Week 13 NFL Picks: Spread Tips, Odds Predictions, Prop Bets and More Advice

It's on to the Philadelphia Eagles for the New England Patriots.

Don't expect Bill Belichick and his team to feel sorry for themselves just because they lost for the first time this season when they dropped a 30-24 overtime decision at Denver in Week 12. 

The goal for the Patriots was not going undefeated. The goal for the Patriots remains winning the Super Bowl. 

That may be quite difficult to accomplish because the Patriots have suffered a slew of injuries, although they may have avoided a disastrous one when tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a sprained MCL, according to the Boston Globe (subscription), and not an ACL tear when he was hit in the knee Sunday night.

Gronkowski is likely to miss Sunday's game against the Eagles, and for a team that has already lost running back Dion Lewis and wide receiver Julian Edelman, that could be a problem. Danny Amendola (knee) missed Sunday night's game against Denver, but he could return for this game, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.

The Patriots are playing against a team that has given up 45 points in consecutive weeks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions.

While both of those teams have shown some improvement recently, the Eagles did not come up with their best effort in either game. This team was looked at as the favorites in the NFC East at the start of the season, but they are just 4-7 at this point in the year and things appear to be getting worse and not better.

The Eagles have injury problems of their own. Quarterback Sam Bradford has been out with a concussion and a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder and he hopes to come back this week. If he cannot, shaky Mark Sanchez will get the call from Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

Bradford has participated in individual drills, but he has not completed a full practice yet.

Whether Bradford or Sanchez is in the lineup, the Patriots figure to come back with a powerful effort. Not because they are mad because they lost at Denver, but because that's what they always do.

Belichick comes up with a dangerous game plan and his players execute it well on an every-week basis. Even if injuries have hurt this team, they still have enough to punish an opponent that no longer appears to be ready to offer a complete effort.

The Patriots are 10.5-point favorites, according to Odds Shark. That may seem like a lot, but New England will put this game away early in the second half. They may follow the lead of the Bucs and Lions and put another 45 points on the board against Philadelphia.

Game	Line	Over-Under	Selection
Green Bay at Detroit	Green Bay -3	46.5	Green Bay; Over
Houston at Buffalo	Buffalo -3	41.5	Houston; Under
San Francisco at Chicago	Chicago -7	43.5	Chicago; Under
Cincinnati at Cleveland	No line	--	Cincinnati
Baltimore at Miami	Miami -4	43	Baltimore; Over
Seattle at Minnesota	Even	41.5	Seattle; Under
N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants	NYJ -1	45	N.Y. Giants; Over
Arizona at St. Louis	Arizona -7	43	St. Louis; Under
Atlanta at Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay -1	46	Tampa Bay; Under
Jacksonville at Tennessee	Tennessee -1	43	Tennessee; Over
Kansas City at Oakland	Kansas City -2.5	44	Kansas City; Over
Denver at San Diego	Denver -4	44	Denver; Over
Carolina at New Orleans	Carolina -7.5	48	New Orleans; Over
Philadelphia at New England	New England -10.5	49	New England; Over
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh	No line	--	Pittsburgh
Dallas at Washington	Washington -4.5	42	Washington; Under

Niners can't score, so take the under

The Chicago Bears are 5-6 as they approach the season's home stretch, and they have exceeded expectations by a large margin.

One of the areas where they have shown dramatic improvement is in their defensive play. The Bears ranked with the worst teams in the league each of the past two years, and even though John Fox hired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to improve the unit, he didn't appear to have a lot of talent at his disposal.

Despite that assessment, the Bears have the 14th-ranked defense overall, and they are a shocking second in passing yards allowed.

The Bears held Aaron Rodgers to 202 yards on Thanksgiving in a 17-13 Chicago victory. 

If the Packers could not beat the Bears with arguably the best quarterback in the league, how are the 49ers going to score on Chicago with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback?

The Niners are struggling badly with a 3-8 record, and they are winless on the road. They are likely to stay that way at Soldier Field, and they will be fortunate to break double-digits. The over-under in this game is 43.5, and this will be a low-scoring game. Look for a 21-10 Chicago victory, and take the under.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers, Pats favored to win respective conferences

The Carolina Panthers are the lone undefeated team in the league, and they may finally be getting the respect they deserve.

They are now the favorites to win the NFC Championship. According to Odds Shark, the Panthers are plus-175 to earn the right to play in Super Bowl 50 at the end of the season. The Arizona Cardinals are the second choice at plus-250, while the stumbling Packers (three losses in their last four games) are plus-500.

The only other NFC teams with odds of less than plus-2,000 are the Seattle Seahawks (plus-600) and the Minnesota Vikings (plus-800).

On the AFC side, the Patriots remain favored to win the conference even though they were beaten by the Broncos in Week 12. The Patriots are plus-125 to represent the AFC, while the Broncos are plus-325.

The Cincinnati Bengals are plus-475, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are plus-800. No other AFC team has odds of plus-1,100 or better.