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2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 13

By Sayre Bedinger

NFL Picks: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals hugs Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs after the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
NFL Picks: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals hugs Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs after the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) /
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NFL Picks, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) stands by Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel at the Miami bench in the second half of the game between host Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, November 27, 2022, in Miami Gardens, FL. Final score, Miami Dolphins, 30, Houston Texans, 15. /

Miami Dolphins (8-3) at San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

Sunday, December 4, 4:05 PM ET

The Master meets the Apprentice. Kyle Shanahan vs. Mike McDaniel, two coaches cut from the same cloth who have virtually grown up in this league together and probably know each other as well as any head coaches in the league.

Shanahan’s crew has been upstart in recent weeks after acquiring Christian McCaffrey in a trade, but it’s not just a dominant offense propelling the 49ers to victory these days — it’s the defense of Demeco Ryans that has been shutting down (and shutting out) opponents in recent weeks.

The 49ers are coming off of a dominant defensive effort against the New Orleans Saints, a 13-0 stomping that propelled the 49ers’ defense to #1 in the NFL in points allowed per game so far this season. We’ll see what happens when the unstoppable force that is the Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins offense meets that immovable object this coming weekend in San Francisco, in what will be one of the top overall matchups of the week.

What makes the 49ers such an interesting and threatening team in the NFC is the fact that they can win in so many different ways. The last two weeks are examples of that. They beat the Saints 13-0 but they almost dropped 40 points on the Cardinals the week before.

I think right now, Miami is so good offensively but I don’t know that they are as balanced as the 49ers. Is there one thing that this game “comes down to”? The Dolphins have the types of weapons offensively in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to be able to beat the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

I’m truly torn on this matchup from an NFL picks perspective. I could talk myself into either team winning.

Ultimately, I’m choosing the firepower the 49ers have offensively in combination with their top-ranked defense, playing at home.

Prediction: 49ers win 27-23

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