One month ago, oddsmakers were skeptical of the Chicago Bears and critics were lining up to take shots at quarterback Rex Grossman. But all of that has changed dramatically.

There were never any doubts about the legitimacy of star linebacker Brian Urlacher and the defense, a point pounded home again Sunday as the Bears routed the Buffalo Bills, 40-7.

Chicago and Indianapolis are the NFL's only 5-0 teams, but just one of those teams has performed above expectations.

"I think the Bears are the best team in the league," MGM Mirage sports book director Robert Walker said. "You've got to like this team a lot. They are not just winning, they are winning convincingly.

"The Bears just do not want teams to score on them at all, and now they've got an offense."

The betting public deserves credit for realizing Chicago's superiority to Buffalo, and many wiseguys figured it out the hard way. The Bears opened as 11-point favorites and the line closed at 10.

"The public was on the Bears, but the professional players bet so much more on the Bills that it was actually a pretty good game for us," Walker said.

Reflecting on Week 1, it seems ridiculous that the Bears were only 3 1/2-point road favorites over Green Bay. The Bears rolled over the Packers 26-0, and oddsmakers have been adjusting every week.

The lines for Week 6 opened with Chicago as a 10 1/2-point road favorite over Arizona next Monday. The Bears are 4-1 against the spread.

The books close on Week 5 today with Denver a 5 1/2-point home favorite over Baltimore. The line opened at 4 and bettors are showing skepticism of the 4-0 Ravens.

"It looks like we're going to be up very little for the day," Walker said Sunday after the favorites went 13-0 straight up and 9-3-1 against the spread.

St. Louis beat Green Bay 23-20, and the Rams pushed as 3-point favorites.

Philadelphia opened as a favorite over Dallas, but the closing line differed at several books. The game was a pick'em at some places, such as MGM Mirage books, and the Eagles were 1-point favorites at others.

Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw three interceptions and was sacked seven times in a 38-24 loss. The Eagles sealed the victory on Lito Sheppard's 102-yard interception return in the final minute.

There were narrow spread decisions on Carolina, Kansas City and New England.

The Patriots closed as 9 1/2-point favorites and beat Miami, 20-10. The Chiefs were 4-point favorites in a 23-20 comeback victory over Arizona. The Panthers closed as 7 1/2-point favorites in their 20-12 victory over Cleveland.

Walker said the Carolina line opened at 8 1/2, and after professional bettors took the points, the number was dropped one point and the public bet the favorite.

"We got shellacked in the Carolina game and got middled. When you get middled, it's hard to have a good day," Walker said. "If Kansas City covers, we lose for the day.

"The whole world was on New Orleans, so that was a good game for us. The professional players were on Tennessee and the New York Giants."

The Saints closed as 7-point favorites and needed Reggie Bush's 65-yard punt return for a touchdown to pull out a 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay.

The Giants opened as 4-point favorites and the line closed at 6 in their 19-3 victory over Washington. The Titans closed as 17 1/2-point underdogs in a 14-13 loss at Indianapolis.