NFL Week 13 Picks: Predictions for Vegas Odds Before Thursday Night

The Dallas Cowboys have been taking on desperate teams throughout the season. 

When they went to Pennsylvania in Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed the game badly, having lost to the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens. In addition to wanting the game, the Steelers had their trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown intact.

Pittsburgh played well and had the lead late in the fourth quarter, but rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott broke loose for the winning 32-yard TD run, and the Cowboys left the Steel City with the victory. The following week, they whipped the Ravens and then took care of the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving.

Three desperate opponents: three Dallas victories.

Thursday, the Cowboys travel to face a Minnesota Vikings team that has lost five of its last six games. A season that started with five straight wins looks like it could go down the drain. Early in the year, the Vikings appeared to have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Now, they're teetering on the edge.

A win over the Cowboys would go a long way toward getting back on track, and a loss could lead to a devastating finish.

Matchup	Spread	O/U	ATS and O/U Pick
Dallas at Minnesota (TNF)	DAL -3	44	DALL/U
Miami at Baltimore	BAL -3	40.5	MIA/O
San Francisco at Chicago	CHI -1	43.5	SF/O
Houston at Green Bay	GB -6.5	45	GB/O
Kansas City at Atlanta	ATL -3.5	49	KC/U
L.A. Rams at New England	NE -13.5	44.5	NE/O
Detroit at New Orleans	NO -5.5	53.5	DET/O
Philadelphia at Cincinnati	PHI -1	41.5	PHI/U
Denver at Jacksonville	DEN -4	40.5	DEN/O
Buffalo at Oakland	OAK -3	48	BUFF/U
Tampa Bay at San Diego	SD -3.5	47.5	SD/O
Washington at Arizona	ARI -2.5	49.5	WASH/O
N.Y. Giants at Pittsburgh	PIT -6	48	PIT/U
Carolina at Seattle	SEA -6.5	44.5	SEA/U
Indianapolis at N.Y. Jets (MNF)	IND -2	49	IND/U

The Cowboys are three-point road favorites, according to Odds Shark.

While the Vikings are struggling, they are a strong 7-1 against the spread in their last eight home games. Odds Shark also reported Minnesota is 5-0 and 4-1 against the number in its last five home games versus the Cowboys.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Those trends are good reason to give this game plenty of thought, but the combination of rookie stars Dak Prescott and Elliott point us in the direction of the Cowboys. Prescott has completed 67.9 percent of his passes and has an 18-2 TD-interception ratio. Elliott has rushed for 1,199 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dallas may eventually drop another game, but it won't be against the struggling Vikings. The Cowboys win and get the cover.

Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

Detroit at New Orleans

This is a dangerous game for the first-place Detroit Lions. They have found a way to win seven games this season, and they have come from behind to win all of them.

That speaks to a certain confidence and character that the Lions have rarely shown in the past. Head coach Jim Caldwell deserves credit for preparing his team, and quarterback Matthew Stafford has executed well under pressure.

Stafford has completed 66.8 percent of his passes and has a remarkable 19-5 TD-interception ratio. That kind of execution has allowed the Lions to play exceptional football when the game is on the line.

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

However, if they fall behind on the road against the New Orleans Saints, they may have a difficult time mounting a legitimate comeback. The Saints are the No. 1 offensive team in the league, per CBSSports.com, and their passing game—with quarterback Drew Brees and wideout Brandin Cooks—is especially potent.

The Saints are 5.5-point favorites at home, and it would not be a surprise if they built a two- or three-touchdown lead.

However, we see the Lions playing a solid 60-minute game against a team that is still struggling on defense.

Detroit may mount another comeback, but it won't be down by more than seven points at any point in the game. The Lions will find a way to win and therefore cover in the fourth quarter.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

New York Giants at Pittsburgh

Relatively recently, the Steelers were in big trouble after they lost their fourth game in a row. The only reason they weren't buried in the standings was their AFC North pedigree. Every team in the division has struggled, and Pittsburgh therefore had a chance to turn its season around.

Mike Tomlin's men appear to be doing just that, as the Steelers have won their last two games. They have one of the most potent offensive attacks in the league in Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown, and that trio appears to be heading into top form as the season nears the homestretch.

The Giants have won six games in a row, but they are without a credible running game. While their defense has improved over last season, it is a far cry from an elite unit.

Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. form a potent offensive duo, while Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz are excellent complementary receivers.

New York appears quite formidable, but the Las Vegas linemakers have installed them as a six-point underdogs. The Giants have beaten the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns during their winning streak.

The only victory over a team with a winning record came narrowly against Baltimore.

We see this as the gameweek when the Giants' winning streak comes to an end. Pittsburgh has found its stride and will win by seven points or more.

The Steelers win and cover.