Week 13 NFL Sunday Picks Against The Spread

After a few crazy weeks of action, there seem to be some potential blowouts in Week 13. There are a few double-digit spreads, but the most intriguing matchups will be those within a field goal.

To kick off December action, this is a look at the games for Sunday with picks against the spread. In total, 12 games make up the slate.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -11

It seems like Tampa Bay in the last few weeks has really put an emphasis on running the football a lot, and completing short passes. If they are to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they’ll need to stick to that game plan for the foreseeable future. They’re not a perfect team by any means, as their pass defense is vulnerable, and that’s why this could be a closer game than people realize.

Matt Ryan will likely be playing from behind most of the day, but he’s been good enough this year that he might be able to keep it within single digits. Yes, Atlanta is pretty one-dimensional these days, The veteran knows how to make the most of his situation. Tampa Bay is going to win the game, but the Falcons are competitive enough to cover.

Pick: Atlanta Falcons +11

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

Arizona Cardinals -7.5

Arizona Cardinals fans are pretty excited to see that two of their biggest stars on offense are returning this week. Both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are not only set to play, but they are as close to 100% as they’ve been for a long time. It was the perfect opportunity for Arizona to get that bye week, and now they’re well-rested to make a run for the top seed in the NFC.

There’s also extra motivation for the Arizona Cardinals as they lost the final wildcard to the Chicago Bears last season. They won’t be taking anything for granted, even if they are the superior team on paper. Chicago won’t have enough firepower to keep this within single digits, and Arizona easily covers.

Pick: Arizona Cardinals -7.5

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals -3

If Cincinnati can continue to have success on the ground, the Chargers are in a lot of trouble. It’s starting to get towards the final stretch, and Cincinnati knows that they need to hold serve at home against a quality team. That means a lot of Joe Mixon, plus some conservative passing by Joe Burrow.

This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week, as Justin Herbert will look to solidify himself as a young quarterback with the most potential as he travels three time zones to battle for a win. Cincinnati has a good pass rush, and that will be enough to hold off a push from the Chargers. Cincinnati picks up a big win for the franchise to continue to push towards the playoffs.

Pick: Cincinnati Bengals -3

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings -7

For a team that is constantly playing close matchups, it seems a little weird for them to be touchdown favorites on the road. However, they are going up against a terrible team in the Detroit Lions, so maybe they will find a way to win convincingly?

It just doesn’t seem in their DNA to put things away when they should. It makes it even worse that they will be missing Dalvin Cook at running back, so they won’t be able to score as consistently as usual.

If there’s one vulnerability for Minnesota, it’s their run defense. Detroit’s been relying on the run quite a bit in the last few weeks, and they’ll probably do it once again in Week 13. Minnesota still finds a way to win, but Detroit hangs around and makes it interesting enough to win against the spread.

Pick: Detroit Lions +7

New York Giants at Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins -3

The Giants pulled off a victory last week against the Philadelphia Eagles thanks to their outstanding defense. They couldn’t find ways to score consistently at all, but their defense kept them around. Now they go up against a pretty hot Miami Dolphins team that hopes to keep their momentum going for the fifth straight week.

Tua Tagovailoa is coming into his own as a quarterback for the Dolphins. He’s been finding Jaylen Waddle at receiver consistently, and Myles Gaskin is evening things out as the running back the team needs.

Daniel Jones probably won’t be able to do much with this offense, as they stumble into maybe a touchdown or two at most. Take Miami to keep everything going.

Pick: Miami Dolphins -3

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles -7

It is not a good look for the Philadelphia Eagles last week, as they dropped a very ugly game to the New York Giants. Now, they hit the road to play the other New York team. They enter as a touchdown favorite, but will they be able to bounce back?

Even though Jalen Hurts is struggling, it’s unlikely that they will have as bad of a game as last week. The interceptions were abysmal, and they got away from running the ball and grinding the game away.

Look for Philadelphia to get back on track a bit, and at least stick to what they do best. The goal is to control the ball on offense, and then put a lot of pressure on Zach Wilson and the offense for the Jets.

Even at home, there’s not much hope for the Jets at this point. Take Philadelphia to show everyone that they are the better team.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles -7

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts -8.5

The Houston Texans are simply not good at this point of the year. They don’t want to be, even in front of their home crowd playing a divisional opponent. That means another pretty easy win for Indianapolis, a team trying to get into the playoffs with a few weeks left.

After falling behind the Tampa Bay Bucs last week, Indianapolis had to get away from what they do best. That’s giving the ball to Jonathan Taylor and letting him carry the offense in a lot of ways. They have other weapons, but Taylor has shown that he’s as stable as anyone. He should be able to have very little trouble with Houston‘s defense.

The Colts will also be looking for some forced turnover opportunities against Tyrod Taylor and the Houston offense. They’ll need to play catch-up and pass the ball, which is not something they excel at. There’s just not much hope for Houston to keep it even within single digits this week in front of their fans. Take the favorite to win big.

Pick: Indianapolis Colts -8.5

Washington Football Team at Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders -2.5

Washington After a huge win on the road for Las Vegas during Thanksgiving, they now take on a Washington football team that has shown signs of life in recent weeks. Washington still has a long way to go to even think about being a playoff contender, but their offense is starting to come together. Not only are they scoring a little easier, but the defense has started playing more fundamental football overall.

Just as Washington is looking more consistent, Las Vegas has been extremely inconsistent all year long. Their win against Dallas isn’t going to change any of that. This just screams out like a possible letdown game, which is not what any fans really want to hear. Washington has a great chance to win this game outright, so definitely take them as the underdog with the spread.

Pick: Washington Football Team +2.5

Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams -13

It’s been a rough few weeks for the Los Angeles Rams, as they’ve lost three straight and put themselves in danger of completely missing the playoffs. They have a perfect opportunity to get back on track at home, playing one of the worst teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars. While they should win by mere talent alone, will they cover a pretty healthy 13-point spread?

A lot of it depends on Matthew Stafford being a bit more disciplined at quarterback. He’s been prone to throwing pick-sixes recently, which certainly doesn’t help. Even one of those against a young Jacksonville team could spark them to keep it close.

If Stafford‘s under control, Los Angeles should be able to cruise in other categories. Jalen Ramsey and the defense will put a ton of pressure on rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and it’s probably going to be way too much for him to handle. Darrell Henderson should be able to do what he wants running the football. Los Angeles wins big. It could get out of hand, getting close to a three-touchdown margin.

Pick: Los Angeles Rams -13

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Baltimore Ravens -4.5

Both teams have made the game look pretty ugly this year, especially on offense. Pittsburgh‘s been a mess most of the year, while Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have turned into a pretty sloppy team on their own. The only difference is that Baltimore is still doing enough to put themselves in the situation to be the number one seed in the AFC East, while Pittsburgh is likely going to miss the playoffs altogether.

For a team known for the defense throughout the years, Pittsburgh’s run defense is terrible. That’s bad news when going up against arguably the best runner at quarterback in the NFL right now. Jackson does whatever he wants, turning this usually close game between divisional rivals into an easy win.

Pick: Baltimore Ravens -4.5

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

San Francisco 49ers -3.5

There used to be a time when this advertised as a marquee game twice a year. Now, Seattle looks absolutely lost, and the San Francisco 49ers’ consistency is just not there.

With Seattle struggling, their home advantage seems to be dwindling each week. They’re clearly in a different stage now with Russell Wilson and the rest of the squad, which makes it hard to predict who will come home with a victory.

San Francisco needs this game more, and they have more to play for overall seeding in the playoffs. The power-rushing attack grinds Seattle down.

Pick: San Francisco 49ers -3.5

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs -9.5

The Sunday night game has the opportunity to be a good one if Denver plays defense as they did against the Los Angeles Chargers last week. Kansas City is the obvious favorite at home, but getting 9.5 points is pretty crazy considering all the weapons Denver has.

Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are both consistent runners that will keep the game somewhat close. The quarterback battle is pretty lopsided, but it’s not like Patrick Mahomes has actually dominated throughout the year. Teddy Bridgewater controls the game enough to keep it within single digits, making Sunday night a bit more eventful than most thought initially.

Pick: Denver Broncos +9.5