Welcome to our NFL Week 13 Picks Straight Up! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! Nothing better than some great food, time with family, and enjoying some football. And let me say, the NFL did NOT disappoint with this Thanksgiving slate. Multiple games with playoff implications, heavyweight showdowns, and upset alerts!

So without further ado, it is time to bring you our expert NFL Week 13 Picks Straight Up. Below, you will find my picks, some highlighted matchups, and the schedules and spreads for every game this week.

 

 

 

NFL Week 13 Picks Straight Up & Odds For All 16 Games

With Week 13 here, we have some great matchups on paper with all 32 teams getting in on the action. In the following section, you will find my predictions, with the teams I anticipate coming away with a victory highlighted in bold. Odds are courtesy of BetMGM:

 

 

 

NFL Week 13 Picks Straight Up: Dallas Cowboys ML (+154 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Last week, I highlighted the Dallas Cowboys' spread at +3.5 against the Philadelphia Eagles, noting their improvements on defense and explosive offense. That pick paid off for us, and I am doubling down again this week for the Cowboys to take down the desperate Kansas City Chiefs. 

The Cowboys and Thanksgiving Day have a long history. In the last three Thanksgivings, the Cowboys are 3-0. While this is a different team than those years, this is the same team that just came back while down three scores against the Eagles after a slow start, showing the positive changes (especially on defense) and resilience of the players, led by Dak Prescott. Similarly, last week the Chiefs also had a comeback victory against the Colts (another game we predicted in our Week 12 Picks Straight Up).

While it might be bold to pick the underdog in this game, I view the Cowboys' path to winning as more sustainable compared to the Chiefs. The Chiefs were able to slow down Jonathan Taylor on the ground, which eliminated the Colts' offense, especially in the second half. They also relied on a lackluster Kareem Hunt to carry the ball 30 times. Luckily for the Cowboys, they have not only proven they can win through the air, with Dak Prescott ranking third in passing yards and second in yards per game, but Quinnen Williams, their recent addition, has been a menace against the run, helping hold both Ashton Jeanty and Saquon Barkley under 25 rushing yards in back-to-back weeks. Add in the fact that the Chiefs will be without one of their best offensive linemen, Trey Smith, and I think Williams could be able to wreak havoc against the pass and run. The Chiefs' defense recently has been more susceptible against the pass than against the run, allowing just over 242 yards through the air per game over their last three games, so with all that in mind (and a little Thanksgiving magic), I think the Cowboys match up fairly well in this one and can walk away with another Thanksgiving Day W. 

 

 

 

NFL Week 13 Picks Straight Up: New York Jets ML (+126 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Yes, this will likely be the least talked-about game going into this weekend. Who really cares about a matchup between two teams starting backup quarterbacks and combining for six wins across twelve weeks? Well, I do. So let's talk about it!

In relief for the injured Michael Penix, Kirk Cousins has looked… okay? He threw for two touchdowns and hit Darnell Mooney on a beautiful deep ball, so there were some highlights last week, but that was against the New Orleans Saints, who have only two wins on the season. The run game also seems less efficient with Kirk Cousins under center. Bijan Robinson is best when he is able to run out of wide zone schemes in shotgun, what the Falcons do more with Penix at quarterback. Kirk Cousins' old-school under-center and hard play action looks don't lean into Bijan's strengths as much. Additionally, a lot of the Falcons' win over the Saints came down to the defense. Five sacks, two turnovers forced, and held the Saints to 3.8 yards per play. I don't think the Jets are great, but I don't think the Falcons will have as much success against them either. 

You would think after trading away several key players, making a quarterback switch, and still being without their number one offensive weapon, the Jets would look worse overall, but that hasn't been the case. Over their past three games, the Jets defense has ranked seventh in yards allowed at 288.3 per game (down from 322.5 on the season), and offensively, last game with Tyrod Taylor under center, they had 300 yards of total offense (up from 283.2 yards per game on the season). This Jets team is buying into the shift of culture under Aaron Glenn, while on the other side, the Raheem Morris-led Falcons seem like a sinking ship. Newly acquired young receivers John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell have each shown flashes, and with Taylor leading the offense, I think they will both be able to make plays against an inconsistent Falcons defense. The Falcons' offense looks like they will once again be without Drake London, which is a massive hit against this defense that is on the rise. While almost no one will be watching this game, you should at least be score watching, as I think the Jets are a value as underdogs here. 

 

 

 

How To Bet On NFL Week 13 With The BetMGM Bonus Code & Unlock $150 In Bonus Bets

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NFL Week 13 Spreads For All 16 Games Provided By BetMGM Sportsbook

We just unveiled our NFL Week 13 picks, and below are the spread odds for each matchup, provided by BetMGM Sportsbook:

  • Packers +2.5 vs. Lions -2.5 (Thanksgiving)
  • Chiefs -3 vs. Cowboys +3 (Thanksgiving)
  • Bengals +7 vs. Ravens -7 (Thanksgiving)
  • Bears +7 vs. Eagles -7 (Black Friday)
  • Jaguars -6.5 vs. Titans +6.5
  • Falcons -2.5 vs. Jets +2.5
  • Rams -10.5 vs. Panthers +10.5
  • Saints +6 vs. Dolphins -6
  • Cardinals +3 vs. Buccaneers -3
  • 49ers -5 vs. Browns +5
  • Texans +4.5 vs. Colts -4.5
  • Vikings +11.5 vs. Seahawks -11.5
  • Bills -4 vs. Steelers +4
  • Raiders +10 vs. Chargers -10
  • Broncos -6.5 vs. Commanders +6.5 (SNF)
  • Giants +7.5 vs. Patriots -7.5 (MNF)

Be sure to come back and check out our NFL Week 13 Picks Against the Spread or take advantage of our BetMGM bonus code ALARM by signing up now!