4 Best NFL Week 13 Bets and Predictions
When looking at Sunday's NFL Week 13 betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, totals seem pretty efficient.
Most of the spots where my model's total predictions differ from the market come in the Thursday and Friday games. On Sunday, I'm two points off market in only a couple of spots, and one of them -- the San Francisco 49ers at the Buffalo Bills -- is a stay-away due to injuries.
The spread and moneyline markets are where I'm seeing the biggest gaps.
With a few of those spots, the team I have favored is the underdog as things stand now, and even if I understand why the market is there, I still think we can take the plus money for them to win outright. Let's start there and then dig into a pair of spreads I like this week, as well.
Best Bets for NFL Week 13
Chargers at Falcons
Falcons' Moneyline (+114)
Moneyline
My model views the Los Angeles Chargers as the slightly better team than the Atlanta Falcons. But several external factors make the Falcons favorites in my model, allowing me to take the plus money.
First, the Falcons are at home. That part's obvious, and it's worth 1.8 points in my model.
Second, they're coming off a bye. My model views that as being worth 0.6 points.
Finally, the Chargers played Monday, meaning they're now flying across the country on a short week to play a 1 pm Eastern game.
From a freshness perspective, the gap between these two teams could not be bigger. And it leads to the Falcons being favored by 1.9 points for me.
I don't want to bet against Justin Herbert right now, because he's just ripping sicko throws again, and it's super fun to watch. But the Falcons' offense has been good, too, sitting eighth in numberFire's schedule-adjusted passing offense rankings. That -- combined with the external factors -- allows me to bet the Falcons despite being high on Herbert and company.
Seahawks at Jets
Jets' Moneyline (+110)
Moneyline
A lot of the external factors dinging the Chargers hurt the Seattle Seahawks, as well, leading to the New York Jets being favored straight up.
The Seahawks have played lights-out defensively the past two weeks, leading to consecutive victories over divisional opponents. I've given their defense a manual bump in my model because I think the gains they've made are legit.
But now, after those two intense games, they fly across country for a 1 pm game against a Jets team that just had its bye week. It's another spot where the two teams are nearly identical for me, but the Jets are favored by 2.2.
The vibes are hideous around the Jets, and now Breece Hall is banged up to boot. Losing Hall would downgrade the Jets because he actually does move the needle, but I've got a big enough margin here where I would still show value even if Hall can't go.
Buccaneers at Panthers
Buccaneers -5.5 (-115)
Spread
Bryce Young played arguably his best game as a pro last week in forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into overtime. The arrow is up on him and this team.
I just think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have wrecking-ball potential.
The Bucs have played games this year without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Despite that, they're still numberFire's fifth-ranked offense overall and fourth through the air.
Now, Evans is back, and Wirfs seems to be trending the right way after practicing all last week before sitting on Sunday. That unit will be going up against a Carolina Panthers defense that hasn't made the same gains as the offense and ranks 31st overall.
My model has the Bucs favored by more than a touchdown, and I have a hard time disagreeing with that. Teams favored by roughly as much as them in my model have covered a 5.5-point spread 65.5% of the time, allowing me to lay the points.
Eagles at Ravens
Ravens -3 (-108)
Spread
I mentioned before that it isn't fun to bet against Justin Herbert.
That's even more true about betting against Saquon Barkley with what he has done all year long.
If I view it as a bet on Lamar Jackson, that's a lot easier to stomach emotionally, allowing me to follow the model and bet the Baltimore Ravens.
Jackson has been playing god-tier football all year long. The Ravens lead the NFL in passing efficiency by a wide margin and are third on the ground to boot. The Philadelphia Eagles are a respectable 13th in numberFire's passing efficiency rankings but may not have DeVonta Smith as he deals with the hamstring injury that held him out of Week 12.
The matchup between Barkley and this Ravens rush defense will be fascinating. The Ravens rank second against the run, and if they can bring that to this game, the Eagles' juggernaut offense will meet more resistance than it has recently.
I've got the Ravens favored by more than 4.5 points, pushing me to lay the three here.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.