Week 13 NFL Picks: Over/Under Advice, Final-Score Predictions and Odds

The opener to NFL Week 13 action didn't offer much in the way of answers. 

Those who looked to capitalize on the line in the picks or betting department saw the minimally-favored Dallas Cowboys erupt on the way to a 38-14 win against NFC East rival Washington Redskins despite a hand injury to quarterback Dak Prescott. 

Call it a fitting way for the week to begin ahead of a slate featuring what seems to be an even scale of small and huge spreads. The NFL mostly avoids divisional matchups this week ahead of huge finishing weeks, making the calls more difficult than usual. 

Below, let's look at how the lines have shifted over the week and project outcomes for each remaining game.  

NFL Week 13 Schedule, Odds

Denver (-2) at Miami | O/U 38

Detroit at Baltimore (-3) | O/U

Houston at Tennessee (-7) | O/U 

Indianapolis at Jacksonville (-10) | O/U 40.5

Kansas City (-3.5) at N.Y. Jets | O/U 43.5

Minnesota at Atlanta (-3) | O/U 47

New England (-9) at Buffalo | O/U 49

San Francisco at Chicago (-3) | O/U 39

Tampa Bay at Green Bay (-2.5) | O/U

Cleveland at L.A. Chargers (-14) | O/U 42.5

Carolina at New Orleans (-5) | O/U 48

L.A. Rams (-7) at Arizona | O/U 45.5

N.Y. Giants at Oakland (-9) | O/U 41.5

Philadelphia (-6) at Seattle | O/U 48

Pittsburgh (-6) at Cincinnati | O/U 43

Denver (-2) at Miami

This right here is a great example of why this week is so difficult for those looking to build some momentum heading into the rest of the season. 

In one corner is the three-win Denver Broncos, one of the league's bigger disappointments that will now turn back to Trevor Siemian at quarterback after losing Paxton Lynch to injury and demoting Brock Osweiler. In the other corner, the out-of-retirement Jay Cutler sounds like he will start after missing time, but he hasn't provided a boost. 

Maybe the most interesting stat about the game? Denver has lost seven in a row, Miami five. 

As they say, something has to give. 

That something might be Siemian, who flashed on limited duty after getting unexpected playing time recently:

Denver on the road in a game like this might seem scary, but even scarier is a Dolphins team with Cutler under center and one healthy running back. The Broncos have their defensive lapses, but they don't come on the ground—they rank fourth against the rush by only permitting 87.2 yards per game. 

Meaning, Cutler will need to air it out to keep this one close. But he's thrown 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions this year, and predictable short outs to guys like Jarvis Landry aren't going to win a game like this. 

Siemian wasn't Denver's first option, but he's looked solid recently and has a better supporting cast around him, meaning a comfortable win against a team that started the season in panic mode after losing a starting quarterback. 

Prediction: Broncos 24, Dolphins 14

Kansas City (-3.5) at N.Y. Jets 

Here's another good reason this week is such a problem. 

After starting hot, these Kansas City Chiefs have turned into one of the NFL's biggest letdowns, sitting at 6-5 after losing five of their last six. And the New York Jets? They were initially one of the league's bigger surprises by winning three of five to start the season, and they still fighting hard in each game despite sitting at 4-7. 

Said fight is a big part of the reason many bettors might consider the underdog here. The Chiefs don't seem to have any of it. Rookie back Kareem Hunt, who at first looked like a breakout star, has faded, meaning the Chiefs have needed to beat teams via Alex Smith. He's playing efficient with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions, but his efficient play has never put the Chiefs over the top. 

Not that the Chiefs would blame Smith. 

"The thing I can do is stand before you and tell you that this isn't an Alex Smith thing," Chiefs head coach Reid said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com) "It's all of us. I think—I know—our players understand that, and coaches. We're all going to do better and raise our game up."

Most of the Jets success has come via Josh McCown, though. One of this year's most surprising players has 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 67.3 percent of his passes. He doesn't have much of a running game behind him, but wideout Robby Anderson is a breakout star with 41 catches for 714 yards and seven touchdowns, with six of those scores coming over his last five outings. 

A hobbled Chiefs defense isn't going to have an answer for Anderson on the road in the cold. And if the Chiefs offense couldn't put up more than nine points in a loss to the 2-9 New York Giants or 10 against the struggling Buffalo Bills, it isn't doing much against the Jets, either. 

Prediction: Jets 20, Chiefs 10 

New England (-9) at Buffalo

Patriots' Tom Brady Is Shattering Records in Another MVP-Caliber Campaign

How about an easy one to balance out the scales? 

Nobody is stopping the New England Patriots right now, not even in a tricky divisional game against a team like the Bills. 

Tom Brady and the Patriots are on fire and haven't lost since Week 4. The last three outings have been especially impressive, coming in at margins of 41-16, 33-8 and 35-17 while Brady has thrown 10 touchdowns against one interception. 

The Bills haven't been anywhere close as impressive. They beat Kansas City 16-10 in Week 12, but otherwise lost three in a row by margins of 34-21, 47-10 and 54-24. The coaching staff tried to start rookie Nathan Peterman, and it backfired in the latter margin—though going back to Tyrod Taylor hasn't provided a major spark either. 

Buffalo simply isn't doing much offensively, not with LeSean McCoy averaging 3.9 yards per carry and new arrival Kelvin Benjamin dealing with an injury.

Even so, the Patriots won't underestimate the struggling rival: 

The Bills rank outside the top 20 against the pass this year, and though they're familiar with Brady, they've let guys like Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston carve them up for north of 300 yards. And one has to think the Bills need to score more than 30 points to win this one, a mark they've hit once this year. 

While a divisional game and with Buffalo still clutching slim hopes, this is a simple matter of the more talented team coming out ahead. It starts under center with Brady, but it extends to the rest of the positions in a hurry. 

Prediction: Patriots 33, Bills 24

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