NFL Week 13 Picks: Complete Predictions for Full Slate of Games

Away	Prediction	Home
Green Bay Packers	17-28	Detroit Lions
Oakland Raiders	20-30	Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers	24-20	Baltimore Ravens
Tennessee Titans	21-24	Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars	10-17	Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears	31-24	Minnesota Vikings
Miami Dolphins	14-21	New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals	28-27	Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	13-24	Carolina Panthers
New England Patriots	31-13	Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons	24-21	Buffalo Bills
St. Louis Rams	14-17	San Francisco 49ers
Denver Broncos	35-27	Kansas City Chiefs
Cincinnati Bengals	28-21	San Diego Chargers
New York Giants	27-20	Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints	27-24	Seattle Seahawks

The NFC North race is still wide open among the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, even though two of those teams don't even have healthy starting quarterbacks.  Meanwhile, The AFC wild-card race features a number of teams that don't even have winning records.

It's been a wild season, and Week 13 is sure to have some crazy games as well.  Below is a full list of predictions for this week, followed by a breakdown of some of the top games to watch for.

Arizona Cardinals (7-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-5)

Date: Sunday, Dec. 1

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Prediction: 28-27, Cardinals

This game didn't look like a very exciting one at the beginning of the year, but now this matchup is a big one that could shape the NFC playoff picture.

The Arizona Cardinals have quietly gone 7-4 and are riding a four-game win streak right now, including a blowout 40-11 win this past week over the Indianapolis Colts.  The defense has been great, and according to Football Outsiders, the Cardinals rank first in the NFL in weighted defense-adjusted value over average, or DVOA.

That defense will be going up against a red-hot offense in the Philadelphia Eagles.  With Nick Foles starting at quarterback, Chip Kelly's offense has been much more effective, as the team is 5-1 when he starts, with the one loss coming after he left due to injury.  So far, Foles has thrown 16 touchdowns and just one interception, but he will be tested against the likes of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.

The big mismatch in this game will be on the other side of the ball, with the Cardinals offense gaining the edge.  Carson Palmer is starting to get more comfortable in the offense, and he has weapons like Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd to throw to.  

The Eagles rank dead last in pass defense, allowing 300.1 passing yards per game, and that means Palmer will have the opportunity to make big plays and grab the win in what will likely be a very close game.

Denver Broncos (9-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)

Date: Sunday, Dec. 1

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Prediction: 35-27, Broncos

With both teams losing this past week, the winner of this game will take the top spot in the AFC West, and that could be the difference between home-field advantage and playing on the road in the playoffs.

It was a really tough loss for the Denver Broncos this past week, going up 24-0 before falling in overtime due to an unlucky bounce on a punt.  Peyton Manning seriously struggled in the loss, completing just 19 of his 36 passes for 150 yards, two touchdowns and one ugly interception.

Still, this offense is very good, and it's going to go up against a defense that's been exposed as of late.  The Kansas City Chiefs have allowed 34 points per game over the past two weeks, and that's a very big concern for what was supposed to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.

While the Broncos were starting to look better defensively, they gave up 34 points in the loss this past week.  Still the return of Von Miller has been a big help.  Although he's played in just five games, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) already has Miller as the top-graded 4-3 outside linebacker, with Lavonte David a distant second.

Miller should be the difference in this game, as he should disrupt Alex Smith and prevent the Chiefs from keeping up in this one.

New Orleans Saints (9-2) at Seattle Seahawks (10-1)

Date: Monday, Dec. 2

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Prediction: 27-24, Saints

The No. 1 seed in the NFC is up for grabs in this game, making it arguably the biggest game of the week.

After going just 7-9 in 2012, the New Orleans Saints have returned to the top of the conference, going 9-2 this season.  Sean Payton's return has been big but not nearly as critical to this team's success as the hiring of Rob Ryan.

Ryan's defense has been terrific, allowing just 309.9 yards and 17.8 points per game, both of which rank fifth in the league.  Considering that this was easily the worst defense last season, Ryan has made huge strides to turn things around.

This could be the biggest test for the Saints this season, as the Seattle Seahawks have one of the more efficient offenses in the NFL.  With the debut of Percy Harvin, this offense could be even more deadly.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has the Seahawks as the second-best defense in the league behind the Kansas City Chiefs, but they will be without Walter Thurmond, who is suspended for four games according to Ian Rapoport from NFL Network.

With Brandon Browner hurt as well, that secondary now has some holes in it.  That will certainly hurt against Drew Brees, who is on pace for 5,305 yards, 41 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions this season.  Jimmy Graham presents a big mismatch, and the Saints should be able to squeeze out a win against a potentially distracted Seahawks team.