Week 5 NFL Betting Diary: The Sam Darnold Game

Each week, theScore's betting writer, Alex Kolodziej, will share a running diary of his Sunday experiences. Here's his Week 5 edition (all times PT).

6:30 a.m.: I like points. Seeing points on the board when you bet overs is always good. More points equals more wins. Why do I say that? Because overs have been scorching hot. It's been seven wins and zero losses on top plays this season, and I have two more going today, along with one side.

• Broncos-Jets over 42
• Jets -1
• Giants-Panthers over 43.5

10:00 a.m.: I've had this feeling that Sam Darnold will go off in Week 5. He hasn't played well this season, but now he gets the Broncos, who just threw the kitchen sink at Patrick Mahomes and must go on the road to play an early game on East Coast time. Is this the hangover of all hangovers?

10:14 a.m.: Darnold's intercepted in his own territory and the Broncos go up 7-0 early. I told you he was going off today! I'll actually take that, though. Points are good early, and then this will become a Jets household.

10:22 a.m.: A patented New York Football Giants drive ends with a field goal. It's 3-0 Giants midway through the first. It's so tough to find an edge in the NFL. I thought, "Hey, Mike Shula was with the Panthers as their offensive coordinator for a while; he's pretty familiar with how trash Carolina's secondary is and maybe he'll throw four verticals on every play or something, that'd be cool." But betting on Eli Manning to score points wasn't my brightest move, and we'll also get some eight-minute drives from the Panthers. You can bank on that.

10:27 a.m.: The refs miss a clear pass interference penalty on the Broncos in the end zone on third down, and the Jets proceed to shank a field goal from 32 yards out. I started the day with two televisions in my living room. I currently have one after putting my fist through 50 percent of them.

10:32 a.m.: Curtis Samuel catches a funnel route and goes in from 25 yards out to make it 7-3 Panthers with 4:25 left in the first. I'm currently digging in my kitchen drawer to find some scotch tape and scissors in an attempt to piece together my television. That was a knee-jerk reaction on my part. It won't be that bad.

10:42 a.m.: Scott Hanson on "NFL RedZone" does this thing where he'll go to a game and throw a quip out there like, "And let's head to MetLife Stadium. Sam Darnold and the Jets have the ball first-and 10, let's see what happens," and that's when you know something is about to go down. Hanson knows! You're not fooling any of us, Scott. Like clockwork, Isaiah Crowell starts the second quarter with a 70-yard touchdown run. It's 7-7. I told you it was the Darnold game!

10:48 a.m.: Another Hanson-goes-to-game-and-weird-things-happen scenario! The TV showed Odell Beckham Jr. lining up to take a punt return and I initially thought OBJ screwed around and housed it. Instead, the punt hit Beckham and touched a couple other Giants before rolling into the end zone where the Panthers recovered. 14-3.

10:54 a.m.: HANSON. AGAIN! Darnold just threw an absolute moonshot to Robby Anderson for another long touchdown to make it 14-7 with a ton of time left in the second quarter. THE SAM DARNOLD GAME.

11:06 a.m.: The Panthers add a field goal to make it 17-3 with 8:44 left in the second. I'd do a lot for a touchdown before halftime. Considering I've already sacrificed half my organs in the previous four weeks for points before the half, all I've got left is an ear lobe, a large intestine, and a couple of fingers. Take the pinkies, gambling gods. I don't need 'em.

11:12 a.m.: Beckham just threw a touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley. You read that correctly. Someone swap out Eli Manning for OBJ under center. 17-10 Giants with time left in the second. I award you my pinkies, gambling deities.

11:13 a.m.: Broncos tack on a field goal with 3:58 left in the second to make it 14-10. We're officially on "over" pace.

11:24 a.m.: The Panthers are scoring at will. They drove down immediately after the Giants' touchdown and kicked a field goal to make it 20-10. I saw they were attempting the field goal but RedZone didn't show it, so I had to look it up myself. Thanks a lot, Hanson. We didn't want to see the field goal anyway. It's not like there are hard-earned dollars on the line or anything.

11:29 a.m.: Samuel. Richard. Darnold. 21-10 Jets on another long touchdown to Anderson.

11:32 a.m.: Giants convert a field goal right before the half. 20-13 Panthers and 21-10 Jets at the break. That's as good a start as you could have for two quarters without already hitting the over.

11:47 a.m.: I previously recommended the Vikings-Eagles under and the Cowboys +3.5 at night, but instead I'm playing the Rams-Seahawks over 50.5.

• Broncos-Jets over 42
• Jets -1
• Giants-Panthers over 43.5
• Rams-Seahawks over 50.5

11:52 a.m.: Darnold gets picked off in Broncos territory for the first real blunder of the day. Considering it's roughly two hours into the Sunday slate, I'll accept that.

12:01 p.m.: The first score of the second half is a Giants field goal. 20-16 Panthers midway through the third. Thirty-six down, 10 to go.

12:20 p.m.: The Jets hit a field goal to make it 24-10. It's been a rather boring third quarter, which has me a bit unnerved.

12:22 p.m.: Cam Newton gets picked off inside the red zone. It's been a tale of two halves. Keep me away from televisions.

12:24 p.m.: And now Eli Manning gets picked off inside the red zone. Fantastic.

12:34 p.m.: A Jets field goal pushes the lead to 27-10 with 13 minutes left. There hasn't been a single touchdown in the second half.

12:39 p.m.: Finally, six. Christian McCaffrey takes it to the house and it's 27-16 Panthers with 11:21 left. Someone kick a field goal, please.

12:41 p.m.: This time, an Eli Manning interception could be beneficial. He turns it over at the Panthers' 45 and we need one point with under 11 minutes left.

12:43 p.m.: The Broncos don't convert on a fourth-and-3 from the Jets' 6-yard line. We need a touchdown with under 10 minutes left.

12:49 p.m.: OBJ. Touchdown. Cookies.

• Broncos-Jets over 42
• Jets -1
• Giants-Panthers over 43.5 ✔
• Rams-Seahawks over 50.5

12:52 p.m.: Samuel. Darnold. My child! Jets go up 34-10 after a touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor. Lock up both picks.

• Broncos-Jets over 42 ✔
• Jets -1 ✔
• Giants-Panthers over 43.5 ✔
• Rams-Seahawks over 50.5

12:53 p.m.: 9-0 on over bets in the NFL this season. I have to retire tomorrow.

1:33 p.m.: Jared Goff throws a red-zone interception with 10 minutes left in the first. Yup, the Sean McVay Regression Game. I should have known it was coming.

1:45 p.m.: The Seahawks go down the field in about five minutes to go up 7-0. Time to play catch-up Rams - get the no-huddle going!

1:53 p.m.: Betting Rams overs is so fun. I'm mad this is my first week on the McVay-Goff bandwagon. They just scored in like, two minutes. L.A. is legit running a college offense. It's 7-7 with some time left in the first quarter.

2:08 p.m.: The Rams convert a field goal to make it 10-7 early in the second. Both teams are moving the ball pretty easily, especially the Rams.

2:23 p.m.: The Seahawks punch right back with a play-action touchdown pass. 14-10 Seattle. You had to figure Los Angeles would have a spot on its schedule where it was overvalued. The public loves to inflate lines.

2:31 p.m.: Cooper Kupp touchdown. It's just too easy at this point. 17-14 with plenty of time for more in the second.

2:46 p.m.: Sebastian Janikowski - yes, I was unsure if he was still active, too -- knocks through a field goal to knot things up at 17 right before the half.

3:25 p.m.: Something named David Moore just scored a touchdown for the Seahawks to open the third. Only 10 more.

3:22 p.m.: Eight real-time minutes later, the Rams respond with a touchdown. Yawn. Someone get the broom out, just in case. I'm not saying we're going to go 4-0, but I'm also not not saying it.

3:44 p.m.: And the David Moore fella catches another touchdown. I will take my sweep, please and thanks. If anyone needs the bet slips for proof, slide into my direct messages.

• Broncos-Jets over 42 ✔
• Jets -1 ✔
• Giants-Panthers over 43.5 ✔
• Rams-Seahawks over 50.5 ✔

My overall record for the 2018 NFL season is somewhere around 70 percent. It certainly won't stay that way - regression will hit sometime in the near future.

Not this week, though. All hail Samuel Richard Darnold.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.