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NFL Week 5 teaser: ATL/HOU over, New England, Arizona

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Seven-point teasers are a lot less straightforward than they appear.

In Week 4, 10 of the 15 games finished with a scoring margin that was more than seven points off the initial spread - meaning even a teaser couldn't have saved you on the wrong side.

So, it's important to pick your spots carefully. Here are three lines in Week 5 worth exploiting:

Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans

Total: 48.5

Teaser total: 41.5

Atlanta's defense is in disarray. It's allowed five combined touchdown passes to Marcus Mariota and Jacoby Brissett over the past two weeks, and now it will face Deshaun Watson, the best quarterback in the AFC South (sorry Gardner Minshew). Watson has uncharacteristically struggled at home - he's yet to throw a touchdown pass at NRG Stadium compared to six in two road starts - but that should change in a hurry. This feels like the game for it to happen.

Poor offensive-line play has plagued Watson as well, but that shouldn't be an issue against a Falcons team with just five sacks so far this season. Atlanta appears to have quit on coach Dan Quinn, which could spell trouble for its trip to Houston.

The Falcons' only chance in this game is to make it a track meet, with Matt Ryan feeding Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley early and often. Don't expect much defense to be played here, as both teams should have no issue hitting at least 21 points.

New England Patriots at Washington Redskins

Line: Patriots -15.5

Teaser line: Patriots -8.5

Want to talk about a team quitting on its coach? Jay Gruden is the definition of a lame duck, and this game could be the final nail in his coffin. You probably have a better idea of who's starting at quarterback this week for Washington than he does. Gruden didn't even want to draft Dwayne Haskins, according to a report this week. Meanwhile, the offense has nine turnovers and just two touchdowns over the last two weeks, while the defense has yet to hold an opponent under 24 points all season. It's a horrible time to face the undefeated Patriots.

New England ranks atop the NFL in just about every defensive category, including turnovers. It's hard to see how the Redskins are going to put up any points in this game, while Tom Brady should have no issues carving apart a Washington secondary that's allowed 10 touchdown passes this season; only the Miami Dolphins have allowed more. Anything less than a double-digit Patriots win would be shocking.

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals

Line: Cardinals +3.5

Teaser line: Cardinals +10.5

No quarterback in the NFL has been sacked more often this season than Kyler Murray and Andy Dalton have. The league's two worst offensive lines will go toe to toe in Ohio on Sunday, and this game will likely come down to which quarterback can protect the ball better - not exactly Dalton's forte. The Bengals lost three of their offensive linemen before the season - which has made things difficult for running back Joe Mixon - and now they're also dangerously thin at wide receiver. Sure, the Cardinals' defense is bad, but asking Dalton to win by double digits is a tall task.

On the other side, Murray's still waiting for that breakout game, but it's coming. Coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense takes time to instill, but it will get more dynamic with each passing week. He's already incorporating more designed runs for Murray, who has 96 yards on the ground over the last two weeks, compared to just 17 in the opening two. Josh Allen ran for 46 yards against the Bengals in Week 3. Expect Murray to get it going on the ground and through the air, connecting on a couple of big plays as the offense looks more dynamic than it's been all season. Take the 10.5 points and run.

Full teaser: ATL/HOU over 41.5, Patriots -8.5, Cardinals +10.5 ($100 to win $135)

Season record: 2-2 (+$70)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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