NFL Week 13 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Buffalo, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Baltimore are all on rest this week. Just one more week with byes to come. Here’s a quick look at the Week 13 NFL games, played Sunday unless noted.
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday
Second Thursday game in a row for both franchises, which is extremely rare for Seattle but has become somewhat usual for Dallas in terms of playing Thanksgiving every year and recently, it seems, also the Thursday the week after. This definitely could have major NFC wild card implications. The Cowboys have been slaughtering visiting teams this year and have won 13 straight at home. Seattle has dropped three of four as the offence has gone cold.
Point spread: Cowboys -9 (total 46.5)
Pick ATS: Dallas
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
The Colts beat the Titans 23-16 in Week 5 as Indy backup running back Zack Moss rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two scores. That was the game that Indianapolis lost starting QB Anthony Richardson to a season-ending injury. Indy is now surprisingly in the AFC playoff hunt with Gardner Minshew playing well under centre. Rookie QB Will Levis has shown some signs for the Titans, but they are near the bottom of the AFC at 4-7.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
The Chargers have a great quarterback in Justin Herbert and a lousy coach in Brandon Staley, while the Patriots have a lousy quarterback in Mac Jones and a great coach in Bill Belichick. It’s almost sad how bad things have gotten in New England. Jones was benched yet again Sunday in a brutal loss to the Giants – the Pats have lost four straight and not allowed more than 10 points in the past two. No way Belichick can start Jones again this year if ever. The Bolts did what they usually do on Sunday night and folded down the stretch in a tough loss (to Baltimore).
Pick ATS: New England
Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints
The Lions were stunned at home by Green Bay on Thanksgiving but at least got a mini-bye out of it. They still control the NFC North. QB Jared Goff has started to turn the ball over a lot in the past two games, and that’s concerning. The Saints seemed like they were in the Atlanta red zone all day Sunday but couldn’t score TDs in a 24-15 loss. Starting wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed both left injured so monitor their status.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets
This one might be hard to watch with Desmond Ridder opposed by Tim Boyle at quarterback. The Jets were embarrassed offensively yet again on Black Friday in a fourth straight loss, 34-13. Boyle made his first start for New York and threw two picks, including a Hail Mary returned 99 yards for a touchdown to close the first half. That totally sums up New York’s season. Boyle will get the call again. Atlanta came out of its bye and with Ridder back as the starter and he led a 24-15 win over New Orleans. But he also threw two picks.
Pick ATS: New York (buy up to +3)
Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh hadn’t amassed at least 400 yards of offence in a few years but in its first game after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the Steelers won in Cincinnati on Sunday, 16-10. While 16 points is nothing to celebrate, they did have 421 yards. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is running the offence on an interim basis and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is calling plays. Arizona was blown out at home by the Rams on Sunday, 37-14. The Cards are more competitive now that Kyler Murray is back but still quite bad – especially the defence.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh
Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders
This has the highest total of the week at 50 and should with Miami’s electric offence and Washington’s struggling defence. That unit is last in points allowed and was gashed for 45 more points in a Thanksgiving blowout in Dallas. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was fired after. The Commanders haven’t intercepted a pass in the past six games or caused a turnover in the past three. Miami wasn’t totally in sync on Friday offensively but still didn’t sweat much in a 34-13 win at the Jets. When the game was still close, Jevon Holland returned an intercepted first-half Hail Mary attempt 99 yards for a score.
Pick ATS: Washington (buy up to +10)
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans
Two of the AFC’s biggest surprises. Denver has improbably won five straight after a 1-5 start and largely dominated Cleveland on Sunday. It’s the team’s first five-game win streak since 2015 when the Broncos finished the year with a Super Bowl 50 win. Defence has been carrying the day. Houston lost 24-21 at home to Jacksonville when a last-second field goal to tie clanked off the crossbar. Rookie QB CJ Stroud was spectacular again with 304 yards and two scores passing and a rushing TD. He’s the Offensive Rookie of the Year no matter what happens the rest of the way.
Pick ATS: Denver
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
These teams close the season against one another in Charlotte. Carolina fired Coach Frank Reich on Monday following a loss in Nashville on Sunday and with the offence and rookie No. 1 overall QB Bryce Young continuing to be inept. Reich is the first NFL head coach fired in back-to-back seasons as he also was last year with Indianapolis. Expect Cats owner David Tepper to chase Jim Harbaugh hard. The Bucs lost in Indianapolis and QB Baker Mayfield injured his ankle, although he was able to play through it for the most part. Inexperienced Kyle Trask would start if he can’t.
Pick ATS: Tampa Bay
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams
Cleveland lost in Denver on Sunday and saw rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper and NFL sack leader and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett all leave early. Too early to know their status for Sunday. We do know Garrett avoided a season-ending injury. Rams coach Sean McVay has done a nice job this year after Los Angeles fell off the map in 2022. Matthew Stafford had four TD passes in Sunday’s easy win over Arizona, and RB Kyren Williams rushed for 143 yards and caught two TD passes in his return from injury.
Pick ATS: Los Angeles
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
Rematch of last season’s NFC title game won by the Eagles 31-7 in Philadelphia with Niners starting QB Brock Purdy knocked out early with a serious injury and then SF’s backup QB also leaving injured. Purdy actually had to come back briefly but couldn’t throw the ball more than a couple of yards and had to leave again. It was ugly all around for the Niners, which is why winning here and potentially getting the NFC ‘s top seed is so important. The Eagles are up two games on the Niners so if Philly wins here, San Francisco isn’t getting the No. 1 seed.
Pick ATS: Philadelphia (buy up to +3.5)
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
Sunday night game. The Chiefs spotted the Raiders an early 14-0 lead on Sunday but rallied to win 31-17 and move closer to yet another AFC West title. Kansas City had really been struggling in the second half of games offensively but scored 17 in Las Vegas after intermission. Patrick Mahomes threw for two scores and Isiah Pacheco rushed for two. Jordan Love looked like the Packers’ long-term QB of the future – which he hasn’t many times this season – on Thanksgiving in a 29-22 upset win in Detroit as he threw for 268 yards and three scores with no turnovers. Green Bay is still in the wild card hunt.
Pick ATS: Green Bay (buy up to +7)
Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday
Alas, we don’t get a matchup of former No. 1 overall draft pick quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence as Burrow is out for the season injured. Thought this might get flexed because of that, but it’s a tough week to flex with so many teams on the bye. Predictably with Jake Browning making his first NFL start Sunday, the Bengals managed only 10 points in a home loss to Pittsburgh. The season’s over folks. Jacksonville won a huge game in Houston to take control of the AFC South and split the season series. Lawrence threw for 364 yards and a touchdown.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati