NFL Predictions Week 13: Odds, Predictions and Advice for Ideal Underdogs

It's spoiler season in the NFL.  

Written a different way, it's the time of year bad teams play their Super Bowl game while attempting to knock off opponents searching for playoff seeding, if not a berth outright. Written yet another way, it's the happiest time of year for those would-be bettors who love to roll the dice on risky payouts with underdogs. 

Given a lack of divisional games in Week 13 as odd matchups and cross-conference play unfolds, the schedule looks poised to offer a handful of notable upsets, despite what oddsmakers have suggested with the midweek lines. 

Before those lines change any more than they already have, let's take a look at the top underdogs to consider.  

NFL Week 13 Schedule, Odds

Washington at Dallas (-2.5) | O/U 44

Denver at Miami (E) | O/U 38

Detroit at Baltimore (-3) | O/U

Houston at Tennessee (-7) | O/U 

Indianapolis at Jacksonville (-8.5) | O/U 40.5

Kansas City (-4.5) at N.Y. Jets | O/U 43.5

Minnesota at Atlanta (-2.5) | O/U 47

New England (-8.5) at Buffalo | O/U 49

San Francisco at Chicago (-4.5) | O/U 39

Tampa Bay at Green Bay (E) | O/U

Cleveland at L.A. Chargers (-13) | O/U 42.5

Carolina at New Orleans (-4.5) | O/U 48

L.A. Rams (-6) at Arizona | O/U 45.5

N.Y. Giants at Oakland (-8.5) | O/U 41.5

Philadelphia (-6) at Seattle | O/U 48

Pittsburgh (-6.5) at Cincinnati | O/U 43

Minnesota at Atlanta (-2.5)

It's hard to find a pair of hotter teams in the NFL right now, hence the close line from oddsmakers. 

It's also difficult to imagine this line moving too much, which creates an interesting upset opportunity for bettors who look for such a feat. 

The Minnesota Vikings have won seven games in a row and look so good the team has ignored the comeback of a potential franchise passer in Teddy Bridgewater thanks to strong play from supposed backup Case Keenum. The impressive stretch includes not only a road win against the Detroit Lions in 30-23 fashion, but a stunning 24-7 dismissal of the red-hot Los Angeles Rams. 

The Atlanta Falcons have turned it on as of late also, winning three in a row—notably including a 34-31 takedown of the Seattle Seahawks on the road. 

Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game provided further context on the similarities: 

Though the Falcons have cobbled together a nice streak lately, it's tough to ignore the fact two of the wins came against down Dallas and Tampa Bay teams. Also tough to ignore is a pair of ugly home losses this year already and the fact Matt Ryan has thrown all of 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions, the latter already topping his total from last year. While he's struggled, Julio Jones has all of three touchdowns. 

There's no such thing as consistency issues for these Vikings. Keenum has 14 touchdowns and five interceptions while flanked by one of the NFL's deeper backfields and a defense allowing just 17.7 points and 75.5 rushing yards per game. The lone losses on record? A stumble against Detroit earlier in the year and a loss to another nine-win team, Pittsburgh. 

With a defense playing so well, it doesn't make sense to roll against the Vikings. 

Prediction: Vikings 23, Falcons 20 

Carolina at New Orleans (-4.5)

It's revenge game time. 

Back in Week 3, the Carolina Panthers welcomed the New Orleans Saints to town and got whipped 34-13 while Cam Newton threw a trio of interceptions compared to three touchdowns passes from Drew Brees. 

Yet things can change in a hurry in the NFL. Though 8-3, the Saints have stumbled as of late, needing overtime to beat the Washington Redskins 34-31 then falling at the hands of the Rams. After surprising performances from the defense for about a month, regression seems to have hit in the form of 26 or more points permitted in two consecutive games. 

The Panthers haven't had any such problems. Not only did they knock off New England and Detroit on the road in back-to-back weeks after losing to the Saints, they've now won four in a row while allowing more than 21 points in a game once. 

Newton has looked dominant over the four-game stretch, throwing five scores with one pick and rushing for 44 or more yards three times with two touchdowns. To say the Panthers are confident would apparently be an understatement. 

"They were relaxed," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said, according to ESPN.com's David Newton. "It's that sense of confidence. They didn't get uptight. They didn't feel like they had to [make something happen], they must, they need to."

Now only allowing 205.1 passing yards (sixth), 83.2 rushing yards (third) and 18.8 points per game (eighth), the Panthers have managed to shock despite losing a big name like Kelvin Benjamin to a trade. 

With the NFC South up for grabs, look for Newton to put up an MVP-caliber performance as he leans on his defense and ability to make plays with his legs to silence a hostile crowd via a ball-control offense limiting Brees' chances—if he could do it in Foxborough, he can do it in New Orleans. 

Prediction: Panthers 27, Saints 24

Philadelphia (-6) at Seattle

Regression has to hit at some point, right? 

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't lost a game since Week 2, rattling off nine consecutive wins after an understandable 27-20 loss in Kansas City, one of the league's toughest places to play. 

Speaking of tough places to play, the Seattle Seahawks happen to boast one of the NFL's best home-field advantages.

Even so, as Joe Giglio WFAN 660 pointed out, the Eagles are good enough to make something akin to modern history with this ever-changing line: 

Carson Wentz playing like an MVP will do that for a team considering he has 28 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He's hit three different targets for six touchdowns or more and has a versatile backfield behind him after the arrival of Jay Ajayi. 

Not to be outdone, Wentz has a defense backing him that allows all of 17.4 points per game and has 31 sacks, 16 interceptions and nine forced fumbles. 

Yet these are the Seahawks in Seattle. They haven't been perfect at home this year, but they're still holding opponents to less than 20 points per game and rank in the top 10 against both the rush and pass.

And speaking of MVP-esque performances, Russell Wilson has worked sheer magic behind a struggling offensive line, throwing for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions while also leading the team in rushing with 401 yards and three scores. 

This feels like a trap game for the Eagles. While great, they've feasted on an easy schedule lately with wins against San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and Chicago. None of those teams have a player like Wilson, and the Eagles' only loss came in a similarly brutal environment.

With playoff positioning and possibly MVP candidacy at stake, look for Wilson to make the key play late in the game.

Prediction: Seahawks 30, Eagles 27

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds according to OddsShark.