NFL Picks Week 13: Analyzing Expert Predictions from Around the Web

Unlike many of the weeks in the NFL season which feature plenty of one-sided matchups, Week 13 includes a number of close battles that could truly go either way.

For those picking at home, it is time to get some help. Fortunately, NFL Pickwatch has compiled the predictions of close to 100 experts from assorted media experts from around the country. If you are looking for advice on a specific game or for every matchup of the weekend, you can see what the best in the business think.

Here is a look at a compilation of those picks for every game, as well as analysis for the entire week.

Away	Home	Expert Pick	Confidence %
Green Bay Packers	Detroit Lions	Lions	96
Oakland Raiders	Dallas Cowboys	Cowboys	100
Pittsburgh Steelers	Baltimore Ravens	Steelers	54
Miami Dolphins	New York Jets	Dolphins	52
Arizona Cardinals	Philadelphia Eagles	Eagles	52
New England Patriots	Houston Texans	Patriots	100
Chicago Bears	Minnesota Vikings	Bears	67
Jacksonville Jaguars	Cleveland Browns	Browns	83
Tennessee Titans	Indianapolis Colts	Colts	73
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Carolina Panthers	Panthers	96
St. Louis Rams	San Francisco 49ers	49ers	83
Atlanta Falcons	Buffalo Bills	Bills	87
Denver Broncos	Kansas City Chiefs	Broncos	83
Cincinnati Bengals	San Diego Chargers	Bengals	56
New York Giants	Washington Redskins	Giants	88
New Orleans Saints	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks	88

 As you can see, there are more than a few toss-ups, starting Thursday and continuing into Sunday.

The predictions for the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets game stand at almost 50-50, which makes sense considering how inconsistent each team has been this season.

The Dolphins certainly got a boost after looking good in the past two weeks with a win over the San Diego Chargers and a close loss to the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the Jets have lost two in a row by a combined 39 points.

However, it is important to note that New York has won four of five games at home this year, including wins over the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. Returning to MetLife Stadium for the first time since Week 9 should give the Jets a big enough boost to win.

The other close matchup features two teams playing much better as the Arizona Cardinals take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Location will play a role here, but so will the balance of the Eagles attack.

While Arizona could slow down the No. 1 rushing attack in the league, it will have a harder time in stopping the NFL's most efficient quarterback, Nick Foles. Considering the Eagles defense has also improved to the point that no team has topped 21 points in the last seven games, Philadelphia should come away with the win.

Another close call comes on Thanksgiving night, as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens battle in what should be an intense rivalry game. Not surprisingly, the difference will be on the defensive side, where the Ravens have looked better as of late.

Baltimore ranks in the top 10 in the league in both total yardage allowed and points allowed. The Ravens defense has been pretty consistent since Week 2. Meanwhile, Baltimore's Ike Taylor has been a legitimate thorn in the side of the Steelers defense and Torrey Smith could be in line for a big day to help win a close game. 

Despite all of this, there are still a few more locks if you really need a safe pick. Every analyst thinks the Dallas Cowboys will beat the Oakland Raiders and is taking the Patriots over the Houston Texans.

The Detroit Lions have a 95 percent confidence rating, according to NFL Pickwatch, despite losing two games in a row. Even without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers can still put up a fight and possibly pull out the win.

Finally, one team that deserves a lot more respect is New Orleans. Only 12 percent of the experts think the 9-2 Saints can win on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. As loud as the crowd is at CenturyLink Field, though, the Saints are one of the best all-around teams in the league.

Anything can happen in this matchup, just like every other battle on this weekend's slate. That is what makes the NFL so exciting to watch.

While it is almost impossible to predict everything, at least you now have some advice when making your projections for the upcoming week.

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