Week 13 NFL Picks: Full Lines, Best Odds, Spread Advice and Predictions

The NFL returns to a normal slate in Week 13, which means no more special holiday games featuring six teams.

Unfortunately, the return to normalcy means the return to bye weeks, which leaves bettors in a rough spot—they can't pick against the Cleveland Browns this week.

Kidding aside, even a tricky holiday slate went as expected in most regards. At first glance, Week 13 offers more of the same, not counting an intriguing battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.

Below, let's help bettors jump out to an early advantage against the house by looking at the entire set of offerings before highlighting some of the best odds to exploit before the lines move.

NFL Week 13 Odds

Matchup	Spread	O/U	Predicted Winner
Dallas at Minnesota (TNF)	DAL -2.5	43.5	DAL 27-20
Miami at Baltimore	BAL -3.5	41	BAL 23-20
San Francisco at Chicago	CHI -3	43.5	CHI 30-27
Houston at Green Bay	GB -3.5	46.5	GB 24-20
Kansas City at Atlanta	ATL -4	49	KC 28-24
L.A. Rams at New England	NE -13.5	46	NE 24-7
Detroit at New Orleans	NO -5	53.5	DET 27-24
Philadelphia at Cincinnati	PHI -1	41.5	PHI 24-20
Denver at Jacksonville	DEN -5	41.5	DEN 23-13
Buffalo at Oakland	OAK -3.5	49.5	OAK 26-21
Tampa Bay at San Diego	SD -5.5	47.5	TB 30-17
Washington at Arizona	ARI -2.5	49.5	WAS 24-21
N.Y. Giants at Pittsburgh	PIT -6	49	PIT 27-24
Carolina at Seattle	SEA -6.5	44.5	SEA 30-24
Indianapolis at N.Y. Jets (MNF)	IND -2.5	49.5	IND 24-10

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Best Odds to Exploit

L.A. Rams at New England (-13.5)

It honestly doesn't get much easier than this. 

When examining a game between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, it might seem easy to look at the former as a tough team capable of playing the game close. Fair, considering the Rams are typically one of those teams that manages to stick around in surprising fashion in what seems like a lopsided encounter.

But not against the Patriots.

Look at a note from Rotoworld's Patrick Daugherty that details the woes of Los Angeles coach Jeff Fisher:

It's hard to expect anything but the same in New England, where the 4-7 Rams visit after a 49-21 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Fisher will try to bring some positivity to the situation after Jared Goff threw three touchdowns in the loss, but doing so against a perennial miserable defense and doing it in a duel against Tom Brady is quite different.

If the Saints can hang 49 points on the Rams defense, Brady and the Patriots can gain a sizable victory as well. Brady, after all, has 18 touchdowns to one interception on the year, and LeGarrette Blount has quietly steamrolled his way to 12 touchdowns.

At the end of the day, these are two teams at quite different stages of development—it will show on the field, with bettors winning big in the process. 

Prediction: Patriots 24-7

Denver (-5) at Jacksonville

With the Browns out of commission for a much-needed bye week, bettors can always count on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 2-9 Jaguars have lost six games in a row, most of them by large margins. Quarterback Blake Bortles has managed to take a step back, completing only 59.6 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

To be fair, Bortles doesn't have a running game or help from a defense coughing up an average of 26.6 points per game. But the Denver Broncos will have little sympathy for the stalled rebuild in Jacksonville, showcasing yet another instance of two teams at wildly different stages.

After all, the Broncos want to contend for a title this year. Bettors might not know it after the team took an overtime loss to the Chiefs in Week 12, but so it sometimes goes in a tough AFC West battle.

Denver's biggest problem spot resides at quarterback with Trevor Siemian, who completes his passes at a 60 percent clip with 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Unlike Bortles, he's insulated by a defense only permitting 19.9 points per game.

The Broncos have lost one game outside the AFC West this year. Even at home, it is hard to imagine the Jaguars have the firepower to make it two. Bortles would need one of the best games of his career, which isn't something bettors should want to throw weight behind. A five-point spread here seems generous.

Prediction: Broncos 23-13

Buffalo at Oakland (-3.5)

Bettors might not realize it at first glance, but this matchup has the look of a goldmine. 

The Buffalo Bills aren't the upset special most would expect for a 6-5 team known for strong defense. Look at Buffalo's wins: against a downtrodden Arizona team, the Brady-less Patriots, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Jacksonville.

Six wins is a facade, while there isn't anything fake about the Oakland Raiders, rulers of the brutal AFC West. Oakland sits at 9-2 despite a defense allowing 25 points per game thanks to Derek Carr's 22 touchdowns to five interceptions.

As the Raiders' official Twitter account captured, the team continues to gun forward without stopping:

Oakland might have some problems with Buffalo's Tyrod Taylor, a dual-threat weapon who has passed for 11 scores and ran for another five. But in Week 12, Oakland overcame three touchdowns by the versatile Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers thanks to a pair of scores and timely play by Carr.

Again at home, the Raiders shouldn't have a problem against a team that has feasted on a weak schedule and still sits third in its own division. With the importance of keeping the lead in the AFC West well understood, look for Carr to be at the top of his game once again while keeping the Bills at a steady distance.

Prediction: Raiders 26-21

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.