a playoff spot.

Coin Flip: Denver

Fearless Rick's Pick: Broncos 23 Raiders 13

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-7.5, 49.5), 4:05 pm (FOX) - Arizona's only win this season was a 41-10 stomping of the Rams, but after that, two straight home losses sends them on the road to a place they normally lose.

Even a little banged up, the 49ers are a vastly superior team.

Coin Flip: San Francisco

Fearless Rick's Pick: 49ers 31 Cardinals 16

Green Bay Packers (-3.5, 48) at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 pm (CBS) - The Packers got Jordan Love back from injury last week and promptly dispatched by division rival, Minnesota, 31-29. Though the Packers rallied hard from a deep deficit, in the end it wasn't enough.

They should do better against the up-and-down 1-3 Rams, who managed somehow to lose to Arizona and Chicago, but beat the 49ers. The Rams are really desperate for a quality performance and may spring the upset.

Coin Flip: Green Bay

Fearless Rick's Pick: Rams 28 Packers 26

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-6, 43.5), 4:25 pm (CBS) - Seattle fell behind the Lions Monday night and never could catch up in a game that turned into a track meet, 42-29. They are 3-1 now and still are atop the NFC West.

The Giants show signs of improvement and injuries to Seattle defenders may pave the way for a breakout game for Daniel Jones and the G-Men's offense. The 20-15 loss to the Cowboys last week was a good effort by the defense.

Coin Flip: Seattle

Fearless Rick's Pick: Giants 27 Seahawks 24

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5, 43), 8:20 pm (NBC) - Pittsburgh lost a tough one at Indianapolis last week, 27-24, while the Cowboys took care of business in New Jersey with a 20-15 win over the Giants, improving to 2-2.

Even though the Steelers are home and Dallas is on the road a second straight week, it's worthwhile to note that the Cowboys' game was on Thursday, giving them extra time to prepare and get healthy.

Coin Flip: Dallas

Fearless Rick's Pick: Cowboys 21 Steelers 17

Monday, October 7

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs (-5, 42.5), 8:15 pm (ESPN) - Awesome match-up to close out the week, with the 4-0 Chiefs having to deal with injuries at wideout and running back. The door is open for Derek Carr and the Saints to hand KC their first loss of the season.

New Orleans lost to Philly, 15-12, two weeks ago, and dropped a divisional game at Atlanta, 26-24, last week. Chris Olave, who missed the Atlanta game, is back for the Saints this week.

Coin Flip: Kansas City

Fearless Rick's Pick: Saints 29 Chiefs 24

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All Times Eastern

Week 6 Results: Rick: 7-7; Flip: 2-12
Cumulative: Rick: 39-52; Flip: 42-49

Friday, October 11

8:00 pm Northwestern at Maryland (-11, 45.5) (FS1) - This is really a throwaway game. Neither team is expected to reach the playoffs much less win six games and be bowl eligible. It's here because it's on FS1 and a Friday night game.

Both teams lost to Indiana recently, Northwestern, 41-24, at home; Maryland, 42-28, at IU. Does that make Maryland 11 points better? Probably not.

Coin Flip: Northwestern

Fearless Rick's Pick: Terrapins 27 Wildcats 24

10:30 pm 16 Utah (-4, 45) at Arizona State (ESPN) - Both teams are 4-1 and 1-1 in Big 12 action, but, the Sun Devils are 3-0 at home. The bigger question is whether Cameron Rising will return to actions as the Utes' QB, or will freshman Isaac Wilson be leading the offense again?

Word has it that Rising will start, but how effective he will be on the road after a month on the sidelines is still uncertain, though Rising is 2-0 against the Sun Devils, winning, 35-21, in 2021, and 34-13 in 2022. Rising was inactive in Utah's 55-3 thumping of AZST last season.

For its part, Arizona State seems to be game, their only loss was to Texas Tech, 30-22. Otherwise, wins over Mississippi State (30-23) and Kansas (35-31) look pretty good.

Coin Flip: Arizona State

Fearless Rick's Pick: Sun Devils 24 Utes 21

Saturday, October 12

12:00 pm South Carolina at 7 Alabama (-21, 50.5) (ABC) - The Tide got rolled by Vanderbilt last week, 40-35, knocking them down from #1 to #7 in the latest poll.

The Gamecocks have the unenviable task of trying to inflict a second straight loss on Alabama, something that's unheard of anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. Seeing that Lanorris Sellers and the South Carolina offense could only muster up a field goal in a 27-3 home loss to Ole Miss last week, heading into Tuscaloosa looks like a death sentence.

These two last met in 2019. The result: Alabama 47 South Carolina 23. Could be more of the same, maybe worse.

Coin Flip: South Carolina

Fearless Rick's Pick: Crimson Tide 42 Gamecocks 10

12:00 pm Washington at Iowa (-3, 41.5) (FOX) - Two teams on the periphery of playoffs in a Big Ten match-up. The 3-2 Hawkeyes enter the contest off a 35-7 drubbing at Ohio State, while 4-2 Washington comes in after topping Michigan last week, 27-17, avenging last season's national championship loss to the Wolverines.

The win by the Huskies should inspire confidence and the program looks to be well balanced. Iowa remains challenged offensively which negatively affects their defense. Leaning heavily toward the visitors continuing to make their case for playoffs down the road.

Coin Flip: Iowa

Fearless Rick's Pick: Huskies 23 Hawkeyes 10

12:00 pm 10 Clemson (-20, 61.5) at Wake Forest (ESPN) - Is it lunch time? That's the question because Clemson is likely to eat Wake Forest's and leave them crumbs.

The last time the Demon Deacons beat the Tigers was in 2008, by a 12-7 score, so history is not on their side. Lay the points because Clemson is in solid, mid-season form and likely headed to the ACC championship game and beyond.

Coin Flip: Clemson

Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 44 Demon Deacons 17

3:30 pm 1 Texas (-14, 48.5) at 18 Oklahoma (ABC) - Hard to say how good 4-1 Oklahoma is, as their only loss was to Tennessee and they were kept mostly under wraps in a 25-15 loss at home.

5-0 Texas has beaten every team handily, the closest margin was 19 points in their win over Michigan, 31-12, so, it's safe to assume they're the real deal and they've won the last three with backup QB Arch Manning running the offense. This week Quinn Ewers returns, so it may be a long day for Sooners' fans and defenders.

No team has scored more than 13 points on the Longhorns or held them to under 31.

Coin Flip: Texas

Fearless Rick's Pick: Longhorns 38 Sooners 17

3:30 pm 4 Penn State (-4.5, 50.5) at USC (CBS) - Despite two losses (Michigan, 27-24; Minnesota, 24-17) the Trojans are only 4.5 point underdogs, and for good reason: the Nittany Lions aren't all that tough and this is a long-trip road game. Penn State was last seen kind of stumbling to victory over a very poor UCLA squad in Happy Valley. Their 27-11 victory wasn't eye-pleasing. Penn State only had 322 yards of offense against a very porous defense.

As boring as this game may be, USC can do better and may expose the Lions as lambs.

Coin Flip: USC

Fearless Rick's Pick: Trojans 23 Nittany Lions 20

3:30 pm Stanford at 11 Notre Dame (-23.5, 45.5) (NBC) - After beating Syracuse and getting their first ACC victory, 26-24, the Cardinal has been shelled, losing 40-14 at Clemson, and last week, 31-7, at home to Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame hasn't exactly been overpowering anybody this season (other than Purdie, 66-7), but they're cruising towards a playoff spot if they don't mess up what looks to be a pretty easy schedule. They were last seen 9/28, topping Louisville, 31-24. Not sure they can win by 24.

Coin Flip: Stanford

Fearless Rick's Pick: Fighting Irish 31 Cardinal 17

3:30 pm California at 22 Pittsburgh (-3.5, 58.5) (ESPN) - How good is 5-0 Pittsburgh? Well, they beat Cincinnati by one point, West Virginia by four and North Carolina by 10, so they seem to be improving.

At 3-2, Cal is looking for its first ACC win. They've lost to Florida State, 14-9, and last week, fought tooth and nail with Miami, only to surrender a tough, 39-38, home loss. They may be good enough to pull off the upset.

Coin Flip: Pittsburgh

Fearless Rick's Pick: Golden Bears 26 Panthers 24

4:00 pm Arizona at 14 BYU (-3.5, 49) (FOX) - The Wildcats of Arizona managed to beat Utah, 23-10, a few weeks ago, but losses to Kansas State and Texas Tech throw up some red flags. BYU boasts wins over SMU, Kansas State, and Baylor, all pretty good teams, and they should hold the Wildcats to only a few good scoring attempts.

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has to avoid interceptions. If he does the 5-0 Cougars could cruise to another victory.

Coin Flip: Arizona

Fearless Rick's Pick: Cougars 31 Wildcats 14

7:00 pm Florida at 8 Tennessee (-14, 57.5) (ESPN) - The two best teams the Gators have faced this season, Miami and Texas A&M, both handled them with relative ease. The Hurricanes blew them out, 41-17, and the Aggies won, 33-20, both games at Florida.

This time the Gators are on the road against another quality foe, but the Vols just don't appear to be exactly on top of their game, and the quality of freshman QB Nico Iamaleava hasn't been that good (7 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 Sacs). The Vols lost at Arkansas last week, proving they may be overrated. Florida may not win this game, but they have won two straight and should make this one closer than the line indicates.

Coin Flip: Florida

Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 27 Gators 20

7:30 pm 2 Ohio State (-3, 53.5) at 3 Oregon (NBC) - OK, we have #2 at #3, so this could be a playoff preview, though only one of these can win the Big Ten and get a first round bye.

Most of the best athletes for the Buckeyes are on offense, and, to be honest, Oregon's defense doesn't really impress. Neither team has played any significant opponent, except that Ohio State's win last week over Iowa, 35-7, was pretty impressive as compared to Oregon's 37-34 win over Boise State in Week 2.

Coin Flip: Ohio State

Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 31 Ducks 24

7:30 pm 9 Ole Miss (-3.5, 62) at 13 LSU (ABC) - At 5-1, the Rebels look darn good. They avenged their 20-17 loss to Kentucky with a dominant, 27-3, victory over South Carolina and have another road test this week at LSU, which, after losing to USC in their season opener, have won four straight.

By comparison, LSU won at South Carolina, 36-33, in a game many believe the Gamecocks got robbed by the refs. It would be nice to think that this game would be competitive, but LSU's four wins came against Nicholls, S. Carolina, UCLA, and South Alabama, not exactly a powerhouse lineup.

Coin Flip: Ole Miss

Fearless Rick's Pick: Rebels 34 Tigers 14

8:00 pm 11 Iowa State (-3, 53) at West Virginia (FOX) - The Cyclones have been moving up steadily in the polls since their comeback win over Iowa, 20-19, in early September. Since then, they've been dominating on both sides of the ball, last week running up a 43-21 win over Baylor.

The Mountaineers are only three-point dogs at home, maybe due to their last two wins, over Kansas and Oklahoma State, but, prior to those victories, losses at Pitt (38-34) and Penn State (34-12) tell a different story. At 3-2, West Virginia looks to be outclassed by the Cyclones.

Coin Flip: West Virginia

Fearless Rick's Pick: Cyclones 41 Mountaineers 24

10:15 pm 15 Kansas State (-3.5, 56.5) at Colorado (ESPN) - Kansas State was thumped, 38-9, by BYU on 9/21, turning the ball over three times and allowing a 90-yard BYU punt return. The week before that, the Wildcats hammered Arizona, 31-7, and, following their loss, ripped Oklahoma State, 42-20. The 4-1 Wildcats should do well against the Buffaloes, also 4-1, and their high energy offense.

Where Colorado is deficient is on defense, and the Wildcats may be able to control the clock with their patient offense and good mix of run and pass.

Coin Flip: Kansas State

Fearless Rick's Pick: Wildcats 34 Buffaloes 27

Fearless Rick & Coin Flip Week 6 College Picks

All Times Eastern

Week 5 Results: Rick: 6-8; Flip: 5-9 Cumulative: Rick: 32-45; Flip: 40-37

Friday, October 4

9:00 pm Michigan State at 6 Oregon (-23.5, 52.5) (FOX) - The Spartans have lost two straight: 23-19 at Boston College and 38-7, last week at home to Ohio State.

4-0 Oregon continues to improve, winning their last two games by convincing margins, although the competition was suspect (Oregon State, 49-14; UCLA, 34-13). This appears to be a very uncompetitive affair unless Oregon makes grievous errors.

Coin Flip: Oregon

Fearless Rick's Pick: Ducks 45 Spartans 14

9:00 pm Syracuse at 25 UNLV (-6.5, 58.5) (FS1) - Somewhat surprising to see 3-1 Syracuse nearly a TD underdog. Their only loss was a 26-24 defeat in the dome to Stanford. Ohio State QB transfer Kyle McCord has put up outstanding numbers (1,459 yards, 14 TDs, 5 INTs).

At UNLV, QB Matthew Sluka redshirted himself after three games, leaving Jajj-Malik Williams the starter last week against Fresno State. All Williams did was throw three TDs and runs for 119 yards in a 59-14 blowout of Fresno State, setting up an interesting match-up on Friday night.

Coin Flip: UNLV

Fearless Rick's Pick: Orange 30 Rebels 27

Saturday, October 5

12:00 pm UCLA at 7 Penn State (-27.5, 46.5) (FOX) - A sleeper for the national championship, the Nittany Lions appear to be properly ranked among the best in the country, with four convincing wins, the latest a 21-7 triumph over the Fighting Illini.

The Bruins have experienced a rough ride thus far. After a 16-13 win at Hawaii, three straight losses, by large margins, to Indiana, LSU, and Oregon. Penn State's defense may keep them out of the end zone for the full 60 minutes.

Coin Flip: UCLA

Fearless Rick's Pick: Nittany Lions 41 Bruins 6

12:00 pm 9 Missouri at 25 Texas A&M (-2.5, 48.5) (ABC) - There may be a rash of upsets and close calls in the SEC this week, but this one - with the 4-1 Aggies favored over the 4-0 Mizzou - might just be the first.

While the Tigers had to go to overtime to defeat Vanderbilt on 9/21, they managed, and have had an xtra week to work out any issues. The Aggies opened their 2024 campaign with a 23-13 loss to Notre Dame, but have won four straight since, the latest a 21-17 tussle over Arkansas.

This should be tight until the end.

Coin Flip: Missouri

Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 27 Aggies 24

12:00 pm SMU at 22 Louisville (-6.5, 56.5) (ESPN) - Two quality teams, both 1-0 in the ACC, leads off Saturday's gridiron action. Louisville looks to rebound after a 31-24 loss at Notre Dame, while the Mustangs are probably wondering why they're not ranked, being 4-1, their only loss, 18-15 to BYU three weeks ago.

Both teams can light it up. SMU's 66-43 win over TCU and last week's 42-16 rout of Florida State stamped them as a serious contender in the ACC.

Coin Flip: Louisville

Fearless Rick's Pick: Mustangs 48 Cardinals 35

3:30 pm Iowa at 3 Ohio State (-18.5, 45) (CBS) - Don't be fooled by the mammoth line offered here. Iowa, oddly enough, unranked at 3-1, their only loss a one-point defeat at the hands of in-state rival Iowa State, which is ranked #16.

Ohio State may be 4-0 and their average margin of victory 42 points, but they've played Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, and Michigan State. Iowa's defense is stout and the Buckeyes may find it difficult to sustain drives. If Iowa can muster up two TDs, they may find themselves alive come the 4th quarter.

Coin Flip: Iowa

Fearless Rick's Pick: Buckeyes 24 Hawkeyes 14

3:30 pm Auburn at 5 Georgia (-23, 52) (ABC) - After Auburn's narrow, 27-21 loss to Oklahoma last week, Georgia better bring their best, despite a possible hangover from last week's loss at Alabama.

Oddsmakers say the Bulldogs can win this by more than three TDs. Others may have different opinions

Coin Flip: Georgia

Fearless Rick's Pick: Bulldogs 34 Tigers 26

3:30 pm 12 Ole Miss (-9.5, 53.5) at South Carolina (ESPN) - Ole Miss, and especially their offense and QB Jaxson Dart were taken out to the woodshed last week by visiting Kentucky in a 20-17 defeat, proving once again how tough the SEC is.

South Carolina comes in off a 50-7 blowout of Akron on 9/21, after losing a heartbreaker to LSU, 36-33, a game many believe was the result of some questionable calls by the refs. The Gamecocks will be jacked for this having already pounded Kentucky, 31-6, earlier. Plus, Lannoris Sellers is expected back at QB for SC.

Coin Flip: South Carolina

Fearless Rick's Pick: Gamecocks 28 Rebels 24

7:00 pm 15 Clemson (-14.5, 46.5) at Florida State (ESPN) - 1-4 Florida State was ranked as high as 10th preseason, but they look like the absolute patsies of the ACC.

Clemson should run roughshod over this overrated bunch of crybabies.

Coin Flip: Florida State

Fearless Rick's Pick: Tigers 54 Seminoles 14

7:30 pm 4 Tennessee (-13.5, 57) at Arkansas (ABC) - Tennessee had better be careful here. The Razorbacks are 3-2, but those two losses were to Oklahoma State, 39-31, in double overtime, and last week a 21-17 loss to Texas A&M, so they're in good company.

The Vols proved they could go toe to toe with just about anybody when they last hit the field two weeks ago, winning at Oklahoma, 25-15. This being the SEC, nothing comes easy, and a two touchdown win by the Vols appears to be a formidable task.

Coin Flip: Arkansas

Fearless Rick's Pick: Volunteers 34 Razorbacks 27

7:30 pm 10 Michigan at Washington (-2.5, 41.5) (NBC) - Logic would dictate the Huskies slight favoritism despite their 3-2 record. Losses to Washington State and Rutgers were by 5 and 3 points, respectively.

4-1 Michigan doesn't offer much in the passing department, so if Washington can contain their run game and produce some short possessions, their offense could come alive. Mainly, this appears to be headed for a close, low-scoring affair. Michigan struggled to hold on against USC and Minnesota their last two outings, scraping by with a pair of 27-24 wins.

Coin Flip: Michigan

Fearless Rick's Pick: Huskies 21 Wolverines 17

7:30 pm 11 USC (-8, 49.5) at Minnesota (BTN) - USC's only loss was at Michigan, 27-24, and last week they dispatched Wisconsin, 38-21, so they appear to be finding offensive fire as mid-season approaches.

Minnesota has had trouble keeping drives alive, and, while USC's defense isn't special, they are probably good enough to limit the Gophers scoring opportunities.

Coin Flip: USC

Fearless Rick's Pick: Trojans 34 Golden Gophers 16

7:30 pm Baylor at 16 Iowa State (-13, 44.5) - 2-3 Baylor keeps hanging around in games but never seems to quite find the right combinations to win. They're 0-2 in the Big 12, though the defeats haven't been by much, 38-31 at Colorado, and 34-28 against BYU last week. This trip to Iowa is a challenging one.

Iowa State has only allowed 29 points in their four wins without a loss, and 19 of those were to Iowa, in a 20-19 victory that elevated their national profile. Last week's 20-0 win at Houston was a defensive masterpiece.

Coin Flip: Baylor

Fearless Rick's Pick: Cyclones 38 Bears 20

10:30 pm 8 Miami (-10.5, 53.5) at California - The Golden Bears are somewhat of an enigma, managing to go 3-1, with one of the wins at Auburn (21-14), while losing last week at Florida State, 14-9. They would appear to be easy pickings for the 5-0 Hurricanes, despite the cross-country trip they're making.

Miami was less than impressive in their 38-34 win over Virginia Tech last Friday night, but that's now ancient history and Cam Ward and his pals should be able to hit pay dirt on multiple possessions.

Coin Flip: Miami