Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints
The Dallas Cowboys (7-4 SU, 8-3 ATS) visit the New Orleans Saints (5-6 SU and ATS) on Thursday night as both look to rebound from losses on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys were 6-1 and had won six in a row but have lost three of four, giving their competitors in the NFC East hope of making up ground for the division title. They have been without wide receivers Amari Cooper (COVID-19) and CeeDee Lamb (concussion), and now running back Ezekiel Elliott might sit out due to a knee injury. The Saints can relate to injury woes. Their top two running backs, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, missed Thursday’s loss to the Bills, and Kamara has not played since Week 9. The Saints averaged just over 3 yards per play in their last game and are 5.5-point home underdogs. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will be unavailable due to COVID-19. The total is 48.
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears
The Arizona Cardinals (9-2 SU, 8-3 ATS) visit the Chicago Bears (4-7 SU and ATS) with both teams on extra rest. The Cardinals are off their bye, and the Bears edged the Lions on Thanksgiving. Extra rest is not the only commonality, as both teams hope for the return of their starting quarterbacks. Bears rookie Justin Fields injured his ribs a couple of weeks ago against the Ravens and sat out against the Lions. Kyler Murray hasn’t played since Week 8 against the Packers but might be able to return for this matchup. The Cardinals are holding on to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Bears are still in contention for a wild card. The Cardinals are favored by 7, and the total is 46.5.
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
The Minnesota Vikings (5-6 SU, 6-5 ATS) visit the Detroit Lions (0-10-1 SU, 7-4 ATS) with the road team favored by 7. Both teams are facing uncertainty regarding their top running back, with the Vikings’ Dalvin Cook (torn labrum) and the Lions’ D’Andre Swift (shoulder) seemingly long shots to suit up. The Vikings are tied for the final NFC playoff spot, while Detroit somehow is not mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Despite both teams having losing records and the Lions winless on the year, these teams have been profitable covering the spread. The total is 47.5.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3 SU, 5-6 ATS) visit the Atlanta Falcons (5-6 SU and ATS) with the road team favored by 9.5. The Bucs erased a double-digit deficit Sunday in Indianapolis, beating the Colts 38-31 to take a commanding lead in the NFC South. The Falcons are still without wide receiver Calvin Ridley but did see the return of versatile Cordarrelle Patterson, who ran for 108 yards and had two touchdowns in addition to 27 receiving yards. All three of the Bucs’ losses have come on the road. The total is 50.5.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
The Indianapolis Colts (6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS) travel to take on the Houston Texans (2-9 SU, 5-6 ATS) as the road team is favored by 8, up from 7 on the lookahead line. The Texans lost 21-14 to the Jets on Sunday after leading 14-3. The Texans were held to under 4 yards per play for the second straight week. The Colts are in the thick of a jumbled AFC playoff race, where a handful of teams are hovering at or just above .500. These teams also met Oct. 17, with the Colts winning 31-3 in Indianapolis. The total is 46.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
The Philadelphia Eagles (5-7 SU, 6-6 ATS) visit the New York Jets (3-8 SU and ATS), their second trip to MetLife Stadium in as many weeks. Their trip last week ended with a 13-7 loss to the Giants, as Jalen Hurts threw for only 128 yards and was picked off three times. The Jets are off a win, as they held the Texans to under 4 yards per play, an encouraging performance for a defense that is still dead last in many categories, including yards per play (6.1). Quarterback Zach Wilson returned after missing a month but completed only 14 passes for 145 yards. The Jets’ offense has averaged 267 yards per game with Wilson at quarterback and 454 yards per game without him. The Eagles are favored by 7, and the total is 45.
Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals
Two of the better young quarterbacks in the league, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, square off as the Los Angeles Chargers (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) visit the Cincinnati Bengals (7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS), with the home team favored by 3.5. The Bengals ran for nearly 200 yards in a decisive 41-10 victory over the Steelers, while the Chargers lost to the Broncos. The Bengals will look to exploit a Chargers run defense that is dead last in the league, allowing over 145 yards per game. These teams met in Week 1 last season, with the Chargers winning 16-13 in Cincinnati. The total is 51.
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins
The New York Giants (4-7 SU, 6-5 ATS) go on the road to take on the Miami Dolphins (5-7 SU, 6-6 ATS) with both teams on the fringe of playoff contention. The Giants come in having won two of three. They won their first game since replacing offensive coordinator Jason Garrett with Freddie Kitchens, who took over play-calling duties last week. The Dolphins have followed a seven-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak and are favored by 2.5. Both teams are in the bottom third of the league offensively in yards per play, with the Giants averaging 5.2 (24th) and the Dolphins 4.8 (30th). The total is 42.
Washington Football Team at Las Vegas Raiders
Washington (5-6 SU, 4-7 ATS) is visiting the Las Vegas Raiders (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) as both teams come off victories and are in the thick of playoff contention. The Raiders will have extra rest, having not played since Thanksgiving, when they defeated the Cowboys in overtime. Washington will have less rest and prep time than usual, having beat the Seahawks on Monday night. Washington has won three in a row and will be looking to even its record. The Raiders have had a roller-coaster season, including a three-game winning streak as well as a three-game losing streak. The total is 48.5.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Rams
The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9 SU, 4-7 ATS) visit the Los Angeles Rams (7-4 SU, 4-7 ATS) with the home team favored by 12.5. The Rams, off their bye, faced the Packers last weekend looking to snap a two-game skid. But their struggles continued as they lost once again, turning the ball over three times. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is reportedly dealing with numerous ailments, including arm and elbow injuries. The Jaguars are off a loss to the Falcons, despite winning total yardage and yards per play. The total is 48.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Baltimore Ravens (8-3 SU, 5-6 ATS) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5-1 SU, 4-7 ATS) to renew one of the league’s best rivalries. The Ravens are favored by 3.5 and are coming off a victory in which they overcame a four-interception performance from Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have a reputation for defense but are tied for last in the league, allowing over 6 yards per play. The Steelers are looking for their first victory in nearly a month and were just trounced by the Bengals 41-10. Steelers standout defender T.J. Watt is on the COVID-19 list, and his status is something to monitor. The total is 45.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
The San Francisco 49ers (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) visit the Seattle Seahawks (3-8 SU, 5-6 ATS) with the road team favored by 3.5, a 4.5-point swing from the lookahead line. The return of Russell Wilson has netted the Seahawks only 28 points in three games, and Seattle has fallen out of the playoff race. The 49ers, meanwhile, are surging. They have won three in a row to take a firm grasp of the No. 6 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 28-21 in October. The total is 46.
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
The Denver Broncos (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) visit the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4 SU, 4-7 ATS) with the home team favored by 9.5. Both teams have had roller-coaster seasons, with the Broncos losing four in a row after a 3-0 start but now stabilizing at 6-5 after beating the Chargers. The Chiefs have won four in a row after falling to 3-4 and have had an extra week to prepare for this pivotal AFC West matchup. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 18-3 coming off a bye. The total is 47.5.
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Week 13 wraps up on “Monday Night Football” with perhaps the game of the week. The New England Patriots (8-4 SU and ATS) visit the Buffalo Bills (7-4 SU and ATS), with the home team favored by 3. The Bills played on Thanksgiving, so they will have extra time to prepare for a red-hot Patriots team that has won six in a row. These are two of the top three teams in the league in yards per play allowed, with the Bills first at 4.6 and the Patriots third at 5.1. These teams are tied in the loss column in the AFC East and will play again the day after Christmas. These matchups will go a long way in determining the division winner, and both teams still have realistic chances at the highly coveted No. 1 seed in the AFC. The total is 44.