Another week and, unfortunately, another couple of losses to add to the record in this frustrating season of NFL picks. That said, there was some solace in backing the team with the worst record in the league to come within a touchdown and PAT of their AFC North rivals.
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Last week saw many surprise outings, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bouncing back to flatten the Atlanta Falcons 35-22, as well as my correct call of the Cincinnati Bengals coming within six points of the Pittsburgh Steelers in their loss. The Cleveland Browns offense finally put up the points expected of the unit after a star-powered offseason of acquisitions, but it was only against the Miami Dolphins, while Ryan Tannehill pushed former starting quarterback Marcus Mariota further out of the door with two passing touchdowns, over 250 yards, zero interceptions, and two rushing touchdowns of his own en route to decimating the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL Week 13 Best Bets
(Thursday-Monday, November 28 – December 2)
Pro Bowl Fan Voting Update: Michael Thomas leads wide receiver group
Story: https://t.co/SCdWQUpk4c pic.twitter.com/KAa79fQFgr
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 26, 2019
New Orleans Saints -6.5 at Atlanta Falcons
The New Orleans Saints continue to prove their credentials as a potential Super Bowl contender, with the only blemishes on their record thus far being a 9-27 loss at the Los Angeles Rams when Drew Bress went down with an injury, and the shocking defeat to the Falcons in Week 10 coming out of the bye. On that day, Bress and his offensive line were overwhelmed, leading to the veteran QB being sacked six times – half as many as had been allowed through the first eight games on Brees or Teddy Bridgewater.
The offensive line appears to have gotten its act together in the weeks since, stopping any sack from occurring against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and limiting the second-most sack-happy team, the Carolina Panthers, to just two last week. The fact that through 11 games the Falcons have only accumulated 18 sacks speaks volumes of how the Week 10 9-26 Falcons victory at the Superdome was a well-devised anomaly.
With the Falcons struggling at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and Brees being back on the warpath with Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas in tow, it’s tough to side against the Saints winning by seven points or more. The spread sees both sides at -110 on the flip sides of the handicap, so those expecting some similar resistance from the Falcons may want to back them at the +6.5.
New York Jets -3.5 at Cincinnati Bengals
This is the first time in franchise history the New York Jets have had a lead of at least 30 points in consecutive games.
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/dQo7WPbTZ9
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 24, 2019
Most likely a combination of the Cincinnati Bengals coming within seven points of their conquerors in six of their 11 losses and the Jets enduring a torrid start to the season, the odds at NFL betting sites in the UK are leaning towards another close game here with the +3.5 Bengals at -115 to the -3.5 Jets at -105. But with Le’Veon Bell’s gamble showing dividends with the Jets in recent weeks, New York looks set to climb to a four-game winning streak on Sunday.
Over the last three weeks, since losing to the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, the New York Jets have been out to prove that they’re not as bad as the other basement dwellers. Strangely enough, the Jets scored exactly 34 points against the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Oakland Raiders, allowing 27, 17, and three points, respectively, in those contests. While Sam Darnold has been connecting well in recent weeks while jogging in a few scores of his own, Le’Veon Bell has been the star of the show. Bell has sealed 268 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns during the Jets’ three-game win streak.
The Cincinnati Bengals are still pretty banged up, as are the Jets, and with the Ryan Finley experiment failing through the last three games, they’ll be going back to Andy Dalton under center. The Bengals offense will be more dangerous with the veteran starting, especially as the rookie failed to land over 200 yards in his three-game stint, but the Jets’ defense has been a menace to more high-powered offenses in the last few weeks. If the Jets stay in their groove, they could dismantle the Bengals by a decent margin.
Seattle Seahawks -3.0 vs. Minnesota Vikings
.@Seahawks QB @DangeRussWilson closing in on yet another NFL record. #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/picJQWv3TW
— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) November 25, 2019
Coming to CenturyLink Field is a tough ask for any team, but in recent seasons, it has been especially daunting for the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings haven’t won on Seattle turf since 2006, losing in 2012, 2013, and last season to the tune of 21-7. In fact, Minnesota has gone without a win against the Seahawks in each of their last five meetings. On Monday Night Football, the Vikings leave the safety of their fortress, the U.S. Bank Stadium, and carry a 3-3 road record to Seattle.
An aspect that will be preying on the minds of the Seahawks, however, will be that their only two losses of the season have come at their notoriously noisy stadium. In equal measure, those two losses came against the New Orleans Saints and the gung-ho Baltimore Ravens, while the Vikings’ road losses have come at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, the Dalvin Cook-smothering Chicago Bears, and a Matt Moore-led Kansas City Chiefs.
The Seahawks give up precious few yards to running backs, allowing the seventh-fewest rushing yards, and while they rank 19th in receiving yards allowed against running backs, they’ve only allowed one such receiving touchdown to a back. They do allow many passing yards, as do the Vikings, so if it comes down to a duel between Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins in Seattle, it’d be tough to see the road team coming out on top. Both teams come in at -110 either side of the 3.0 spread, and despite Minnesota coming out of their bye, this should be another step towards a playoff place for the Seahawks.
Let’s see if the Saints, Jets, and Seahawks can pull off some timely wins in Week 13 of the NFL!
Check out the latest NFL Week 13 betting lines.
