Week 13 NFL Picks, Predictions & Odds
It’s Week 13 of the 2011 NFL season, and it’s time for teams to really determine their fates. The majority of divisions are still up for grabs, while a select few teams are definitely emerging as Super Bowl favorites or candidates. Take a look at the full slate of games for week 13 including the picks and spreads for all of them.
Philadelphia -3 At Seattle
Can people please stop pretending like the Eagles are contending for a playoff spot? They’re 4-7 and they’re done, and while much more talented, they are meeting a team with an equal record in the 4-7 Seahawks. Seattle has a big home field advantage, so it’s not hard to imagine them winning, but take Philly to inch closer to .500.
At Buffalo -1.5 Tennessee
The Bills are coming off a tough loss to the Jets in a game they could have won, and perhaps should have won. The Titans are 6-5 and still in the mix for a playoff spot. They have more to play for, and Chris Johnson is heating up when they need him the most. Take Tennessee in a road upset.
At Chicago -8 Kansas City
The Bears play host to the Chiefs, and both teams will be playing with new quarterbacks at the helm, backup Caleb Hanie for Chicago, and likely new import Kyle Orton for Kansas City. The Bears are better, they’re at home, and they have more to fight for, so they’ll win, and they should cover the spread over a KC team that’s bad on the road.
At Miami -3 Oakland
Both Miami and Oakland have been playing their best football as of late. The Dolphins are still 3-8 though, while the Raiders are 7-4, and fully in charge of their own destiny in the AFC West. If they want to win the division, they can’t slip up in games like this, even if it technically would be an upset. Take the Raiders in a road win.
At Pittsburgh -6.5 Cincinnati
Cincinnati lost two tough games to the division leaders and stalwarts, the Steelers and Ravens, before beating the Browns last weekend. Now they get the Steelers again. Pittsburgh will win, but take Cincinnati to beat the spread, and keep things within a touchdown all the way throughout.
Baltimore -6.5 At Cleveland
The Ravens are coming off a very impressive win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving. The Browns should be an easy touch for them, but they have been prone to disappointments all season long. You should expect the Ravens to win, but don’t be surprised to see Cleveland keep this one within striking defense if the Ravens show up as their usual lax selves following a statement victory.
NY Jets -3 At Washington
Even with the Redskins at home, it’s a surprise to see the Jets as only 3 point favorites over them. New York hasn’t been great this year, but they are a class above the Redskins, so they’ll get the road win and cover the spread as well.
Atlanta -2.5 At Houston
The Atlanta Falcons are in a dogfight for the NFC South and for an NFC wild card spot, sitting at 7-4. The Texans control their destiny in the AFC South with an 8-3 record, but now are without their top two quarterbacks, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. That’s much to overcome against another Matt, Matt Ryan, and he’ll lead his Falcons team to victory here.
At Tampa Bay -3.5 Carolina
What a disappointing season it has been for the Buccaneers, now losers of 5 straight games to fall to 4-7 on the year. Rookie QB Cam Newton has led his Panthers to nearly as much success with a 3-8 mark. Who’s to say he can’t lead Carolina to another road upset win here over a team with as many struggles as Tampa?
At New Orleans -9 Detroit
The Saints showed against the Giants that they are an elite NFL team. Their offense is sensational and at home, they are a near impossible out. The Lions are fighting for their playoff lives, but Drew Brees won’t care about that. Take the Saints to win and cover the spread, blowing out another playoff contender with relative ease.
At Minnesota PK Denver
The oddsmakers may not like the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow, but you should here. Tebow keeps on winning, and in a pick ‘em game against the terrible Vikings, there’s no reason not to pick Denver.
At San Francisco -13 St. Louis
The 49ers are coming off just their second loss of the season, and return home to welcome the Rams. San Francisco is better in every area of the game, so they’ll win this game and get back on track, but maybe the Rams can keep it close and beat the spread.
Dallas -4.5 At Arizona
The Cowboys are a hot team right now, and just assumed sole first place position in the NFC East. They need to capitalize on their position and win games they should, like this one, on the road against Arizona. Dallas to win and cover the spread over the Cardinals.
Green Bay -7 At NY Giants
The Packers seemingly have an unstoppable offense. The Giants have a defense that can’t stop anybody’s offense. That’s trouble for them. The Packers may be due for a loss, but it’s hard to justify picking the Giants to be the ones to get the job done here. Packers on the road, and they’ll cover the spread too.
At New England -20.5 Indianapolis
You don’t often see 20+ point spreads in the NFL, but that’s what you have here in what is usually one of the best games of the season. Not this year of course. The Patriots will defeat the Colts at home, that much is certain. By more than 3 touchdowns is likely too, so they could cover the spread here, as lofty as it is.
San Diego -2.5 At Jacksonville
In a forgettable and regrettable Monday night matchup, the Jaguars play host to the Chargers in week 13. Both teams are terrible, and Jacksonville just fired their coach. Maybe that gets the team to rally and get a win at home in a mild upset over a Chargers team in the midst of a six game losing streak.
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Pittsburgh vs Kansas City Predictions, Picks & Odds
This is not the Sunday night primetime game that the networks and the league could have been wanting coming into week 12. This Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs, one of the darlings of last season, but one of the worst teams in the league today. This certainly has the makings of what could be a very ugly game in week 12 but then again it is the NFL and anything can happen.
The Steelers are tied for 1st in the AFC North by record, but they lost both games to the Ravens this season and are therefore the number 2 team in the division, heading to a Wild Card. If they want a home playoff game this year, they have to finish with a better outright record for the Ravens, and that leaves no margin for error. In a game where they are expected to win and dominate, they have to do just that to keep on rolling.
Pittsburgh has turned itself into a high scoring pass-first team this season, thanks to Ben Roethlisberger and his speedy wideouts. The team’s identity though is still its fierce defense and all of those hard-noised, vicious hitters they have back there, ranging from Troy Polamalu to James Harrison and everyone else on the field. Who’s saying they’re old now?
The Chiefs have lost their last three games in a row. They have also lost their starting quarterback to injury, and earlier in the year they were ravaged by other injuries as well. They lost their first three games, getting blown out, but then managed to win four games in a row.
Since then though, Cassel went out and another losing streak kicked in, and the team is in real trouble right now, even in the weak AFC West. They got blown out last Monday night by the New England Patriots, although they were on the road in that game.
The hometown crowd, fierce as it is in Kansas City, won’t be enough to turn the tide around in this one. The Steelers are 10.5 point road favorites, and the over/under is at 40 points, a low total given the Chiefs inept offense.
The Steelers are the much better team. They need the win, and they need to be firing at all cylinders to make their end of the season push here. Take Pittsburgh to win and win big, covering the spread and blowing out the Chiefs.
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Week 12 NFL: New England vs Philadelphia Predictions, Picks & Odds
At the beginning of the season, many people would have thought that a New England vs. Philadelphia match-up would be a preview for an almost inevitable Super Bowl showdown. Things haven’t quite worked out that way coming into week 12. The Patriots are cruising right now but started a bit slowly, and are one of several strong contenders in the AFC. The Eagles of course had an absolutely miserable start to the year and are just barely hanging on to the tiniest hopes of a playoff berth.
The Eagles were able to go on the road against the Giants last week and get a big win that they desperately needed. That game was as much about the Giants failures as Philly’s successes, but a win is a win. Now they’re at 4-6, two games back in the division and with a mess of teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race, but they’re alive for the time being.
Nobody has ever denied the team’s talent, so if they are gelling right now and can stay healthy, then they can put together a mad dash here at the end of the year to make the playoffs. Of course, staying healthy might be their biggest concern, as Michael Vick didn’t even play last weekend.
New England meanwhile has come back from its slow start to be its usual self, sitting in first place in the AFC East division yet as well. Tom Brady has been, surprise, playing great, and he’s been finding Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski seemingly at will. The defense is flawed, but hanging in there and doing enough to keep the other team in check and win some games.
The Patriots are 3 point road favorites in this match-up, with the over/under for the game being set at 50.5 points, one of the highest totals of the weekend. So which team will win out?
Usually in a match like this, the more desperate team is always a strong choice, especially when they’re playing at home like Philly is here. However, the Patriots are riding a ton of momentum right now, and they aren’t going to take the Eagles lightly. They also don’t want the New York Jets crawling back into the divisional race. So look for the Patriots to win on the road, and cover the spread as well, dispatching of the Eagles without too much of a problem
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Week 12 NFL Picks, Chicago vs Oakland Predictions & Odds
The Chicago Bears visit the Oakland Raiders on Sunday in Week 12, and while it’s not one of the biggest games of the weekend, it might be one of the most intriguing. That’s because the Bears have been playing excellently, but are now without their starting quarterback. The Raiders meanwhile have been clicking with their new quarterback, and have taken back first place in the AFC West.
When Carson Palmer was traded for by the Raiders, many people were skeptical. Of course, many others were excited, and so far both of those camps have had their own moments. After the Raiders bye week though, Palmer has gotten a better grasp of things and the team has now won two games in a row to improve to 6-4 and take over sole possession of 1st in the division.
The Bears meanwhile have won five games in a row to become one of the hottest teams in league. Sitting at 7-3, they have put themselves in excellent position to make the playoffs. The defense has been tough, and the offense has improved greatly, as Jay Cutler has been protected and has kept his turnovers down.
Now Cutler is out though, potentially for the rest of the season, and the Bears are going to have their work cut out for them the rest of the way to continue winning games. That’s why the Raiders have been set as 5 point favorites at home over the Bears, despite their recent winning ways. The over/under for the game has been set at 41.5 points.
One would certainly have to favor the Raiders here, at home, and without Cutler being able to play for Chicago. However, the Bears have been playing with a huge chip on their shoulder, and this should help them have even more of an us against the world mentality. Not only that, but Palmer still only has a few games under his belt, so it’s not as if he’s entirely entrenched as a full grasp of everything on the team.
Look for the defense, with leaders Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Julius Peppers, to have a huge game this weekend, while Matt Forte and Devin Hester put enough points on the board to keep the team playing with a lead. Take the Bears for the big upset win in a statement game, statement being, we’re not dead without Cutler, and we still have plans to make a deep playoff push.
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NFL Week 12: San Francisco vs Baltimore Predictions Picks & Odds
Families across the country will be treated to one of the best games of the NFL weekend on Thursday night. After enjoying a Thanksgiving feast all day, turn your attention back to football, as the San Francisco 49ers head across the country to play the Baltimore Ravens, in a battle of two top teams, and two coaching brothers.
Yes, this is the Harbaugh battle. John Harbaugh is the head man for the Ravens, and has enjoyed a solid run thus far in his career. His Ravens have been alternately excellent and disappointing this season though, and they need a big win like this at home to continue moving ahead.
Jim Harbaugh is the first year coach of the San Francisco 49ers, having departed from his position at Stanford after last season. He has given the team a huge dose of mojo and confidence, and they have ridden that all the way to a hugely impressive 9-1 record. So which Harbaugh, and which team, will win out on Thursday evening?
The Ravens are favored by 3 points over the 49ers at home. The over/under for the game is 38.5, a low total given the stoutness of these two defensive units. The 49ers are certainly the hotter team right now, having reeled off 9 straight wins on their way to the 2nd best record in the entire league.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have been up and down this year, but they have been up at home. They are 5-0 in Baltimore so far this season, giving them a big edge. Not only that, but they played at home last weekend and didn’t have to travel on the short week. The 49ers on the other hand had to disrupt an already tiny preparation window for a Thursday game by flying all the way across the country. That’s a major disadvantage.
For both of these reasons, as well as the fact that the 49ers simply won’t win out the rest of the way, take the Ravens to win this ball game. It will certainly be a close and hard fought game, but take them to cover the spread as well. It looks like we’ll be seeing both of these teams in January, and in this topsy-turvy NFL season, it’s not out of the question that we see one or both of them in February, perhaps for an all-Harbaugh Super Bowl rematch.
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Week 12 NFL Picks: Miami vs Dallas Predictions, Picks & Odds
On Thanksgiving Day, the Dallas Cowboys will take their usual spotlight with one of the day’s big games. Right now, the Cowboys have worked their way back into a tie for first place in the NFC East, and they have an easier road ahead of them. That means they are in a very good position right now as long as they can capitalize on games that they should win.
Both of these two teams will come into the game riding nice winning streaks. For the Dolphins, they have won their last three games, and those also happen to be the only games the team has won this year after starting 0-7. So they’re hot right now, but they’re still a last place team with a lot of flaws. Still, every week they are fighting for pride and respect, and they have been playing hard all along the way.
The Cowboys meanwhile have also won three games in a row, improving their record from 3-4 to 6-4, and working themselves into 1st place in the division. The New York Giants are right in the thick of the hardest part of their schedule, and they have been stumbling lately, losers of their last two in a row. That means the Cowboys are in an excellent spot to keep their momentum going and move into sole position of the divisional lead.
The key for the Cowboys has been the emergence of DeMarco Murray, who seemingly out of nowhere has turned himself into one of the best backs in the league. With his presence, it’s not on quarterback Tony Romo to do everything himself. As a result, he’s able to keep his mistakes down and rely on the rest of his offense more, and everybody improves by feeding off the balanced attack.
Looking at the point spread for the game, the Cowboys are 7 point favorites over the Dolphins. The over/under for the game is at 44.5 points, right in the middle of the typical range that you might expect to find.
Romo and Murray and the rest of the offensive weapons should be able to put up points without too much of a problem, even against an improved Dolphins defense. On the other side of the ball, DeMarcus Ware and company should be able to pressure Matt Moore into some costly mistakes. Take the Cowboys to win and cover the spread against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving.
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Week 12 NFL Picks, Predictions & Odds
Week 12 in the 2011 NFL season is Thanksgiving week. That means there’s three games on turkey day on Thursday, with a full slate of games following on the weekend. For a change, those Thanksgiving day games are actually pretty good too. Here’s a look at what to expect from all of the week 12 NFL match-ups.
Green Bay -6 At Detroit
The undefeated Packers roll into Detroit to play the Lions in the Thanksgiving day early game. It’s a huge game between two games, one of whom, the Packers, is clearly the best team in the league. They aren’t a lock to win this game though, the Lions are a talented team with a chip on their shoulder, playing at home on a short week, and the crowd will be rowdy.
At Dallas -7 Miami
The Cowboys will be favored by a touchdown when the Dolphins come into town for the second game of the day on Thanksgiving. The Dolphins are actually riding a three game winning streak right now, but the Cowboys have also seemingly turned the corner and are now tied for first place in the NFC East. Take the Cowboys to win at home and cover the spread.
At Baltimore -3 San Francisco
In what should shape up to be perhaps the best game of the day, it’s the battle of the Harbaughs, as coaches Jim and John lead their 49ers and Ravens, respectively, on the field against one another. Both of these two clubs are very good, although the Ravens have been more up and down. The 49ers have to travel a very long way on a short week though, and if nothing else, that and the home Baltimore crowd gives them an edge here, so take the Ravens.
At St. Louis -3 Arizona
The struggling Rams host the struggling Cardinals on Sunday, and both of these teams are beaten up by injuries and also simply falling short of expectations. The Rams are playing at home, but the Cardinals have had some better moments and signs this season, so take Arizona to pull out the upset win.
At NY Jets -8 Buffalo
Both the Jets and the Bills have fallen off the map in the AFC East. Both teams are in need of a major win if they want to stay in the race to win a Wild Card berth, let alone the division. The Jets certainly are touted as the better of the two teams, but eight points seems a bit wide, even if the Bills have been inept. Take the Bills to beat the spread.
At Cincinnati -7.5 Cleveland
The Bengals are big favorites over their division and state rivals, the Browns. Cincinnati is coming off two close losses to the Steelers and the Ravens, so they need a win to get back on track. Andy Dalton and company will get the job done and beat the Browns, but will they win by more than a touchdown?
Houston -3 At Jacksonville
The Houston Texans are favorites on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, even with their star starting quarterback out for the season. That says a lot, and this Texans team finally has some real confidence and momentum behind them. The Jaguars won’t have enough to turn them back, and the Texans will get the road win and cover.
Carolina -3.5 At Indianapolis
This is going to be one of the best last hopes for the Colts to win a game this season. They are playing at home with a rookie quarterback and a bad team coming to town. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis will have to harass Newton into some mistakes and give Indy a chance to finally get in the W column. Take the Colts for a big upset win.
At Tennessee -3 Tampa Bay
The Titans welcome the struggling Buccaneers into town. Both of these teams have dwindling playoff chances, so which one is going to make a stand? The Buccaneers definitely seem the worse for the wear, losers of 4 straight, and Chris Johnson has been rebounding a bit, so take the Titans to win and cover at home.
At Atlanta -9.5 Minnesota
The Falcons are very big favorites over the incoming Minnesota Vikings, a 2-8 team with a rookie quarterback, so that shouldn’t be too surprising. The Falcons haven’t exactly been dominant this year though, in fact, they’ve been very up and down. You should take Atlanta to win but the Vikings beating the spread which has been set too high is also a smart call.
At Oakland -4.5 Chicago
The Raiders will be favored over the Bears on Sunday. More important than home field advantage is the fact that Chicago will now be playing without Jay Cutler. However, the Bears are still in the thick of a playoff chase, and they still have Matt Forte, Brian Urlacher and company. Take Chicago to pull off the upset road win and keep themselves in the running even without their QB.
At Seattle -4 Washington
The Seattle Seahawks will look to take full advantage of a loud home town crowd when the Washington Redskins take the field against them on Sunday. The Redskins are in the midst of a dismal 0-6 stretch. Playing the Seahawks should be a winnable game for them, but they’re too mired in self-destruction right now. Take the Seahawks at home, although it could come down to a late field goal, in which case you can take the Skins to beat the spread.
New England -3.5 At Philadelphia
The Patriots will be favorites as they head into Philly to play the 4-6 Dream Team, which still has a slim hope of emerging as a playoff team. The Patriots are rolling right now though, and don’t want to give the Jets any space to begin catching up. The Patriots will beat down the Eagles, and cover the spread with ease, hopefully ending all of the Eagles to the playoffs talk permanently.
At San Diego -6.5 Denver
The Chargers are favored by almost a touchdown over the Broncos, but it’s hard to see why. The Chargers have lost their last 5 games, while the Broncos have won their last three games. Taking the Broncos to beat the spread looks like a smart move, and you may want to take them to get the win outright as well.
Pittsburgh -10 At Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs just laid a major egg against the New England Patriots. Now they get the Steelers, although at least they get to play at home this time. It won’t make any difference. Take the Steelers to win and cover the spread.
At New Orleans -7 NY Giants
The big Monday night game of the weekend has the Saints hosting the Giants. New York is reeling off a bad loss to the Eagles, while the Saints should be rested coming off of their bye week. The Saints would certainly appear to have the edge in this game, so take them to win, but take the Giants to beat the spread and keep it close as my top NFL pick for week 12.
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Monday Night Football: Kansas City vs New England Predictions, Picks & Odds
On Monday night this week, the Kansas City Chiefs will take to the road to meet the New England Patriots. On paper, it’s certainly a mismatch, and not the kind of marquee match you might hope for in a primetime slot. But that’s why you play the games, because anything could happen in the NFL. Here’s a look at what you can expect with the Chiefs vs. Patriots Monday night game in week 11.
The Patriots stopped the bleeding last week and got a big road win over rivals and division opponents, the New York Jets. Prior to that win, they had lost two games in a row, and they weren’t about to let that streak continue to three games in a row. So they dug in a got a big win they needed, and now they are sitting in first place in the AFC East yet again, right where they want to be at this point in the season.
The Chiefs have been all over the map this season, going on widely divergent streaks and looking like completely different teams from one point to another. They opened the season and looked absolutely awful, losing three games by huge margins. Then, when everybody wrote them off, they put together a four game winning streak to get back to a winning record.
Once they did that, people were beginning to believe in them again, and so what do they do? They lose two games in a row in ugly fashion to fall to a 4-5 record. Of course, it’s never over for any team in the weak AFC West. The division leading Raiders have just a 5-4 record, and the Chiefs are tied with the other remaining teams, the Broncos and the Chargers, for second place.
So while they seem pretty bad right now, they still have an outside shot at the postseason. That slim shot though may be getting worse by the minute, because quarterback Matt Cassel is injured, and there is a chance that he misses the rest of the season, which would be a huge blow for the team and would likely sink their ship for good.
The Patriots are big 15 point favorites at home over the Chiefs on Monday night. It’s the widest point margin of the weekend, and with everything discussed above, it’s certainly fitting for the two teams and where they each are right now. The over/under for the game is at 48 points, one of the higher point totals, thanks largely to the Patriots and their dynamic offense.
New England is about as much of a shoo-in to win this game as you can get in the NFL. They’re at home, they’re confident right now, they still need the win, and they have more talent and a better team. So will they cover that huge point spread? You better believe that they will against this Chiefs team. My MNF prediction is a big, easy victory for the Patriots on Monday night.
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NFL Week 11 Picks: Philadelphia vs NY Giants Predictions & Odds
All of the NFC East teams are playing against each other in week 11, and the higher profile of the two match-ups will be Sunday night’s primetime game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. If you were polled in the beginning of the season, you certainly would not have guessed the records that these two clubs would have, and if anything, you might expect them to be opposite to what they are. But here we are, so will the G-Men be able to win at home over their hated, nearby rivals in week 11?
The New York Giants are in the midst of an extremely hard schedule. It began with a game in New England, which the Giants were able to pull out late and win. It continued last weekend on the road in San Francisco, where the Giants late comeback fell short and they suffered a close loss to the 49ers. Now they have their biggest rivals coming into town, before getting ready to face the Saints, Packers and Cowboys in the three games to follow.
That’s quite the lineup, and it means that the Giants have to stand their ground and win every game they can. Playing at home, against a team you already beat the season and who has since struggled even more, the Giants are looking at this game as one they need to win. And they do need to, not only with that schedule, but with the Cowboys breathing down their necks in second place and trying to catch them for the division lead.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have been a failure this season, bottom line. They’re now just 3-6, and coach Andy Reid’s job is in question right now. They continue to underperform, and last week they blew a lead to lose to the Arizona Cardinals at home. They’re all but out of the playoff race, and everything is one major headache for them. Worse, heading into this game Michael Vick has two broken ribs. While he’s likely to play, an injury like that would have to limit his mobility and make him more one-dimensional, something which should delight the Giants defensive line.
The Giants are 4 point favorites at home over the Philadelphia Eagles. The over/under is at 47 points, one of the higher point totals of the weekend as each of these teams can put points on the board.
People in New York feel like the Giants are getting looked over. They are at 6-3 and are in first place, but everyone talks about the Eagles, or the Cowboys. Everyone is expecting another late season collapse from them. And while that schedule won’t make it easy for the Giants to lock up the division, they aren’t going to just sit down and surrender. They would love nothing better than to kick their rivals while their down, and secure their position in the division in the process. That’s what they’ll do here against the struggling Philly squad, winning at home and covering the spread.
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