NFL Week 13 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread
It looked like The Big Lead was in some trouble in the picks and predictions department on Sunday, but things managed to even out. Liam and Kyle left Week 12 with a 6-9 record, which is nice, if anything. It does mean, though, that the pair fall below .500 in overall record for the first time in a long time, sliding to a 76-78 record on the year. But they plan to use this as motivation to excel, as the best athletes, pickers, and predictors always do.
Here are our Week 13 predictions and picks against the spread (all odds via WynnBet).
SAINTS (+6) over COWBOYS
We keep thinking Sean Payton is operating within the parameters of a masterplan. Now would be as good a time as any to reveal what that is, beyond paying Taysom Hill into perpetuity for ... reasons. The Saints took a public and humiliated walloping from Buffalo and will be bored by the chore of saving face. Dallas is also licking its wounds from a gross Thanksgiving feast and will be crushed by virus protocols as the hours continue. Get this line wherever it is right now because New Orleans may be favored by kickoff time. Saints 21, Cowboys 17
FALCONS (+10) over BUCCANEERS
Leonard Fournette has revitalized a promising career and may be the most important piece of Tampa Bay's puzzle going forward. Tom Brady has genuine sights on winning the freaking MVP at the age of 44 years-old and we must pause to marvel at that factoid every single day. A blowout is always a possibility, but 10 free points at home is almost something that needs to be explored on principle. If nothing else, the backdoor could remain open for a cosmetic, pendulum-swinging score. Buccaneers 34, Falcons 26
BEARS (+7) over CARDINALS
Do we all agree that the Kliff Kingsbury-to-Oklahoma stuff is nothing more than a ruse to get a huge payday and extension with the Cardinals? With the NFC's sole bye on the line, any static on the feed could be amplified. Andy Dalton is still Andy Dalton but the Bears have a decent defense and winter on Lake Michigan can breed low-scoring games. When you're slumping, the underdogs always make more sense. Cardinals 18, Bears 16
BENGALS (-2.5) over CHARGERS
Joe Burrow is not doing this with smoke and mirrors. And he's getting better with each passing week. The Bengals continue to rack up some extremely impressive wins and are a hot month away from vying for the No. 1 AFC seed. That journey continues by dispatching Justin Herbert, who continues to let me down personally and ruin our picks. Never again. Bengals 29, Chargers 20
LIONS (+7) over VIKINGS
The Lions are 7-4 against the number this year, which is simply remarkable for an 0-10-1 side. It's not pretty, it's not fun, it's not really even rewarding. But the point here is to be correct. Vikings 28, Lions 24
DOLPHINS (-3) over GIANTS
Something clicked in Tua and the Dolphins as a whole. They are playing with passion, and furor and the hopes of entering the playoff graphics in December. It doesn't make much sense but these are how miracle runs tend to happen — under the radar at first and then better than anyone thought possible. Stone-cold lock of the week. Dolphins 35, Giants 27
EAGLES (-6.5) over JETS
Okay, so we were really wrong about the Eagles last week. So wrong it was worth noting. But we're going to be right this time! The Jets have exhibited competency against only the worst of teams, and while Philly dropped the ball last week, they aren't terrible. They might not be good, but they aren't terrible, and will exercise their demons in Metlife on the second try. Eagles 31, Jets 17
COLTS (-8.5) over TEXANS
Indy impressed everybody last week with their tight loss to the Bucs. The Texans look better than they have all season with Tyrod Taylor back but that isn't saying much. Jonathan Taylor will run wild (again) and Carson Wentz will only have one boneheaded turnover, which won't be enough for a backdoor cover. Colts 37, Texans 20
WASHINGTON (+2.5) over RAIDERS
Washington has showed up to play good teams this year. The inconsistency should still make one wary, but they won a rock fight with the Seahawks at home on Sunday night. The Raiders have alternated weeks of late where they look terrible and then look good, so given what happened on Thanksgiving, we're fine with betting on the Football Team while banking on some regression from the home team. Washington 24, Raiders 20
RAMS (-13.0) over JAGUARS
It is going to be very tempting to bet against the Rams. They've looked terrible for three weeks in a row. It was only a month ago that the Jaguars beat the Bills! But don't overthink this. Jacksonville is worse than you think and Los Angeles knows this is the game to right the ship before a tough slate of games to close out the year. They won't be messing around. Rams 40, Jaguars 10
STEELERS (+3.5) over RAVENS
The Steelers are not a good team. We'll get that out of the way. But are they bad enough to be home underdogs against a divisional rival? It feels like a stretch. Pair the location with the fact that the Ravens weren't exactly a team of destiny against Cleveland and this feels like easy money. Steelers-Ravens games are always rockfights, and this will be no different. Ravens 20, Steelers 17
49ERS (-2.5) over SEAHAWKS
Man, oh man. The Seahawks are... broken? Russell Wilson is allowed some leeway given he missed most of this season but his performance against Washington was extremely concerning. Meanwhile, San Francisco has regained some momentum and had to make multiple crucial defensive stops to pull out a close out against Minnesota. Gotta go with the home team if they're favored by less than a field goal. Even if Seattle loves to play spoiler for San Fran. 49ers 31, Seahawks 24
CHIEFS (-10.0) over BRONCOS
This Broncos defense has been mighty impressive after losing Von Miller and Denver just keeps finding ways to win games. But the Chiefs are coming off a bye week after their best performance of the year on both sides of the ball. Andy Reid is 19-3 coming off bye weeks in his career. Kansas City will come out firing on all cylinders and the Broncos don't have the firepower to keep up. A late push will make everyone who stays awake sweat, though. Chiefs 35, Broncos 24
PATRIOTS (+3.0) over BILLS
This is a tough one. The Bills are at home and appeared to even things out, coasting to a win in New Orleans after a shaky stretch in the middle of the season. The Patriots, of course, have won six straight and have the people wondering if it's the dawn of another era of Belichickian domination. With the AFC East title on the line, this will have the feel of a playoff game. Buffalo will pull it out at home-- but New England will make them work for it, and it'll be a razor-thin line between victory and defeat for both sides. Bills 24, Patriots 23