Week 5 picks: every game, no hedging

Fifteen games, fifteen picks, zero hedging. These are MY takes. If they hit, I was right. If they don't, I was wrong out loud like a man. Let's go.

Ravens (-6) at Falcons: I'm taking Baltimore. A dome bully game — the Ravens' front seven eats young quarterbacks, and six points isn't enough for the body count.

Bills (-2.5) at Rams: I'm taking Buffalo. Been-there locker room against a home team still figuring out who it is. Road chalk with a spine.

Bears at Packers (-2.5): I'm taking Green Bay. Division home game, Lambeau in October, and the Bears are still the Bears until they prove it three weeks in a row.

Bengals at Dolphins (-8.5): I'm taking Miami. Eight and a half is a lot of points, but South Florida in October against a team traveling south is a known killer.

Browns at Jets (-2.5): I'm taking the Jets. Ugly game, ugly pick. At home, the defense travels even when the offense doesn't — and in this one, neither offense is traveling.

Broncos (-2.5) at Chargers: I'm taking Denver. The 2-1 Broncos are the hungrier team and road favorites with a defense are my favorite kind of bet.

Lions (-5.5) at Cardinals: I'm taking Detroit. The Lions play like the locker room is on fire every single week. That's coaching, and it's real.

Texans (-6.5) at Titans: I'm taking Houston. Tennessee is rebuilding and Houston is built. Lay the points, don't overthink it.

Colts at Steelers (-2.5): I'm taking Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin at home getting less than a field goal against a dome-adjacent team? That's a gift.

Raiders at Patriots (-3.5): I'm taking New England. The Raiders on a cross-country trip into Foxborough in October is a scheduling loss.

Vikings (-2.5) at Saints: I'm taking Minnesota. The Saints' dome is loud but the Vikings' roster is deeper, and depth wins in Week 5.

Giants at Commanders (-2.5): I'm taking Washington. Home division game, and the Giants are still searching for an identity on offense.

Eagles at Jaguars (-2.5): I'm taking Jacksonville. Somebody in that Eagles locker room is doing math nobody's saying out loud. The line knows.

49ers at Seahawks (-3): I'm taking Seattle. The loudest building in football against an unbeaten team that hasn't been punched yet. Punch lands Sunday.

Buccaneers at Cowboys (-9.5): I'm taking Dallas. Nine and a half is heavy lumber, but the Cowboys at home against a banged-up Bucs roster is a mismatch, not a game.

Verdict: My locks of the week are Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Houston — teams whose locker rooms are clearly holding the line. My gut-check games are Buffalo and Jacksonville, where I'm betting on character over comfort. Fifteen picks, no hedging, see you Monday.