NFL Week 13 Picks: Predictions for Every Game

For the first time since Week 3, all 32 NFL teams will be in action this week as the calendar flips to December and the playoff push continues.  

Thanks to a remarkable comeback by the New England Patriots on Sunday night, the Seattle Seahawks now possess the NFL's best record at 10-1. The Super Bowl favorites return from a bye this week and will host the New Orleans Saints in a potential NFC Championship Game preview. 

A seventh consecutive Seahawks win would only strengthen their championship odds, while a Saints victory would even things up atop the NFC and set the stage for a dramatic final month. 

With Thanksgiving marking the start of Week 13, here are some early predictions for all 16 upcoming matchups this week. 

Matchup/Prediction	Comments
Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 24	There's hope for the Packers' offense with Matt Flynn, who led Green Bay to 16 fourth quarter points vs. Minnesota. The Lions have dropped two in a row and boast one of the NFL's worst secondaries.
Dallas Cowboys 31, Oakland Raiders 23	Dallas has been excellent at home in 2013, winning four of five. Oakland has lost three of four overall and hasn't beaten anyone but Houston on the road this year.
Baltimore Ravens 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 13	See below.
Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Cleveland Browns 14	The Jags have won two of three and are playing much better ball defensively. On the other side, the Browns have been pushing all the wrong buttons since Brian Hoyer went down in Week 5.
Indianapolis Colts 29, Tennessee Titans 24	See below.
Chicago Bears 26, Minnesota Vikings 23	Chicago's vaunted aerial attack should have loads of success against Minnesota's dismal, poor-tackling secondary.
New York Jets 24, Miami Dolphins 20	The Jets have looked terrible over the past two weeks, but they've been hot and cold since the season began. Meanwhile, after a 2-0 start on the road, the Dolphins have lost three in a row outside of Miami.
Arizona Cardinals 31, Philadelphia Eagles 27	Both of these teams are in the midst of impressive winning streaks. But Philadelphia's lackluster play at home and Arizona's second-ranked run defense give the Cards the slight edge.
Carolina Panthers 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17	Watch for the Panthers' No. 1-ranked scoring defense to cool off the Buccaneers in Carolina.
New England Patriots 34, Houston Texans 13	Houston has the longest losing streak of any NFL team in 2013 and New England has new life in the AFC after toppling Denver.
Buffalo Bills 28, Atlanta Falcons 24	The Falcons are 0-5 on the road this season and Buffalo is no easy place to win. Plus, the Bills will be well-rested off the bye.
San Francisco 49ers 20, St. Louis Rams 16	Look for the Niners' physicality to win out against the Rams. San Francisco ranks fourth in rushing yards and boasts one of the top all-around defenses in the NFL.
Denver Broncos 27, Kansas City Chiefs 20	Until the Chiefs rediscover their pass rush, Peyton Manning and the Broncos will always have the edge in this matchup.
San Diego Chargers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21	All four of Cincinnati's losses have come on the road this season while a win will launch San Diego right back into the AFC Wild Card mix.
New York Giants 30, Washington Redskins 27	Eli Manning and the much-improved Giants will be able to do whatever they want against a horrid Redskins' secondary.
Seattle Seahawks 24, New Orleans Saints 16	See below.

Baltimore Ravens Over Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of their second road win of the season against the Browns in Week 12. But winning in Cleveland and winning in Baltimore—where the defending Super Bowl champions are 4-1 this season—are two very different things.

After Sunday's dominant performance against the New York Jets, the Ravens are allowing just 10.8 points per game at home. What's more, Baltimore has only surrendered three total touchdowns at home all year long.

Offensively, both teams have struggled to find success on the ground in 2013. But while each ranks inside the bottom six in the league in rushing yards per game, the Ravens have been keeping defenses honest by continuing to hand the ball off. Baltimore ranks 13th in the NFL in rushing attempts through 12 weeks, while Pittsburgh ranks 27th. 

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens boast one of the league's more dominant run defenses. In addition to ranking 11th in fewest rushing yards allowed, Baltimore is the only team in the NFL to have surrendered just one single rushing touchdown thus far. Meanwhile, the Steelers defense ranks 23rd in fewest rushing yards allowed and has given up 13 rushing touchdowns in 2013.

In a physical rivalry showdown like this one, watch for the Ravens to keep winning at home behind another impressive defensive performance. 

Indianapolis Colts Over Tennessee Titans

Despite entering Week 12 with a comfortable three-game lead in the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves in dire need of a win this coming weekend in order to avoid seeing their lead shrink to one game.

The Colts will host the Tennessee Titans in a pivotal division matchup on Sunday, with Indy favored to win.

Look for this matchup to be decided by which team is able to establish the run early on. Both teams rushed for more than 120 yards in the previous meeting back in Week 11, but it was the Colts who were able to move the chains on the ground, eat up the clock and wear down the Titans front seven.

Indianapolis picked up 10 first downs on the ground in that game and was able to get off 15 more plays than the Tennessee offense en route to racking up 137 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

Watch for Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton to produce a similar game plan for Week 13, as the Colts rebound at home and build on their division lead.

Seattle Seahawks Over New Orleans Saints 

In Week 13's marquee matchup, the Saints will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in a game with massive playoff implications. 

Pete Carroll's surging Hawks are 5-0 at CenturyLink Field this season. Seattle can take a two-game lead over the Saints and Panthers in the race to secure home-field advantage in the NFC with a sixth home win on Monday Night Football.

Look for the Seahawks to win behind a stellar defensive effort and a physical offensive game plan. While Russell Wilson and the Seattle passing attack aren't setting the league on fire with eye-popping numbers, the ground attack, led by Marshawn Lynch, ranks third in the NFL this season and is churning out nearly 148 yards per game.

And if there's one area in particular where the Saints defense is suspect, it's at the point of attack. New Orleans is letting up roughly 112 rushing yards per game this season, including 4.8 yards per carry, which ranks 29th in the league.

Plus, Seattle's second-ranked secondary, better known as the "Legion of Boom," is the perfect antidote for Drew Brees and the Saints' potent aerial assault.

New Orleans offensive playmakers will make things interesting, but it's almost impossible to imagine the Seahawks stumbling in a game of this magnitude in their raucous building. 

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