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Finally, we had a little sense of normalcy in Week 4 as 2 of the 3 largest favorites on the road won outright. We did have a big upset as the New York Jets were a popular pick in the rain against the Denver Broncos, but the latter escaped with a 10-9 to oust plenty of players in the USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool contest.
The survivor contest was pared down even further, as 93 more players were sent to the “eliminated lounge.” Heading into Week 5, only 151 players remain out of 10,357 entries, which speaks to how difficult it has been to simply pick an outright winner in the topsy-turvy NFL so far.
We played it safe with the San Francisco 49ers as our top pick hosting the New England Patriots last week, and our No. 1 option finally came through after a host of upsets the first 3 weekends. The 49ers rolled to a 30-13 victory — covering to boot as double-digit (10.5-point) favorites.
Our 2nd option won, too, as the visiting Dallas Cowboys edged the New York Giants 20-15 on Thursday Night Football. A week earlier, the Giants topped the Cleveland Browns 21-15 in Week 3 to eliminate a ton of survivor entries, so we were conflicted going against the G-Men, especially at home … but it worked out.
If you’re still alive, congratulations. While, normally, it isn’t a big deal to still be alive in Week 5, this season has had a ton of minefields. In fact, this might be the most difficult season of a Survivor Pool contest ever.
It gets more difficult this week as byes start to kick in. That makes it more challenging. Plus, 11 of the 14 games have spread of 3.5 points or less, so there aren’t many clear-cut favorites.
Follow the USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool.
– Games Sunday and ET unless noted
The pick: Seattle Seahawks
Who they play: Home vs. New York Giants – 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NFL odds. Lines last updated Thursday at 4:24 a.m. ET.
- Line: Seahawks -6 / Moneyline (ML): Seahawks -275 | Giants +220
The Giants offense has struggled this season, going for 18 or fewer points in 3 of 4 their games. Who knows how bad this team would be without rookie WR Malik Nabers, who has really been the lone bright spot.
The Seahawks are coming off a 42-29 loss on Monday Night Football at the Detroit Lions, and now they play on a short week. The good news is that they’re home. Seattle is getting a lot healthier, too, as RB Kenneth Walker III returned from a 2-game absence, and he made up for lost time with 3 rushing TDs in the Motor City.
Seattle’s offense has scored 23 or more points in all 4 of its games, and QB Geno Smith, KW3 and WR DK Metcalf will be able to outlast the G-Men.
Conclusion: SEATTLE IS MY TOP SURVIVOR PLAY IN WEEK 5.
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No. 2 option: Washington Commanders
Who they play: Home vs. Cleveland Browns – 1 p.m. (FOX)
- Line: Commanders -3.5 / ML: Commanders -175 | Browns +145
The Commanders have been 1 of the best stories of the early season, winning 3 of 4 games, including road wins as underdogs against both the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals in the past 2 weeks.
Rookie QB Jayden Daniels looks like the real deal, perhaps finally giving Washington the franchise quarterback it has been craving for years.
The Browns thought they were trading for their franchise transforming QB with Deshaun Watson, but he has been a huge disappointment. The Commanders averaged 40.0 points per game the past 2 weeks, while the Browns haven’t scored more than 18 in all 4 of their outings this season. Cleveland simply doesn’t have the offensive firepower to keep up.
2024 survivor game log
NO. 1 OPTION
Week 1: LOSS – Patriots 16, Bengals 10
Week 2: LOSS – Falcons 22, Eagles 21
Week 3: LOSS – Panthers 36, Raiders 22
Week 4: WIN – 49ers 30, Patriots 13
NO. 2 OPTION
Week 1: WIN – Saints 47, Panthers 10
Week 2: WIN – Chargers 26, Panthers 3
Week 3: LOSS – Giants 21, Browns 15
Week 4: WIN – Cowboys 20, Giants 15
FOOTBALL NEVER STOPS
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