NFL Week 6 underdogs: Steer clear of these prime-time favorites

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The trend of struggling favorites continued in Week 5 as underdogs went 8-7 against the spread, with six outright victories.

There's never a bad time to hop on the wagon. Here are some live underdogs to consider in Week 6:

Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns

Line: Seahawks -1.5

Trap games don't get more lucrative than this. The Seahawks are coming off an emotional win over their division rivals at home, while the Browns were just humiliated on national television. These are two teams trending in opposite directions, yet Seattle is just a narrow favorite to beat the reeling Browns. Easy enough, right?

It never is.

The Seahawks' biggest weaknesses - pass rush and secondary - play right into the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Browns. Among starting quarterbacks, only Mitch Trubisky has a worse passer rating than Mayfield (22.3) when under pressure. He should have much more time to throw this week against a defense that ranks 22nd in getting after the quarterback, according to PFF, and has just 10 sacks through the first five weeks - nine of those coming against Andy Dalton and Kyler Murray, who stand behind the league's two worst offensive lines. Mayfield should be able to connect on some big plays to a surprisingly quiet Odell Beckham Jr. against a secondary that's allowed 19 pass plays of 20 or more yards this season already. That will create space for Nick Chubb to get it going on the ground as Cleveland's offense rebounds following a pathetic effort against a stout 49ers defense.

Flying across the country in what is a prime letdown spot for Seattle, and an equally attractive bounce-back one for Cleveland, look for the Browns to continue their pattern of following up an ugly loss with a resilient win.

Pick: Browns +1.5, Browns ML (+110)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers

Line: Chargers -7

The key to this game will be whether or not the Chargers can keep Philip Rivers upright in the pocket. They've really struggled all season and now welcome to town a Steelers pass rush that grades as the second-best in the NFL, according to PFF. Rivers has been put under pressure on nearly 40% of his dropbacks this season, forcing a ton of dump-offs to his running backs. That's another area the Steelers have excelled in, allowing just 48 receiving yards to running backs in three weeks since trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Injuries have really decimated the Chargers, and even with Pittsburgh down to third-string quarterback Devlin Hodges, it will be a tough ask for them to cover such a high number. The Chargers boast one of the NFL's worst run defenses, which should help the Steelers embark on some clock-sapping drives, keeping their defense well-rested on the sidelines.

Pittsburgh is well-coached and plays good enough defense to stay within the number against a Chargers team in disarray. Los Angeles is on a 5-12-1 run ATS as home favorites, including nine straight-up losses.

Pick: Steelers +7

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Line: Packers -5

As long as the Lions are undervalued, keep taking them plus the points. They were underdogs against the Chargers, Eagles, and Chiefs this season, covering the spread each time, with a pair of outright wins. In fact, a wacky fumble return for a touchdown and Matt Patricia's poor clock management are all that prevented them from a 4-0 start.

Detroit had two weeks to prepare for this game coming out of its bye, while Green Bay is coming off a massive victory in Dallas and step into a definite letdown spot against a motivated division rival. The Packers played a physical brand of football against the Cowboys and it will be hard to replicate that same intensity a week later in a tight NFC North showdown.

The Lions' balanced attack has been something we've rarely seen under Matthew Stafford. That, combined with an above-average defense that does nothing great but everything well, should keep them within arm's reach and set up a reinvigorated Stafford with a chance for some late heroics as he aims for a fifth successive victory over the Packers.

Pick: Lions +5

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.