NFL Week 13 Preview: Holiday Push

By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast

We’re into the Holiday push and it’s also time to hoard holiday shopping funds and wins on the field. We’ve all been locked into the NFL for months now, so it’s about time we pay off the hours on the couch with some winners, right? As week Thirteen approaches, many of the playoff faces of last year are filtering their way back to the top of their divisions, while teams like my Patriots have their seasons in the dumpsters preparing for draft season and free agency. Regardless of how your team has fared this season, the one guarantee is that our weekly NFL contests are always going to be there for you, especially during the holiday season.

In short, there’s a lot to love about this week’s spread of games that has me way more excited than last week’s schedule. From an NFC Championship rematch to some curious favorites on the road, we’ve got to make some sense of the best week 13 NFL action to take down your contest:

Games of the Week

Seahawks @ Cowboys (-8.5) - 8:15 pm ET (Thursday) - We watched both of these teams on Thanksgiving day, and one looked horrible while the other looked great. Instinct tells you the Cowboys roll here, but a veteran picker knows that logic to be a fallacy in spots with big spreads like this. This feels like a step backwards game for the Boys.

Lions @ Saints (+4) - 1 pm ET - The Lions come off of the Turkey Day letdown and this matchup bodes well for the Lions pass rush and secondary. The Superdome can be a tricky building to win in, but the Saints offensive production has grinded to a halt as of late.

Broncos @ Texans (-3.5) - 1 pm ET - We all collectively killed off the Broncos about a month ago, but they’ve successfully completed the Undertaker meme in real life and are now the talk of the league. The Texans and C.J. Stroud came up just short in their divisional test against the Jags, but it’s the Texans’ defense that will need to win the day on Sunday against Russell Wilson and co.

49ers @ Eagles (+2.5) - 4:25 pm ET - An NFC Championship rematch that has the loser and road team as the favorite? Definitely a curious number, but it’s a sign of respect to Brock Purdy how much his presence means in this game. This line screams to bet San Fran, so are you a public bettor or not?

Chiefs @ Packers (+6.5) - 8:20 pm ET - This is a big spot for Jordan Love proving his worth as a future starter for the Packers, and for Mahomes and co. This is a classically one dimensional team that they know won’t be able to match them score for score.

Fishy Lines to Watch

Dolphins @ Commanders (+9.5) - 1 pm ET - Watching for line movement to see where the sharpest money is here, as a Dolphins team with a 3-3 road record this year is a curiously large favorite for the spot. Regardless, the Commanders feel like one of those “stinky but it works” plays this week.

Browns @ Rams (-4) - 4:25 pm ET - Vegas does not yet believe in the 7-4 Cleveland Brownies, especially with their current state at QB (Sorry DTR). This should be a knock down, drag out game in the trenches devoid of much scoring.

The Primetime Pick

Bengals @ Jaguars (-8) - 8:15 pm ET (Monday) - We wrap the slate with a lovely QB duel…nope…we don’t. The Bengals season hit the ultimate snag with Joe Burrow being sidelined, and Jake Browning proved why he’s an NFL backup. That would explain why the Jags are big favorites in this spot, and they shouldn’t have a hard time keeping Browning in check.

Week Thirteen Plays To Watch

(22-13 last seven weeks)

Seahawks +8.5 - I’ve some stank picks in mind this week and this one of 'em.

Eagles -2.5 - Still more bought in on Philly than San Frsan…at the moment.

Lions -4 - Turkey Day letdown bounceback and a fast start on offense

Jaguars -8 - An ugly game but the defense should get it done vs. Browning.

Commanders +9.5 - It’s the holidays, so we bet stink teams to cover that have nothing to play for.

Lock of the Week (4-5 this season)

Chiefs -6.5 - KC embraces the winter cold and should march up and down the field on this Packers D.