2024 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 5 games

New Orleans Saints (2-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)

Monday, October 7 (8:15 PM ET)

The Kansas City Chiefs are somewhat of a living embodiment of that Will Smith scene from Fresh Prince of Bel Air when he’s alone in the empty room.

Marquise Brown was injured in the preseason. Isiah Pacheco is on injured reserve. Now star receiver Rashee Rice has gone down with what appears to be a season-ending knee injury. The Chiefs’ skill position groups are kind of down bad at this point.

Despite it all, the Chiefs find themselves in a great position at 4-0 after their 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. It hasn’t been all pretty to start the season, but the Chiefs did something similar last year in terms of struggling in the regular season before absolutely turning it on in the playoffs when it mattered the most.

I don’t think it’s unfair to say this team looks like it’s on autopilot right now. They make just enough plays to win games, and they’re obviously good enough to overcome mistakes, injuries, and shortcomings with their big-game experience and defense. 

The lack of playmakers offensively might be a bit of an overblown narrative as Xavier Worthy has been great this year for KC, and Travis Kelce led the team in receiving against the Chargers after a lot of people started talking about whether or not Kelce was cooked (or whatever the kids say these days).

In the end, the Chiefs are just inevitable. We should all accept it until they prove otherwise.

They’re taking on the New Orleans Saints this week, and the Saints have struggled the last two weeks after absolutely dominating their first two games of the season. New Orleans scored 91 points in its first two games but is a 5.5-point underdog against the Chiefs on the road in this one.

The Chiefs, playing at home, in prime time? I think that’s a recipe for certain disaster if you’re the Saints.

Prediction: Chiefs win 27-20