NFL Week 13 Predictions: New Orleans Saints and More Favorites That Won't Cover

The 2011 NFL season has seen a number of surprises, with many underdogs doing the unthinkable. Fans will see it once again in Week 13, as a few favorites will fail to deliver.

Every week features those lines too good to pass up, and this week there are underdogs who fit that mold.

They may not win the game, but they will do enough to prevent the favorite from covering.

With that said, here are three favorites certain to bust in Week 13.

New Orleans Saints (-9)

Drew Brees and company are on a roll, winning their last three games, most recently a big rout over the New York Giants. This Sunday night, the Saints will be hosting the Detroit Lions, who are very hungry for a win.

Coming off a short week, the Saints will fail to limit Matthew Stafford and the pass-happy Lions offense. Expect Calvin Johnson to dominate against the Saints weak secondary, which ranks 27th in the league against the pass.

The Saints will still get the victory, but take the Lions and the points, as they will put up a great fight all game long.

Prediction: Saints 38, Lions 33 

Chicago Bears (-7)

With Jay Cutler on the sidelines, the Bears offense will begin to trend down. Caleb Hanie had a good game last week, but only if you took away his three interceptions. And who could forget the mishap at the end of the game when he fake-spiked then actually spiked.

The Bears will rely on their defense to get the job done, and they are very thankful they’re hosting the slumping Kansas City Chiefs. However, Hanie will make multiple mistakes that will allow the Chiefs to hang around.

Chicago should win this game, especially if Tyler Palko continues to be awful at quarterback. But the Chiefs playmakers will come through, and they will force Hanie to mess up, which will keep the Bears from covering.

Prediction: Bears 23, Chiefs 20

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7)

The Steelers will host the surprise Cincinnati Bengals, and this time it will be just as intense as it was when these two teams met in Week 10. Pittsburgh came out on top then, but they may not be so fortunate this time.

Andy Dalton is playing better than anyone expected, and the fact that he has A.J. Green running deep has helped him immensely.  One thing that does hurt the Bengals is how they’ve been playing against the top teams. ESPN’s Trey Wingo points out how Cincinnati hasn’t fared to well against strong teams. 

The Bengals will put up a great fight, and they will keep this game close throughout. They’ll fall in the closing minutes thanks to late-game heroics by Ben Roethlisberger, but their effort will not go unnoticed, as they’ll prevent the Steelers from covering.

Prediction: Steelers 28, Cincinnati 24