Favorite ‘Dogs: Back Kentucky To Upset LSU; Giants To Continue Hot Start

There’s an upset brewing in the SEC, and over in the NFL, a wide-open NFC East could get more interesting after NFL Week 5. Find out why I’m backing these ‘dogs to bark this weekend. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. It’s almost basketball season in Lexington, as Kentucky fans eagerly await a chance to end their decade-plus-long drought of not reaching the Final Four. But as they wait for the ball to be tipped-off on the hardwood, something interesting has emerged on the gridiron. The Kentucky football team is 4-1 and the Wildcats are coming off an exciting comeback victory at South Carolina, erasing a 17-0 deficit to win in overtime. In comes an LSU team that is also 4-1, but quarterback Sam Leavitt has struggled at times, including in a loss at Ole Miss in LSU’s only road game this season. In that game, Leavitt threw for just 158 yards and an interception against an Ole Miss defense that got torched for 52 points the following week. Kentucky has an exciting offense, a rising star at head coach in former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, as well as home-field advantage. The Wildcats’ only loss was to unbeaten Alabama, a game they led at halftime and a result that looks more forgivable as Alabama continues to steamroll everyone on its schedule. LSU is unproven on the road and Kentucky is a very dangerous underdog. Getting nearly 3-to-1 on the moneyline is a price I like. The NFC East appears to be as wide open as ever. The favorite and back-to-back division champion Eagles have lost two games in a row, are decimated by injuries and have an offense with serious question marks. The Cowboys are 2-2 but have major issues on defense. The winner of this classic rivalry game is squarely in the mix in the NFC East and, in the Giants’ case, would be 4-1 with a win. The Commanders being favored here is the assumption that talented (but often injured) quarterback Jayden Daniels will make his return after dislocating his elbow in Week 2. But, as we know, assumptions can be dangerous when it comes to the NFL. Daniels might return, but how confident can we be that he’s 100 percent healthy or that he’ll stay healthy for the entirety of the game given his recent track record of getting hurt? Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota left last week’s game with an injury, meaning the fragile Daniels is the only thing keeping Washington from having to play third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis under center. The Giants have admittedly benefited from a soft schedule, but the Commanders’ defense ranks 30th in the league, allowing 30.5 points per game. And betting on the health of Daniels is a risky bet to make. I’ll go with the G-Men to continue their hot start.