The Bet Box – Week 13

Two-thirds of the season is in the rearview mirror and it’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Looking at you Eagles, Panthers (Cam Newton’s line: 5-for-21, 92 yards, 2 interceptions, a robust 5.8 QB rating), Steelers and Saints.

The extra playoff spot has opened a whole world of mediocrity into the mix. Chicago, currently 4-7 and 14th in the NFC standings, is a game behind Washington (5-6) for the final playoff spot and 3-8 Seattle is two back. In the AFC, at least the seventh-place squad (Chargers) are above .500 at 6-5, but Miami, which entered November with one win, is just 1 ½ games out of the playoffs.

There’s a lot of meh out there, 14 of the 32 teams are within a game of .500. For a second straight week, I fall into that meh as well going 8-7 once again.

Going to need to pop a couple big weeks to get back to even by the time the regular season comes to a close.

Patriots at Buffalo (-2.5) – If this were horse racing, the form would be saying that the Patriots are taking a big step up in class (and yes the Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC at the time but were also a shell of themselves). Should be a fantastic way to close out Week 13 and will have us eagerly anticipating the rematch less than three weeks later. It’s Super Bowl Monday for Western New York. Bills, 24-20.

Dallas (-4.5) at New Orleans – The Cowboys missing a decent amount of their coaching staff because of COVID protocol could be considered an upgrade and getting Amari Cooper back will spark the passing game. The Saints are sliding into oblivion. Cowboys, 31-20.

Minnesota (-7) at Detroit – The Lions had their chances on Thanksgiving and couldn’t get it done. The bagel in the win column stays for another week as the Vikings, currently eighth in the NFC, need this one to keep realistic postseason hopes alive. A lot being placed into Kirk Cousins’ hands with Dalvin Cook questionable at best. Vikings, 28-17.

Arizona (-7.5) at Chicago – Both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins were spotted at Cardinals practice on Wednesday. They’ll be needed if the Cardinals are to hold on to the top spot in the NFC. Cardinals, 34-21.

Tampa Bay (-11) at Atlanta – The second half of Sunday’s win over the Colts was the Buccaneers flipping the switch to go time. The Bucs sit one game out of the top spot and the only team with a pulse is Buffalo, which will be on a short week for the Bills. Buccaneers, 31-16.

Indianapolis (-9) at Houston – If the Jets can rush for more than 150 yards against the Texans, imagine what Jonathan Taylor can do on his own. Colts, 28-14.

Philadelphia (-6.5) at N.Y. Jets – The Eagles return to the Meadowlands for a second straight week; maybe this time they’ll run the ball in the first half. Eagles, 22-17.

L.A. Chargers at Cincinnati (-3) – Chargers are showing they are not ready for prime time quite yet. The Bengals offensive line is ready to give Joe Mixon another big day. Bengals, 33-21.

N.Y. Giants at Miami (-5) – The Dolphins have 10 takeaways during their four-game winning streak and Tua has had a QB rating of 110.0 since reclaiming the starting job from Jacoby Brissett during the Thursday night win over Baltimore. Dolphins, 23-17.

Washington at Las Vegas (-2.5) – Brutal spot for the Football Team, playing on Monday night followed by a cross-country flight is tough enough, but the Raiders had a couple extra days off after beating the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Raiders, 31-20.

Baltimore (-4) at Pittsburgh – The Ravens have not been pretty the last few weeks, but they’ve found a way to finish in the end. As for the Steelers, what is the plan for the post-Roethlisberger era? Ravens, 24-14.

Jacksonville at L.A. Rams (-13) – After an 0-for-3 November, the Rams are in must-win territory. Good fortune for them the Jaguars are on the table. While the game might not be in doubt, the back door could make for an exciting finish. Rams, 31-21.

San Francisco (-3.5) at Seattle – It’s kind of sad to see what the Seahawks have become. They used to be one of the most exciting teams in the league. Now, they’re 3-8. You know who else is 3-8? The Jets. 49ers, 27-17.

Denver at Kansas City (-10) – While the Chiefs were floundering, nobody in the AFC West was able to take the lead and what you have is a tightly bunched group all looking up at the Chiefs. The Broncos defense should be able to do enough to keep them within striking distance throughout. Chiefs, 24-17.

LAST WEEK: 8-7-0 (.533)

SEASON: 83-96-1 (.464)

Lines used are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3pcpqfu