NFL picks and score predictions for Week 13 as the final few weeks of season come into view.
Only a few weeks remain in what has been a wild 2020 NFL season. Based on what we’ve seen through the first 12 weeks, it’s safe to assume the last month will have us on the edges of our seats. For now, though, we’re ready to deliver our weekly NFL picks!
As always, we’ve got you covered with the Week 13 edition of NFL picks and score predictions. Now I’ll never claim that these are going to be 100 percent on point. In fact, there’s a very good chance at least a few of my picks will go completely awry. I will, however, make my selections based on research, experience, and careful consideration.
I don’t want to seem too optimistic, but things took a positive turn in Week 12. After a couple of close calls, I managed to put together a 10-5 record with my Week 12 NFL picks. That improves my overall record on the season to 107-69-1, which honestly could be a whole lot worse considering how unpredictable 2020 has been.
Just remember that making picks is not a science. As much research goes into it, anything can happen on any given Sunday. Isn’t that part of why we watch football in the first place?
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, here are my NFL picks and score predictions for Week 13. Just keep in mind that I assume no responsibility if you choose to place wagers based on my picks — that’s your decision, not mine.
Week 13 Byes: Carolina Panthers (4-8), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
Cleveland Browns (8-3) at Tennessee Titans (8-3)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
I’m sorry, but I’m not buying the Cleveland Browns hype at all. Of their eight wins, only one came against quality competition. Of their three losses (all against quality competition), they scored a total of 19 points while giving up 94 points. Yikes.
As for the Tennessee Titans, their resume is far more impressive. They’ve beat five teams that still have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs, and nearly toppled the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. Their offense is exceptional between Ryan Tannehill’s consistent production and Derrick Henry‘s dominance on the ground game. The defense is alright but has gotten better as of late.
The only way I see the Browns winning this one is if they can get the ground game going and force the Titans into a few turnovers. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening as Tennessee is arguably the best team in the league right now at protecting the football.
Henry has another big day on the ground, moving that much closer to locking up his second-straight season as the league’s rushing champ. Tannehill throws a touchdown or two and Baker Mayfield makes too many mistakes for the Browns to overcome. Titans cruise to the win.
Prediction: Titans win 41-23
Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) at New York Jets (0-11)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
The Las Vegas Raiders need a bounce-back win in the worst of ways. After their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, the Raiders simply can’t afford to drop another game against a beatable opponent and remain in the playoff hunt.
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Luckily for them, they pulled a Week 13 showdown with the winless New York Jets, a team that seems determined to become only the third team to ever finish a season at 0-16. Their play on both sides of the ball is shamefull, and the offense continues to suffer from awful quarterback play.
Expect more of the same from the Jets on Sunday, with Gang Green struggling to get much going on the scoreboard. Especially with something to prove, the Raiders come out firing on all cylinders, pounding the Jets into submission with a barrage of touchdowns that temporarily convinces the rest of the league they’re for real.
Then again, beating on an 0-11 team isn’t all that impressive. More importantly, it’s a moral victory for Las Vegas as they look to keep their slimming playoff hopes alive as we near the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.
Prediction: Raiders win 34-10
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) at Minnesota Vikings (5-6)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
It seems crazy considering how poorly the Minnesota Vikings’ 2020 season started, but they’re actually only a game out of the NFC playoff picture. That’s why they simply can’t afford any more slip ups against poor competition like we saw in Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys.
While there’s always the threat of suffering a loss against a spoiler, I believe the Vikings will come prepared in Week 13. They’ve shown themselves more than capable of putting up big points and making a defensive stop or two in recent weeks and should be able to get the job done against an awful Jacksonville Jaguars club.
With that said, Minnesota can’t assume they see the worst from the Jaguars. Despite their 1-10 record, they’ve lost three of their last four games by four points or less. The Vikings need to step up their run defense to slow down rookie James Robinson, and Mike Glennon played well when he took over as the starting quarterback in Week 12.
Still, the Vikings have the edge in terms of talent and coaching. Kirk Cousins should get going early against the Jaguars’ suspect pass defense, and Dalvin Cook may get his impressive campaign as well. Minnesota gets the win, but it’s a little too close for comfort.
Prediction: Vikings win 26-23
Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) at Miami Dolphins (7-4)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
Realistically, the 2020 campaign could have gone either way for both of these clubs. While that may have been the case back in September, they’ve since evolved into completely different seasons for the AFC squads, with the Miami Dolphins emerging as the potential contenders.
Without Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals have no offense. This past weekend, Cincinnati couldn’t get anything going, with Brandon Allen struggling to do much outside of the lone touchdown he threw. The running game also faltered, playing a large part in the team’s defeat at the hands of the New York Giants.
The Giants have a porous defense. The Dolphins do not. That’s why I’m extremely confident in my pick of Miami in this one. The home team should run away with it, putting immense pressure on Allen, creating turnovers with ease and turning them into points.
It’s been a long season for the Bengals, and it got even longer when Burrow went down. In Week 13, they’ll just be looking to survive another lopsided matchup that seems destined to end in the Dolphins’ favor by a wide margin.
Prediction: Dolphins win 28-13
Indianapolis Colts (7-4) at Houston Texans (4-7)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
The Indianapolis Colts need to get their act together in the worst of ways. It’s not that they’re losing a bunch — it’s that they can’t seem to find any sort of consistency. In the prior two weeks, they’ve beat two contenders. Then, they laid an egg against the Titans this past Sunday.
Now it’s time for them to prove they can look like a winning team for more than a week or two at a time. That’ll start with taking down the Houston Texans in Week 13. It should be another competitive AFC South showdown, especially given the fact that the Texans have been much stronger down the stretch.
Can the Colts defense step up and look like the elite squad it appeared to be earlier in the year? They’ve excelled at slowing the pass, but got blasted by Derrick Henry in Week 12. Luckily for them, the Texans aren’t exactly known for having a top-tier ground game. With that said, Deshaun Watson has come into form in recent weeks and will be looking to light it up.
I’m predicting the Colts get a close win, with their defense stepping up in the waning minutes to keep Watson and Co. from stealing this game. Philip Rivers doesn’t make too many mistakes, and Indianapolis rides its own rushing attack to a victory it desperately needs right now.
Prediction: Colts win 32-27
Detroit Lions (4-7) at Chicago Bears (5-6)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
Let’s be honest — there isn’t much reason to root for either of these teams right now. Both have been awful as of late, with the Chicago Bears riding a five-game losing streak while the Detroit Lions have suffered ugly defeats in back-to-back weeks.
Still, one of them has to win this game and my purpose of being here is predicting said win. In hopes of achieving that task, I’m picking the Bears to emerge victorious from a messy matchup between two NFC North clubs desperately clinging to any sort of relevance as the end of the 2020 campaign nears.
Why? My main reason is the Bears’ defense, which has been markedly better than the Lions’ this season. They’ve gotten after quarterbacks well and created turnovers, but haven’t gotten much help from Chicago’s inept offense. While the Lions are slightly better at putting consistent points on the board, the Bears D should be up to the challenge.
In what could very well be a low-scoring affair, the Bears get the win as Matthew Stafford throws a costly interception on the Lions’ final drive. Mitchell Trubisky (or whoever starts for Chicago) creates just enough offense to get the win, but it’s far from an impressive one.
Prediction: Bears win 16-14
New Orleans Saints (9-2) at Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
Sunday, December 6, 1PM ET
On the surface, I want to hate this matchup for the New Orleans Saints. I’m still not convinced Taysom Hill can be a starting quarterback, evidenced by the less-than-impressive passing numbers he put up in Week 12 against the Broncos.
Then, I have to stop and consider what Hill already did to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. During that matchup, he was a nightmare for the Atlanta defense, throwing for 233 yards and rushing for another 49 yards and two touchdowns. The touchdown throws may not be there, but his style of play was obviously effective against the Falcons’ weak defense.
With that said, I’m still concerned. Atlanta wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Hill two weeks ago but will come prepared on Sunday. Will they find a way to slow him down and limit his Tim Tebow mimicry long enough to avoid another beating? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
I’d like to think Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense could muster enough points to outscore Hill, but this New Orleans defense is stingy. This is one of my least confident picks, but I’m still going with the Saints to take down the Falcons for the second time in three weeks.
Prediction: Saints win 28-20
New York Giants (4-7) at Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
Sunday, December 6, 4:05PM ET
The NFC East has been a hot mess this season, evidenced by the fact that the 4-7 New York Giants are currently atop the division as we head into Week 13. So it’s bad luck for the current divisional leaders that they’ve pulled a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Now that’s not to say the Seahawks are unstoppable. As great as they’ve been at times in 2020, they’ve also put together some seriously sloppy performances. The defense has been better as of late but is still flirting with historically bad numbers. Russell Wilson has also cooled down but we know he’s capable of lighting it up on any given Sunday.
While the Seattle defense has been awful this season, so has the Giants offense. It’s currently ranked 28th in the NFL and Daniel Jones being hobbled by a hamstring injury won’t help. Even if the Giants do find some semblance of productivity on Sunday, I don’t think it’ll be enough to match Wilson score for score.
Chances are, even with a loss, the Giants will lead the division after Week 13. As sad as that is, it’s no surprise considering how the rest of 2020 has gone so far. Meanwhile, the Seahawks maintain their lead in the NFC West and continue to stay within striking distance of a first-round bye.
Prediction: Seahawks win 29-23
Los Angeles Rams (7-4) at Arizona Cardinals (6-5)
Sunday, December 6, 4:05PM ET
We all knew the NFC West was going to be an interesting race this season, and it’s turned out to be exactly that. We’re a few weeks away from the start of the playoffs, and every single team is in position to make a run at a postseason berth.
That obviously includes the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, both of which have plenty to gain a loss in Week 13. For the Rams, they simply need to prove they can string together quality performances. Jared Goff has been bipolar this season, and him failing to show up could cost Los Angeles much more than just a win.
As for the Cardinals, they’ve also had a similar bipolar approach to the 2020 campaign. Kyler Murray has been lights out, but the offense has turned the ball over far too much on a number of occasions. It also doesn’t help that the Arizona defense isn’t exactly a showstopper, whereas the Rams defense is currently ranked second in the league.
Honestly, I think this all comes down to which Goff shows up. If the Rams get the star we’ve seen at times, they’ll take the Cardinals down without too much trouble. If we see the Goff of last week, Los Angeles may soon see themselves fall into third place in the division.
Prediction: Rams win 33-27
New England Patriots (5-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-8)
Sunday, December 6, 4:25PM ET
Right now, it is so hard to trust either of these clubs. Both have lost too many games they should have won this year. While that may be the case, the New England Patriots look like the much stronger squad heading into Week 13.
That’s not to say the Los Angeles Chargers are a pushover team. In fact, I still believe they’re much better than their overall record would indicate. Unfortunately, they seem to be incapable of coming up with big plays (on either side of the ball) in the clutch. It’s become a theme of sorts for this franchise, as I’m sure fans can attest to.
More than likely, they’ll pull off something similar against the Patriots. Justin Herbert will have another outstanding game, but the Los Angeles defense will crumble under the pressure of yet another close battle. Cam Newton will get the ball back with a minute or two remaining, and the Chargers will yield a game-winning touchdown to New England.
It’s the same old story for Los Angeles and another difficult victory for the Patriots. In the end, though, it doesn’t matter how the wins come — all that’s important is that another notch in the loss column has been avoided.
Prediction: Patriots win 20-17
Philadelphia Eagles (3-7-1) at Green Bay Packers (8-3)
Sunday, December 6, 4:25PM ET
The Philadelphia Eagles’ relevance was nice while it lasted, right? Earlier in the year, it appeared they could run away with the NFC East, despite its overall ineptitude compared to the rest of the league. Well, that no longer appears to be the case.
Instead, Carson Wentz’s struggles have been indicative of the direction this franchise is currently headed. The former MVP candidate clearly lacks confidence and blocking, which is costing his club dearly on game day. The offense is a mess, the defense isn’t much better, and the overall outlook for this team seems to dip on a weekly basis.
Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers are rolling. They just dolled out a shellacking to the Bears, and have a firm grip on the divisional crown. As long as the wins keep coming, they could even get a shot at the lone first-round bye in the NFC, especially with the Saints missing Drew Brees under center.
This Packers squad is looking about as complete as any in the NFC, as Aaron Rodgers is playing at an MVP-caliber level while the Green Bay defense is quietly performing among the best groups in the NFL. As long as an injury or COVID bug doesn’t hit the Packers, they’re well on their way to one of the top seeds in the NFC.
Prediction: Packers win 36-16
Denver Broncos (4-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
Sunday, December 6, 8:20PM ET
Can you believe how pitiful the Denver Broncos’ effort was in Week 12? Yes, I know it’s difficult to compete without a capable quarterback available. Still, it’s a bit baffling to see an NFL team lose all four of its quarterbacks and then force a wide receiver to start under center.
The results were embarrassing, as emergency signal caller Kendall Hinton completed only one of his nine throws for 13 yards and two touchdowns (still, props to him for stepping up). Now we shouldn’t be expecting another performance like that, as the Broncos should have at least a couple of their regular quarterbacks ready for Week 13.
Unfortunately, it won’t matter. Even with Drew Lock back under center, the Broncos will be bested by the Kansas City Chiefs. The latter is among the top teams in the league right now, as Patrick Mahomes continues to convince watchers of his Hall of Fame-type potential.
The Denver defense does its best to keep this close, but the Chiefs pull away as their offense is far too dangerous. No matter who’s under center, the Broncos won’t muster enough points as the turnovers, sacks, etc. pile up.
Prediction: Chiefs win 37-14
Washington Football Team (4-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0)
Monday, December 7, 5PM ET
All things considered, the Washington Football Team hasn’t been all that bad in 2020. Sure, their offense is inept at times and they’ve battled through far too many injuries. But they’ve tackled the adversity head on and look to be headed in the right direction with Ron Rivera at the helm.
Unfortunately, that isn’t going to be enough to get them a win in Week 12. They face off against the currently undefeated (Week 12 results pending) Pittsburgh Steelers, who have bowled their way over most competition in 2020. There’s just no way I see Washington coming out on top in this lopsided tilt.
It’s already bad enough that D.C. can’t seem to muster significant offense on a regular basis. Now, they go up against one of the NFL’s elite defenses. Pittsburgh has given opposing offensive coordinators nightmares all year long, and I’d expect more of the same in Week 13.
Washington will do its best to make this a competitive game. In the end, though, the Steelers are the far superior team, and we’ll see that in the final score. Ben Roethlisberger shreds the Washington secondary, the Pittsburgh D causes at least a couple of turnovers, and the Steelers get yet another win as the postseason looms just around the corner.
Prediction: Steelers win 34-10
Buffalo Bills (8-3) at San Francisco 49ers (5-6)
Monday, December 7, 8:15PM ET
This past weekend, the San Francisco 49ers were beneficiaries of the mercurial play of Jared Goff. This upcoming weekend against the Buffalo Bills, don’t expect the same type of offensive crunch with Josh Allen under center.
Yes, the 49ers are still in the hunt after a much-needed divisional win. We can’t count them out at this point. However, a matchup with the 8-3 Bills doesn’t do much to help their odds. Buffalo has been downright dominant at times this season, with a well-balanced attack that depends on points from Allen and a defense that bends without breaking.
It also doesn’t help San Francisco’s cause that the club is currently nursing a ton of injuries. It didn’t cost them the win against the Rams, but it might against the Bills. If the 49ers have any hope of surviving Week 13 and remaining in the race for the final NFC playoff spot, they need to more plays back from injury.
For now, my gut is telling me the Bills have this one. The 49ers won’t make it easy on them, but Allen has another outstanding game against San Francisco’s solid-but-breakable defense, and the Buffalo D forces enough turnovers to remain ahead on the scoreboard.
Prediction: Bills win 24-22
Dallas Cowboys (3-8) at Baltimore Ravens (6-4)
Tuesday, December 8, 8:05PM ET
Things are not going well for the Baltimore Ravens right now. COVID has ravaged this roster as their games continue to be pushed back and put in peril. If they even play this game, chances are they’ll be playing at far less than 100 percent with the possibility of Lamar Jackson sitting.
Even if that isn’t the case, the Ravens seem to be at a major disadvantage. Not only have they been thrown completely off their game by the positive tests, but they haven’t had time to prepare as a team and their schedules are all out of whack. Not to mention, they’ve been out of sorts on the field prior to the COVID outbreak.
Then again, there isn’t a whole lot of positive to say about the Dallas Cowboys either. They’re the worst team in the NFL’s worst division, but we all know they have plenty of talent on paper. Even without Dak Prescott under center, they’re more than capable of running up the score on opponents.
While Baltimore’s defense is exceptional, Dallas’ offense is still dangerous when Andy Dalton can get going. I’m predicting the Ravens fall flat offensively, and the Cowboys squeak out a victory to put the home team’s playoff chances at further risk.
Prediction: Cowboys win 22-19