Microsoft Copilot AI continues to succeed at picking NFL game outcomes.
For the fourth straight week to open the season, Copilot posted a winning record with its picks. The chatbot went 10-6 in Week 4 while impressively sniffing out a couple of upset wins by the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons.
Copilot will look to post another winning week as USA TODAY Sports continues its experiment of having the chatbot pick the result of every NFL game into Week 5 of the 2026 season.
A simple process was used to gather Copilot's picks. The AI chatbot was fed the following prompt, which helped it generate its 16 Week 5 picks.
- Can you predict the results of every Week 5 game for the 2026 NFL season and explain your logic for each prediction?
Per usual, Copilot had no significant issues interpreting
the prompt. The chatbot occasionally provided outdated information or struggled to identify the latest injury news, but that wasn't surprising, as some Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates.
When Copilot produced errors, it was asked to fix them and reassess the prompt.
Below is a summation of Copilot's picks for Week 5, along with a brief, human-crafted analysis of each of the chatbot's answers.
NFL Week 5 picks: AI predicts scores for every game
- Copilot's Week 4 results: 10-6
- Copilot's 2026 season record: 41-23
Dallas Cowboys 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
AI's take: Copilot noted the Cowboys are entering this game as "significant favorites" and also expressed confidence that Dallas' offense "should create enough explosive plays" to earn a victory against the Buccaneers.
Our take: The Buccaneers are 0-4 and will start undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels on a short week. The Kansas product could post decent numbers against a leaky Dallas defense thanks to his mobility, but it's hard to imagine the Cowboys losing this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
AI's take: The Jaguars have "historically handled the London environment well," in Copilot's estimation, which led the chatbot to back Trevor Lawrence's squad. It also praised the Jaguars' "speed" as being a difference-maker in this matchup with the Eagles.
Our take: The Eagles are dealing with a plethora of injuries to their offense and could be down as many as three normal starting offensive lineman after Lane Johnson's retirement. Philadelphia may struggle to score, so it's tough to back them against Liam Coen's well-oiled Jaguars offense.
Cincinnati Bengals 31, Miami Dolphins 21
AI's take: Copilot is confident that the Bengals' passing attack will "overwhelm" the Dolphins in Week 5. It opined that Miami has "struggled to match explosive offenses" this season, leading it to back Cincinnati in this spot.
Our take: The Bengals have injury concerns with both Ja'Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor) banged up, but even without them, Cincinnati can beat Miami. The Dolphins are averaging just 11.5 points per game and lack the playmakers needed to test the Bengals' defense.
Las Vegas Raiders 23, New England Patriots 20
AI's take: Copilot noted choosing the Raiders to beat the Patriots on the road would be a "mild upset." The chatbot called Las Vegas "a tougher, more physical team" and opined the team's "offensive balance" could help it earn a road victory.
Our take: Drake Maye returned to form in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. As long as he doesn't take a step back, the Patriots should find a way to win this one, even if the Raiders put up a competitive fight.
Minnesota Vikings 24, New Orleans Saints 20
AI's take: The 5-0 Vikings? Copilot thinks it will happen. The chatbot lauded Minnesota for being "one of the more complete teams" in the early stages of the season while opining the team's penchant to "force mistakes defensively" as being beneficial in this matchup.
Our take: The Minnesota offense hasn't yet come together, but Brian Flores' defense has a great matchup against Tyler Shough and the Saints. The second-year quarterback has a passer rating of just 72.6 when pressured, per Pro Football Focus, and the Vikings lead the NFL in pressure rate, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Expect the Vikings to win because of that advantage.
New York Jets 20, Cleveland Browns 17
AI's take: Copilot thinks this one will be "a low-scoring defensive battle." It is going with the Jets because they are at home and "have the steadier quarterback situation."
Our take: Interestingly, Copilot doesn't seem to have much faith in the Browns. It picked against them last week and is evidently fading Deshaun Watson. That said, the work Todd Monken has done to turn this offense into a solid unit can't be ignored. We'll back Monken to improve to 4-1 while continuing to show he was the most overlooked hire of this past coaching cycle.
Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Indianapolis Colts 16
AI's take: Copilot credited the Steelers for having "a strong rushing attack." The chatbot also likes Pittsburgh's defense, opining that it "limits explosive plays [and] controls field position," which should help the Steelers beat the Colts.
Our take: The Steelers have been solid this season and have the type of defense that could uniquely confound Daniel Jones. Nice pick, Copilot!
Houston Texans 21, Tennessee Titans 13
AI's take: Copilot is picking the Texans to win this battle of winless teams. Why? Because Houston "possesses the higher offensive ceiling" of the two teams.
Our take: Copilot also said the Titans would "keep the game ugly," whatever that means. But yeah, it's hard to imagine the Texans losing this one. They simply need to win and are the better team. Sometimes, it's just that simple.
Washington Commanders 27, New York Giants 24
AI's take: Interestingly, Copilot said this could be "one of the week's most entertaining games." It's backing Washington to have the "more dynamic offense" at home and to earn its second win of the season.
Our take: It sounds like Jayden Daniels (elbow) may play in this game, so perhaps that explains Copilot's excitement. The Commanders are probably the right side to back if Daniels plays, as they will be less volatile than the Jameis Winston-led Giants.
Chicago Bears 27, Green Bay Packers 24
AI's take: The Bears being favored on the road against the Packers intrigued Copilot, which said it "tells you a lot about the direction of both teams." Ultimately, it decided to back the Bears because of their "offensive firepower" but noted it expects this rivalry game to be close.
Our take: The Packers only managed to beat the Buccaneers by three points last week. It's hard to imagine them keeping it close against the Bears, even if Caleb Williams isn't able to suit up for this one. Chicago is simply the deeper and better team.
Denver Broncos 23, Los Angeles Chargers 17
AI's take: Look away, Chargers fans. Copilot believes Los Angeles will drop to 0-5 against the Broncos. The chatbot said "Denver's defense has the edge in this matchup" and doesn't believe the Chargers will be able to earn a victory unless they can "generate multiple explosive plays."
Our take: The Broncos will be without Patrick Surtain II in this game, which could help the latter scenario unfold. But that would require the Chargers' dinged-up offensive line to hold up in front of Justin Herbert, which seems unlikely.
Detroit Lions 34, Arizona Cardinals 27
AI's take: Copilot identified this game as having "shootout potential." It likes each team's passing game but opined Detroit has "advantages in offensive line play, skill-position depth, and overall roster quality."
Our take: Detroit's defense has been abysmal to start the season, so Copilot is right to expect a shootout here. It is also right to back the Lions, given the criteria it outlined. Well done!
Seattle Seahawks 24, San Francisco 49ers 21
AI's take: Copilot called this "one of the toughest games to call." It's coin-flip decision came down to Seattle having a "significant advantage" playing at Lumen Field, where the Seahawks have a significant home-field advantage.
Our take: The Seahawks played well against the 49ers last season and limited Brock Purdy to a 72.5 passer rating across three games. Don't be surprised if Seattle limits the current MVP frontrunner and hands San Francisco its first loss.
Atlanta Falcons 27, Baltimore Ravens 24
AI's take: Consider Copilot a Falcons fan. It lauded Atlanta's "offensive balance" and believes the Falcons will be able to "stress" the Ravens' defense.
Our take: Lamar Jackson (ankle) is no sure thing to play in this game, so don't be surprised if the Falcons win their third straight game.
Buffalo Bills 31, Los Angeles Rams 28
AI's take: Copilot acknowledged it is tough to pick a side in this "primetime shootout." In the end, it's backing Josh Allen in a game that it expects to end in a "dramatic finish."
Our take: The Rams have had an up-and-down start to the 2026 NFL season, but they finally seemed to generate some offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter of their Week 4 win against the Eagles. If Sean McVay's squad can build on that against a leaky Buffalo defense, it would hardly be surprising to see Los Angeles win in this potential Super Bowl preview.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 5 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game
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