Fade the Ravens

The Carolina Panthers remain the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to NFL survivor pool picks. They remain winless and just gave the Vikings their first victory ahead of a trip to Detroit on Sunday. Dan Campbell is making believers out of even the biggest Lions’ pessimists and Detroit appears to be one of the top options for Week 5 NFL knockout pool picks. The Panthers beat the Lions in Week 16 of last season, running for a franchise-record 320 yards. While that could serve as a source of motivation for Detroit on Sunday, it could serve as a blueprint for Carolina to upend many NFL pool picks. Before finalizing any Week 5 NFL survivor picks, see which team the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model just went all-in on.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 168-118 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 22-10 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest Week 5 NFL odds and locked in its Week 5 survivor pool pick. You can only see who the model is backing this week at SportsLine.

Top Week 5 NFL survivor pool predictions
For Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season, the model is shying away from the Ravens, even though they are 4.5-point favorites over the Steelers. Pittsburgh is 5-1 against Baltimore over the last six meetings and the Steelers have gotten the better of Lamar Jackson in their matchups. Pittsburgh is one of three NFL teams in which Jackson has a losing record against, in addition to Kansas City and Miami. The quarterback has twice as many turnovers (eight) as passing plus rushing touchdowns (four) in his career against the rival Steelers.

While Kenny Pickett’s (knee) status is yet to be decided, the Steelers potentially going to backup Mitch Trubisky doesn’t mean an easy victory, or any victory, for Baltimore. Two weeks ago, backup Gardner Minshew filled in for Colts starter Anthony Richardson and upset the Ravens in Baltimore. Now, the Ravens have to travel to Pittsburgh, and the team has several injury concerns as well. Baltimore had six starters sidelined last Sunday, so the model advises to bypass it with Week 5 NFL knockout picks and save the Ravens for later in the year. See which team to pick here.