NFL Week 13 Picks: Odds Predictions, Advice and Latest Expert Locks

Who knew that just three days after the Cleveland Browns suffered one of the biggest gut-punch losses ever to the Baltimore Ravens via the supremely rare kick six, the Detroit Lions would somehow manufacture even more sadness, losing to the Green Bay Packers by an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary pass on an untimed down? 

The answer, of course, is no one. Rodgers found tight end Richard Rodgers in the front of the end zone on a mammoth 61-yard heave to deliver Green Bay a 27-23 road win. The last-chance pass came courtesy of a 15-yard facemask penalty charged to the Lions on what would've been the final play of the game.

It's tough to say which finish was tougher for the home fans to accept. Cleveland was in a battle all game long and grossly mismanaged the clock at the end; Detroit unbelievably made the clock irrelevant and allowed the Packers to complete a 20-point comeback. 

Whether or not your sympathetic to Detroit's plight—a win would've put the Lions in wild-card contention—it's quite a way to kick off a pivotal week of football.

Bettors are probably frightened away from the NFL right now. No spread is safe, no over-under impervious to late-game shenanigans. Perhaps a look at what some of the top football analysts from around the web are thinking might provide some guidance.

Here are the latest Week 13 odds, some advice on those odds and expert picks from across the Internet. Odds are courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of Friday, December 4 at 7 a.m. ET. Expert picks are straight-up, not against the spread.

Note: Expert picks are courtesy of Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN and NFL.com. 

Denver will Cover Against San Diego

Matchup	Matt Miller, Bleacher Report	Marc Sessler, NFL.com	Merril Hoge, ESPN	Peter Schrager, Fox Sports	Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Houston vs. Buffalo (-3)	HOU	BUF	HOU	HOU	BUF
San Francisco vs. Chicago (-8.5)	CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI
Cincinnati (-10.5) vs. Cleveland	CIN	CIN	CIN	CIN	CIN
Baltimore vs. Miami (-3.5)	MIA	MIA	MIA	BAL	MIA
Seattle (even) vs. Minnesota (even)	MIN	MIN	MIN	SEA	MIN
New York Jets (-1) vs. New York Giants	NYJ	NYG	NYJ	NYG	NYG
Arizona (-7) vs. St. Louis	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI
Atlanta (even) vs. Tampa Bay (even)	ATL	TB	TB	TB	TB
Jacksonville vs. Tennessee (-2.5)	JAX	TEN	TEN	JAX	JAX
Kansas City (-2.5) vs. Oakland	OAK	KC	OAK	OAK	OAK
Denver (-3.5) vs. San Diego	DEN	DEN	DEN	DEN	DEN
Carolina (-7.5) vs. New Orleans	CAR	CAR	CAR	CAR	CAR
Philadelphia vs. New England (-11)	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
Indianapolis vs. Pittsburgh (-7.5)	PIT	PIT	PIT	IND	PIT
Dallas vs. Washington (-4.5)	WAS	WAS	WAS	WAS	WAS

The Denver Broncos have a No. 1 playoff seed to play for, a competent quarterback, a great defense and a strong running game. This should be plenty to beat the San Diego Chargers by at least a couple of field goals, even if the Bolts are at home and coming off a morale-boosting win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bolts managed to keep T.J. Yeldon from having a big impact in that game but still allowed 102 total rushing yards to the Jags. Teams are averaging 4.9 yards per carry against San Diego (tied for dead last in the NFL) and 123.7 yards per game. 

Much like last season, C.J. Anderson is making an impact down the stretch for the Broncos. His production complements the speedy Ronnie Hillman, who has seen more consistent playing time in the Broncos offense this season.

With those two likely to have their way with the shoddy San Diego D, Brock Osweiler won't have to do too much gunslinging to give the Broncos an advantage. Osweiler has thrown for 666 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in his three appearances (two starts) this year.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Chargers secondary has been mediocre at best this season, save for Jason Verrett. The second-year corner has matched up well against the likes of Antonio Brown and Calvin Johnson this year. If San Diego sticks him on the speedy Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas will have to step up.

However, he's struggled in two starts with Osweiler at the helm, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra: "Thomas averaged 7.6 receptions and 90.7 yards per game with Peyton Manning this season. Despite seeing just one fewer target per game with Osweiler at quarterback, Thomas is averaging just two receptions and 47.5 yards per game.

Patra also notes Thomas had one catch on 13 targets against the New England Patriots in Week 12.

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Whichever primary Broncos wide receiver doesn't get Verrett shouldn't have too much trouble making an impact. Brandon Flowers has been a major liability for San Diego this year, and Patrick Robinson is merely serviceable.

One shudders to think where San Diego would be this season were it not for the near-weekly heroics of one Philip Rivers.

He ranks first in the NFL in completion percentage (68.5), second in passing yards (3,511) and is tied for fifth in touchdowns (23). The Bolts have suffered through a horrific number of injuries, but Rivers has kept them competitive more often than not. 

The quarterback is coming off a brilliant four-touchdown effort against the Jaguars. However, Denver's defense is a far better unit that Jacksonville's. The Broncos are giving up the fewest net total yards per game and the fourth-fewest points per game at 18.8.

Even without DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos managed to sack Tom Brady three times in the snow and keep pressure on him at key points in the game against the Pats in Week 12. The Chargers offensive line has been a mash unit all season, and Rivers is slower than molasses in the winter.

Unless Melvin Gordon decides to make this his breakout game—he's a powerful guy who runs like he's trying to escape a beehive yet can't seem to break into the second level—Denver should have enough on offense to control the clock, keep the turnovers to a minimum, harass Rivers and cover the spread with a touchdown victory.

Tennessee Should Beat Jacksonville by a Field Goal

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Didn't we just see this game? Records do indicate Jacksonville played and beat the Tennessee Titans 19-13 just a short time ago—November 19 to be exact. 

Through a quirk of NFL scheduling, the AFC South rivals are at it again with just one game in between the two contests. The Jags are coming off the aforementioned sobering loss to San Diego, one that all but killed their playoff chances, while Tennessee lost a close game to the Oakland Raiders 24-21 in Week 12. 

Not much has changed in the dynamic between these two teams since they last met. The biggest difference is simply that this time, Tennessee is at home. Normally, this would be seen as a great thing for the favorite. However, the Titans are on an 11-game losing streak at home, one they would really like to end this time out.

“We want to win. That’s the whole goal, is to win at home,” tight end Delanie Walker said, via the Tennessean's Jason Wolf. “They always say, ‘Protect your house,’ so that’s something we’ve got to do. We’ve got to protect our house. I think that it’s time. It’s time.”

Jacksonville would seem to be the perfect team to end a streak against, coming off a disappointing loss and not really anything to write home about.

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Blake Bortles was merely adequate against the Titans in Week 11, throwing one touchdown against one interception and a fumble. Only three of his completions went to Allen Hurns, who might not even be available as a decoy after missing practice on both Wednesday and Thursday with a concussion, per ESPN's Mike DiRocco.

Tennessee has fine pass-rushers in Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey, so more errors could be on the way for Bortles. This time, the Titans need to capitalize and get drives into the red zone. Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota has been excellent in the red zone this season. Per ESPN's Paul Kuharsky, Mariota has the league's highest passer rating inside the 20, a far cry from his play on the rest of the field:

"

Sunday in the Titans loss to Oakland, Mularkey said Mariota was smart to see when things weren’t there and to throw it away to get to the next play.

Often, young quarterbacks have to graduate to a place where their red-zone play matches what they do elsewhere on the field.

Mariota has turned that inside out, with red-zone numbers that are a great deal better than his stats on the rest of the field, where he has a 78.4 passer rating resulting from three TD passes, eight interceptions and a completion percentage of 62.5. 

"

His inability to hit the deep ball—a problem not shared by Bortles—hampers his effectiveness between the 20-yard lines. Mariota could look to Kendall Wright more in this game, as the veteran was out injured the last time these two teams played.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Although Wright's game has taken a step back in the past couple of seasons, he still adds depth and athleticism to the wide receiver corps. Mariota believes its up to him to get Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham and others the ball downfield.

“It starts with me,” he said, via the Tennessean's John Glennon. “I can be a lot more accurate down the field. I can help give those guys an opportunity to make a play on it. That’s what it comes down to. I think those guys are getting open and I just have to give them an opportunity.”

Neither team's rushing attack is much to get excited about, and the outcome likely won't hinge on their respective performances. The Titans will continue to mix in David Cobb and Antonio Andrews, while the Jaguars should probably go to Yeldon a bit more often (4.0 yards per carry this season).

With the two teams locked in an even battle in Week 11, Jacksonville's win hinged on a huge Rashad Greene punt return in the fourth quarter. Without the special teams lapse, the Titans might have pulled off the road win. Expect them to use the sting of that defeat and the shame of the home losing streak as fuel for a thrilling, three-point win over Jacksonville.