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Steve Rieder has accumulated a 195-148-1 record, +30.96 units over the course of the 2021 & 2022 NFL seasons combined
By Steve Rieder
The NFL sides market is an extremely efficient market. You need to find an edge wherever you can when betting NFL sides. One way of doing this is to get ahead of the market by attacking the lookahead lines weeks in advance. Here is my NFL Week 5 lookahead free play:
Minnesota Vikings -6.5 vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings may have performed slightly under expectations to start the year (1-2 ATS), but at 2-1, they are tied atop the NFC North. After blowing the Packers out Week 1, they were embarrassed by the Eagles before winning in come from behind fashion last week against the Lions. Although the early returns have been mediocre (I've upgraded 0.75 points since the start of they year), the Vikings have had a very difficult schedule to start and are a team I'm bullish on moving forward. With a new coach and a new offensive and defensive system, there should be better returns as the year progresses as the players get more familiar with their responsibilities. Conversely, the Bears may be 2-1, but they sit at the bottom of my power ratings. After upsetting the 49ers in a rainy slogfest in Week 1, they were destroyed by the Packers before squeaking by the lowly Texans at home. Chicago is a team I've bet against every week (I've gone 1-1-1 for those curious) and there has been nothing to dissuade me from doing so in the future. Chicago will have another rainy matchup with the Giants this week, while the Vikings will be in London facing the Saints. From a travel standpoint, this is less than ideal, but the correction is simply too far off of my power ratings (MIN -9.25). Since I lean MIN and NYG laying the points Week 4, we bet this now with the expectation it opens back up Sunday night north of 7.
