While NCAA football betting players will be busy with the first part of “Rivalry Week”, even they will have to turn their heads to the NFL, where there are five games worth laying a wager on.

Patriots Lions Betting – Thursday, 12:30 PM ET

The Lions are 7-point underdogs at home, but the Patriots can be taken down after emotional wins over Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. The Lions are young and aren’t as bad as their record indicates.

NFL Picks: Detroit +7

Saints Cowboys Betting – Thursday, 4:15 PM ET

The Saints are 3.5-point favorites on the road, and even though the Cowboys are playing much better under Jason Garrett, the Saints are starting to roll.

NFL Picks: Saints -3.5

Packers Falcons Betting – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

The Falcons are 2.5-point favorites at home, where Matt Ryan is 18-1 as the Atlanta starter, but they’re up against a tough Green Bay defense, and the Atlanta defense has to contend with Aaron Rodgers.

NFL Picks: Green Bay +2.5

Eagles Bears Betting – Sunday, 4:15 PM ET

The Eagles are 3-point favorites on the road, and while the Bears won’t let Michael Vick and company run wild, Chicago’s offense may not be able to do much against the Philly defense.

NFL Picks: Philadelphia -3

Chargers Colts Betting – Sunday, 8:20 PM ET

The Chargers are 3-point underdogs at Indianapolis, and the Colts will be hungry after giving away a win in New England last week. It’ll be a high-scoring game, so check out the posted total in your sports book.

NFL Picks: Colts -3

At worst, the Miami Hurricanes have turned their program around under Randy Shannon and could potentially be a nice sleeper in the ACC next year. At best, they could be among the teams to beat in the ACC if they can pull off an upset since they are an underdog according to Emerald Bowl odds.

The Hurricanes are made up of freshmen and by qualifying for a bowl game, get an extra month’s worth of practice. That’s pretty valuable for one of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in the nation.

Whether they can actually eke out a win in this Miami vs California matchup is another story. Emerald Bowl betting odds have the Golden Bears favored by seven points. The game is going to be played in San Francisco, which is another edge for the Golden Bears.

Even head coach Shannon isn’t particularly experienced as a coach, so Cal will have an edge on the sidelines as well. Look for the Hurricanes to gain some experience but don’t expect a win here with two freshmen quarterbacks leading the way.

Emerald Bowl betting pick: California -7