We’re already into the final third of the 2014 NFL season and we’re glad to report that we can finally write this piece with all 32 teams having at least one win under their belt as the Oakland Raiders finally barged into the win column with their shock four-point win over Kansas City last Thursday.
Can Oakland produce another upset in Week 13 with their clash against the Minnesota Vikings? That game is part of a packed 16-game schedule which includes a marquee matchup between NFC West rivals St. Louis and San Francisco and the top-of-the-table showdown between streaking teams Green Bay and New England. Read on below for our complete Week 13 predictions as we gear up for the final homestretch of this exciting NFL season.
[sc:Football ]Complete NFL Week 13 Picks
Thursday, November 27
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions (12:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Lions -7
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Chicago Bears kept its flickering playoff hopes alive with a 21-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field on Sunday, their second win at home in as many games. Trailing 10-0 at the halftime break, the Bears scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to grab the vital victory and stay within three games of the Packers for the NFC North lead.
They will have a fight in their hands, though, this coming Thursday as they face a Detroit Lions team that is desperate to break their own losing streak. The Lions’ playoff pedigree has been put into question after losing to a division leader for the second consecutive game – this time to the New England Patriots. They were annihilated 34-9 as they failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game.
They will fancy their chances of ending that dry spell, though, against the Bears. Chicago has already allowed 33 touchdowns this season, fourth-most in the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys (4:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Cowboys -3
Tony Romo was clutch once again as he threw the game-winning 13-yard pass with a minute remaining in the game clock to give the Cowboys the all-important 31-28 victory over the New York Giants. Romo was brilliant the entire game as he completed 18 of 26 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns with no interception, the fourth time he has achieved such a stat line in his career.
That sets it up nicely for their top-of-the-table clash with the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Sunday. The Eagles erased the bitter taste of their defeat last week to the New England Patriots by thrashing the Tennessee Titans 43-24. LeSean McCoy starred for the Eagles as he rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown to power Philadelphia to their eighth win of the season and into a tie with Dallas at the top of the NFC East.
Winning the ground game will not be that easy, though, for the Eagles this coming Sunday as they will face a Dallas side that boasts the best running back in the league today. DeMarco Murray rushed for 121 yards on 24 carries against the Giants on Sunday to stretch his 100-yard game tally for the season to 10.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Seahawks (pk)
Seattle’s title retention bid is back on track after a convincing 19-3 win over NFC West leaders Arizona on Sunday. Seattle flexed its muscles on the defensive end once again as they limited the Cardinals to just three points, the fewest they have allowed all season.
Keeping in pace with them, though, at 7-4 are the San Francisco 49ers. Their much-maligned offense finally scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in their 17-13 win over the Washington Redskins to help propel the 49ers to third straight victory. Even though they will be facing the defending Super Bowl champions, the 49ers will fancy their chances of grabbing the pivotal victory. They are 5-0 SU in their last five meetings with the Seahawks at San Francisco.
Sunday, November 30
Washington Redskins vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Colts (-10)
The Indianapolis Colts erased the bitter taste of their defeat to the New England Patriots with a comprehensive 23-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. Ty Hilton was the star of the show for the Colts as he caught four passes for 122 yards and a touchdown to top the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season.
He will have the going much harder against the Redskins, though, this coming Sunday. Washington is eighth in passing defense with opponents averaging just 230.3 yards per game against them this season.
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Texans (-7)
The Titans’ losing woes continued on Sunday as they were trounced by the Philadelphia Eagles 43-24 to stumble to their fifth defeat in a row. Zach Mettenberger passed for a franchise rookie-record 345 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans who were once again let down by an inefficient running game.
The Titans rushed for a total of just 52 yards, driving their season average down to 88.8 yards per game, fifth-worst in the NFL. It won’t get any easier for them this coming Sunday, though, as they will face a Texans team that allowed just 36 rushing yards in their first encounter last October 26.
Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Browns +2.5
Buffalo stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot after thrashing the New York Jets 38-3 in a rescheduled game on Monday. Kyle Orton completed 24 of 32 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns to send the Bills into a tie for second in the AFC East. Orton has been excellent the last four games, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Bills will have a fight in their hands, though, when they face the Cleveland Browns next. Josh Gordon made a triumphant return Sunday after serving a 10-match ban for violating the league’s drug policy, catching eight passes for 120 yards. He was a thorn to the Bills’ side last season as he had four receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown in Cleveland’s 37-24 win.
San Diego Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Ravens -6
The Baltimore Ravens remained in the thick of the playoff race after a thrilling 34-27 win over the New Orleans Saints Monday night. Justin Forsett ran roughshod over the Saints’ defensive line, rushing for a career-high 182 yards and two touchdowns to send the Ravens in a three-way logjam at second at 7-4 in the congested AFC North division.
They will look to extend their win streak to three games when they face a suddenly rejuvenated San Diego side. Philip Rivers went 29 of 35 for 291 yards to lead the Chargers to a narrow 27-24 win over the St. Louis Rams. Ryan Matthews made his presence felt as well as he gained 105 yards on 12 carries.
New York Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Giants -2.5
The Giants’ horror season just keeps on getting worse as they suffered a heart-breaking 31-28 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. Not even a spectacular Odell Beckham touchdown catch was enough for the Giants who lost for the sixth consecutive time. They will look to end their losing rut against a Jaguars team that has also seen its fair share of losses this past couple of seasons.
The Jaguars stumbled to their 10th defeat of the season with a 23-3 humiliation at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars were just hapless against the Colts as they set season-lows in points (3), passing yards (114) and completions (14). Their total offense mark of 194 yards was also their second-lowest output of the season.
They will look for a much better offensive performance against the Giants that are second-worst in the NFL in the total defense department with opponents averaging 396.5 YPG against them.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Bengals -4
Andy Dalton and A.J. Green made sure that momentum from last week’s stunning road win against the Saints wouldn’t be lost as they powered the Bengals to their second consecutive victory with a 22-13 win over the Houston Texans.
Dalton completed 24 of 35 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown while Green finished with a career-high 12 receptions for 121 yards as they remained half a game ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns in the congested AFC North race.
They will look to wreak havoc once again against a Tampa Bay team that has allowed 21 passing touchdowns this season, fifth-worst in the entire league.
Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Raiders +7
All is right in the city of Oakland once again as they finally snapped their 16-game losing streak with a stunning 24-20 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Derek Carr led the Raiders to the improbable victory with 234 yards on 20-of-36 passing and two touchdowns.
They will look to grab their second victory in a row when they travel to St. Louis to face the Rams who are fresh off a heart-breaking 27-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers. The Raiders have been reliable against the spread this season on the road, going 4-1 in their recent travels.
New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Steelers -4
The New Orleans Saints are in deep deep trouble after they lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday to finish their home stand with an atrocious 0-3 record. Surprisingly, though, the Saints are still in first place in a weak NFC South division with a 4-7 slate. They will look for a much better performance on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming Sunday, though, it will be easier said than done with Roethlisberger being on fire recently at Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger threw six touchdown passes in each of the Steelers’ last two games in Pittsburgh, giving him 18 touchdowns, one pick and an incredible 130.5 passer rating at home.
Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Vikings -3
Carolina’s bye week couldn’t have come at a much opportune time after they lost to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11 for their fifth defeat in a row. The root of the Panthers’ problems during this losing rut has been their lack of offensive production. In their last five losses, they have averaged just 14.8 points per ballgame.
With that being said, they can get their season back on track this coming Sunday against the Vikings, who have been struggling all season long. The Vikings have lost five of their last seven outings, including a 24-21 squeaker at the hands of rivals Green Bay on Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons (4:05 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Cardinals -2.5
The Arizona Cardinals were sent crashing back to earth on Sunday as they were dealt a 19-3 humiliation by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to snap their six-game winning streak. Drew Stanton struggled in his second start since replacing the injured Carson Palmer, completing just 14 of 26 passes for 149 yards with no touchdown and one interception.
The good news for the Cardinals, though, is that they are still two games ahead of the 49ers and the Seahawks at the top of the NFC West. Even better news for them is that they will next face a Falcons squad that is worst in the league in total defense, allowing 409.1 yards per game this season.
New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Packers -3
There’s just no stopping the New England Patriots right now after they crushed the Detroit Lions 34-9 on Sunday to grab their seventh consecutive victory. LeGarrette Blount made an immediate impact in his return to his former club as he rushed for 78 yards and two short scores to give the Patriots a three-game lead atop the AFC East.
They will face their toughest test yet, though, this coming Sunday as they face one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now in the Green Bay Packers. The Packers rolled to their third straight win Sunday with a narrow 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings to wrest the solo lead in the NFC North.
That distinction however won’t faze the Patriots one bit. They have faced six teams this season that were division leaders or co-leaders at the time of their meeting. The Patriots have won all of those games by an average of 22.2 points.
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Chiefs +1.5
Peyton Manning made sure that there will be no repeat of his sub-par outing last week against the Rams as he led the Denver Broncos to a thrilling 39-36 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Manning torched the Dolphins for 257 yards and four touchdowns as he became the third player in NFL history with touchdown passes in 50 consecutive games.
He will have his work cut out for him, though, this coming Sunday when he faces the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City opponents have managed to pass for an average of 198.9 yards per game this season, the lowest mark in the entire NFL. The Chiefs are desperate for a pick-me-up win after their stunning defeat to the then-winless Oakland Raiders last Thursday night.
Monday, December 1
Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Dolphins -6
Miami’s poor record in close games this season continued last Sunday when they suffered a 39-36 defeat to the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins are now 0-3 in games decided by four or fewer points. They will fancy their chances of grabbing the victory this coming Monday against a hapless Jets side that was thrashed by the Bills by 35 points.
Expected to start for the Jets once again is Geno Smith who impressed as a substitute in their last game against Buffalo, going 10-of-12 for 89 yards.
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