Week 13 spells trouble for many NFL teams, as seasons hinge on wins and losses. Will you take a risk, or take our advice and ride the winners? Your Best Picks Against the Spread (ATS) for NFL Predictions Week 13. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
TODD:
We combined to go 3-1 last week with our lone shortcoming being my shortcoming of expecting Pittsburgh to cover in Seattle. The Steelers came close but fell behind by too much. In addition, we picked two underdogs that won outright. I’m going to learn from that information and go completely in the opposite direction for Week 13, backing two heavy favorites.
Carolina Panthers -6.5 at New Orleans Saints
Cincinnati Bengals -7 at Cleveland Browns
It’s too bad we don’t coordinate parlays into our selections each week. I would love to push the lines for these two road favorites down. Nevertheless, I feel confident each will cover roughly a touchdown against highly inferior competition.
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Carolina is the only remaining undefeated team in football. What the Panthers did to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day should be considered a hate crime. Is there anyone who can stop this behemoth now? Cam Newton seems like the MVP favorite; the running game is superb; the defense is great.
It’s funny, the one thing that continues to hold back Carolina is the feeling that it is winning with smoke and mirrors. This stems from the team not having a bunch of fantasy football stars. Luckily, it has a bunch of actual football stars. Carolina has morphed into the bizarro-Atlanta. The latter has a ton of fantasy stars who aren’t producing victories for the team in real life.
Cincinnati is more in line with what folks expect out of a Super Bowl contender. The Bengals are really good and really talented on both sides of the ball. They also have elite fantasy players at every position from quarterback to tight end and defense, so the casual fans know what Cincy is all about.
As the saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The cats in this case, the Panthers and Bengals, are winning differently but both are winning. That will continue in Week 13.
Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) signals for a first down against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Carolina won 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
DAN:
Riding winners is just good gambling, I mean games of skill. Your picks are solid, as both the Bengals and Panthers are rolling right now. Giving up a touchdown in each is risky business however, so I’ve opted for two winning teams which split the bill. One gives points, the other gets points. Both teams are on a tear.
Arizona Cardinals -5.5 at St. Louis Rams
Houston Texans +3 at Buffalo Bills
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Arizona looks better and better each week, as they continue to dominate on both sides of the ball. I’ve been very impressed over their five game winning streak. Quite the opposite can be said about the St. Louis Rams. Four straight losses are bad, but the way St. Louis lost to Cincinnati last week is even worse. Case Keenum is still going through concussion protocols, and no one wants Nick Foles to retake the starting quarterback position.
If the Rams were unable to stop the Bengals passing attack, I see no reason to think they can put a stop to what Carson Palmer and the Cardinals have to offer. Arizona wins by more than a touchdown, so giving less than six points is a no brainer.
As for Houston versus Buffalo, someone obviously believes these two teams are even. The truth is, they’re trending in opposite directions. The Bills are still trotting out an injured quarterback on a weekly basis, and its unlikely Tyrod Taylor is back to full health by Sunday. The Texans are still demolishing quarterbacks on a weekly basis, making opposing offenses look silly.
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This pick comes down to who’s a better team right now. Buffalo is riding a two game losing streak, with injuries mounting. Houston has won four straight and five of six, with the AFC South division title now in play. In three of their four straight victories the Texans held their opponents to six points. Houston is getting a field goal in this game. Take the points.
Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at College Sports Madness, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.