NFL picks and predictions never get easier, but we’ve reached the point of the 2019 season where some of the actual results are irrelevant. That’s the case for the handful of teams that have already turned their attention to next year’s draft before the final month of the season.
So while many might not care about who wins Chargers vs. Broncos, Buccaneers vs. Jaguars or Jets vs. Bengals, for example, those games still feature some tricky point spreads that complicate our picks.
Speaking of toss-up games between teams that likely won’t be factors come playoff time, the Bears opened as one-point road favorites over the Lions in Detroit’s traditional Thanksgiving game. With the Cowboys and Saints being solid favorites against their respective Thanksgiving opponents, the Bills and Falcons, we’re going chalk on our picks for the holiday.
Here are our Week 13 NFL picks straight up, all the way through the Monday night game in Seattle.
MORE NFL WEEK 13: Updated playoff picture | Power rankings
NFL picks, predictions for Week 13
Chicago Bears (-1) at Detroit Lions
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox
The Bears are desperate to remain a factor in the NFC playoff picture, and their dreadful offense shouldn’t be an issue this week against the Lions’ equally dreadful defense. On the other side of the ball, Detroit likely won’t have Matthew Stafford available to put pressure on Chicago’s defense. Khalil Mack and Co. will eat on this early Thanksgiving afternoon.
Pick: Bears 24, Lions 14
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
This is a matchup between playoff contenders that have played well against bad teams and not so well against good teams. Even back home in the warm, climate-controlled environment of AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys will have problems against the Bills’ defense, especially if Amari Cooper continues his struggles with Tre’Davious White lined up against him. Dak Prescott, though, will make more game-changing plays than Josh Allen will manage against Dallas’ quietly still-good defense.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Bills 21
New Orleans Saints (-7) at Atlanta Falcons
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
This game is about more than revenge for the Saints, who were upset at home by the Falcons a few weeks ago. New Orleans, against its most hated rival, has a chance to become the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season by virtue of winning the NFC South. The Saints are getting healthier, and their offense is clicking with rushing production and Drew Brees’ efficiency. They won’t lose to the Falcons twice this season.
Pick: Saints 30, Falcons 20
Cleveland Browns (-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Their meeting a couple weeks ago was posed as one of the biggest Browns-Steelers games in years, and yet the rematch (for obvious reasons) feels even bigger despite its getting flexed into an early Sunday afternoon kickoff time. For so many reasons, Cleveland should win this game and complete its season sweep of Pittsburgh. But the Steelers keep pulling off head-scratching wins thanks to astute coaching, and let’s not forget their defense gave Baker Mayfield and Co. fits for most of that Thursday night game. The lack of Myles Garrett, a non-factor in the Miami game, will hurt Cleveland against Pittsburgh.
Pick: Steelers 20, Browns 17
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens (-4 1/2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
The 49ers and Ravens are like the two Spiderman figures pointing at each other in that meme, both feeling great about themselves after their respecitve blowout wins in prime-time games last week. Baltimore, though, has to feel a little better considering how easy Lamar Jackson is making NFL football look. San Francisco has the best defensive front in the league, but QBs who can escape the rush have given the 49ers fits this season. Another factor working in the Ravens’ favor: This is a long road trip for the road team playing in an early Sunday afternoon window. Jackson will wake up the 49ers, but by then it will be too late.
Pick: Ravens 28, 49ers 24
Green Bay Packers (-7) at New York Giants
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Green Bay’s clunker in San Francisco last week could be a blessing in disguise, because otherwise, this tricky game in New York might have been overlooked by a team thinking about the NFC playoffs rather than its own issues. The Giants keep losing games but giving their opponents legitimate fights, and the Packers’ run defense will struggle at times against Saquon Barkley. New York’s struggling defense, though, won’t be able to hold off Green Bay long enough for anything on the other side of the ball to matter.
Pick: Packers 28, Giants 23
Philadelphia Eagles (-8 1/2) at Miami Dolphins
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
This is the first of a handful of games that present the Eagles, despite their struggles of late, a solid chance to stay in the NFC East and wild-card races. They draw the hapless Dolphins ahead of games against the equally hapless Giants and Redskins before that big Cowboys game in Week 16. It goes without saying that Philadelphia can’t afford to slip in Miami, and it won’t.
Pick: Eagles 27, Dolphins 13
Click Here: creed perfume saleWashington Redskins at Carolina Panthers (-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
While Carolina remains a factor in the NFC wild-card race (for now), its loss in New Orleans last week all but eliminated it from the division race. The Panthers, though, have plenty to play for if they want to save coach Ron Rivera’s job. On the heels of two straight maddening losses, they will take out their frustrations on the Redskins. Beyond Derrius Guice against Carolina’s struggling run defense, Washington doesn’t pose much of a threat to the home team. After all, the Redskins’ rush defense is even worse, which is good news for Christian McCaffrey fantasy owners.
Pick: Panthers 24, Redskins 10
New York Jets (-3 1/2) at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Jets are on fire, and even though the Bengals have been feisty in their last couple losses, there’s no reason to think the NFL’s worst team will slow New York’s roll. Hiding in the shadow of Sam Darnold’s strong play is a Jets defense that dominated its opponents of late. That unit will continue its own hot streak against the league’s second worst scoring offense.
Pick: Jets 27, Bengals 17
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
We’ve reached the AFC South toss-up game of the week. Naturally, when the Titans faced a divisional toss-up last week against the Jags, they blew out their division rival. In theory, considering the Colts are still without Marlon Mack and the Titans have Derrick Henry rolling, Tennessee should have an edge with the better rushing attack and, statistically, the better defense. In this division, with both teams looking to keep pace with the leading Texans, that might not matter. We’ll take the Titans and a pick with which we have zero confidence.
Pick: Titans 24, Colts 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars (-1 1/2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Much of this game will depend on the unpredictable play of quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Nick Foles, but the ground games will be a major factor, too. The Buccaneers will try their bad rushing attack against the Jaguars’ bad rushing defense. The Jaguars will try their good rushing attack against the Buccaneers’ good rushing defense. The winner will be the team that prevails in those matchups and also commits fewer turnovers. We can’t trust Jameis Winston with the latter.
Pick: Jaguars 24, Buccaneers 22
Los Angeles Rams (-4) at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
The laws of the NFL state that a team coming off an embarrassing loss typically bounces back the next week, and it doesn’t get much more embarrassing than what happened to the Rams on Monday night against the Ravens. Kyler Murray will give Los Angeles issues similar to those presented by Lamar Jackson, and Arizona is the fresher team coming off its bye. But top-to-bottom talent will win out in a game the Rams are desperate to win.
Pick: Rams 30, Cardinals 20
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-10)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The dream that is a Raiders playoff berth is alive, but in terms of the AFC West race, this matchup against the hungry Chiefs is bad timing for Oakland. Jon Gruden will have his team fired up after it was embarrassed in New York, and Oakland’s offense will give Kansas City fits. But the Chiefs are healthy coming out of their bye week, and the Raiders won’t have any answers for Patrick Mahomes.
Pick: Chiefs 35, Raiders 24
Los Angeles Chargers (-1) at Denver Broncos
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
This has the makings of an ugly, relatively pointless and frustrating-to-watch game for two teams that might be better off looking at the updated 2020 NFL Draft order rather than the 2019 NFL playoff picture. The Chargers’ defense is actually better than the Broncos’ unit, and somehow Philip Rivers will need to win the game with a last-minute drive. This time, he’ll succeed.
Pick: Chargers 20, Broncos 17
New England Patriots (-3) at Houston Texans
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
In some seasons, a game like this might be an upset alert, as the Patriots typically suffer a few losses that make observers doubt whether they’re true Super Bowl contenders. Yet New England is 10-1 thanks to its league-best scoring defense, a unit that is capable of containing MVP-caliber quarterbacks not named Lamar Jackson. Deshaun Watson will make his share of plays as usual; just not enough of them.
Pick: Patriots 23, Texans 20
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-3)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Week 13 ends with a dandy of a toss-up between NFC playoff contenders, and depending on what happens elsewhere in the NFL on Sunday, the winner of this game might have a chance to take a major leap in the playoff picture. The Seahawks have a couple advantages as the home team with the better quarterback, but the Vikings, healthier coming out of their bye week, have advantages virtually everywhere else. Dalvin Cook will frustrate Seattle’s defense, and Kirk Cousins will earn another prime-time win on the road.
Pick: Vikings 24, Seahawks 20