NFL Week 13 Preview

Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons
Spread: Eagles, -5.5
o/u: 43.5
Neither of these teams has been doing well lately, and both have been hit heavily by injuries. The difference has been depth: The Eagles have it, the Falcons don't. The Eagles will still be without Brian Westbrook, and now they've probably lost DeSean Jackson to a concussion, too. However, they've already shown their backups and rookies can carry the load. The Falcons will be without QB Matt Ryan, and probably RB Michael Turner. Those are huge hits for a team without much depth to take. The other big story, of course, is Michael Vick's return to Atlanta for the first time. I doubt he'd get much more playing time than usual, but everybody loves to speculate.
Pick: Eagles 28 - Falcons 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Spread: Panthers, -6
o/u: 40
So in case you haven't been paying attention, the Bucs started the year bad, switched QBs a couple of times, finally settled on rookie Josh Freeman, and still aren't very good. For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme forgot how to be a good QB after throwing 5 picks in the playoffs last year, then remembered how for a couple of weeks, then forgot again, and now he's out with a "broken finger." So Matt Moore gets to right the ship. As long as he doesn't turn the ball over as much as Delhomme was, the Panthers should win this one.
Pick: Panthers 20 - Buccaneers 10

St Louis Rams @ Chicago Bears
Spread: Bears, -9
o/u: 41
Finally, a game the Bears can win! Wait, no they can't. Ram Steven Jackson is second in the league in rushing yards, and the Bears are 24th in the league against the run. Add to that Jay Cutler's near perfect completion percentage to anyone not in a Bears uniform, and the Rams get their second win of the season this week.
Pick: Rams 17 - Bears 10

Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals
Spread: Bengals, -13
o/u: 42
The Bengals had 210 yards rushing against the Browns last week without Cedric Benson in the lineup. This week they have him back, and they face the Lions at home. I expect this to be like that Lions-Browns game from a few weeks ago, just without all that scoring by the Lions.
Pick: Bengals 28 - Lions 10

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts
Spread: Colts, -6.5
o/u: 46.5
The Vince Young Express rolls into Indy, and the Colts run defense won't know what hit it. Much has been made of the fact that the Colts don't care about going undefeated, and they've already locked up their division. They've also had their share of games they could have lost. With no running game of their own, and VY and Chris Johnson running all over them, this is the week Indy finally loses.
Pick: Titans 28 - Colts 24

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Spread: Pick
o/u: 46.5
The Texans seem destined to finish ever season at 8-8. They had a good run of wins, now they're back under .500. It only makes sense that they win this one. Jacksonville has yet to impress anyone, least of all the fans who haven't been going to games, resulting in all home games so far being blacked out. They may be 4-1 at home, but if nobody sees it happen, doea anyone really care? No, and neither do the Texans.
Pick: Texans 24 - Panthers 20

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
Spread: Broncos, -4.5
o/u: 38
Their Thanksgiving win over the Giants showed what the Broncos can do if they just put their minds to it and try a little harder. That 6-0 start may seem far away now, but it won't take much for them to get that magic back. Back-to-back wins over the Giants and Chiefs may not be a sign of greatness, but its not a bad thing, either.
Pick: Broncos 24 - Chiefs 17

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
Spread: Patriots, -4
o/u: 45
Bill Belichik hates to lose. He lost last week to the Saints, so this week he has to take that out on the Dolphins. The Fins may have one of the leagues best running games, but they haven't been the same since they lost Wildcat back Ronnie Brown for the season. They were blown out last week by Buffalo(!) and aren't exectly known for their bounce-back ability. Look for the Pats to win big.
Pick: Patriots 45 - Dolphins 24

Oakland Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Spread: Steelers, -14.5
o/u: 37
The Raiders may have beaten the Bengals a few weeks ago, but last week they were crushed by the Cowboys. Now, they have to face the Steelers, who should have Ben Roethlisberger back. Look for a lot of running from the Steelers, and lot of botched plays by the Raiders, and the Steeler's losing streak to come to an end.
Pick: Steelers 21 - Raiders 13

New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins
Spread: Saints, -9.5
o/u: 47
A lot of people are saying this is a trap game for the Saints. They're coming off a short week with a big, emotional win over the Patriots. Only it wasn't really all that emotional. The Saints destroyed the Pats, and made them look like they were playing a college team in the process. If the Redskins could get their running game going, I might be inclined to say this is a trap. Since Ladell Betts and Clinton Portis went down, they haven't shown me anything. Without a running game, the 'Skins won't be able to get much offense going at all.
Pick: Saints 38 - Redskins 17

Dallas Cowboys @ NY Giants
Spread: Cowboys, -2
o/u: 45.5
Let's be honest here: The Cowboys and Giants are two bad teams pretending to be NFC East powers. Evidence: The Cowboys are 5-8 in December with Tony Romo as QB, and the Giants have benched two of their defensive starters this week. Those aren't the actions of two powerhouse teams. Regardless of whose collapse is worse tham whose, the result here is that, right now, the Cowboys have the better defense. And even if the Giants manage a lead, I wouldn't be surprised to see another late-game collapse.
Pick: Cowboys 24 - Giants 20

San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns
Spread: Chargers, -13.5
o/u: 42.5
The Chargers march to mediocraty and a division title comes into Cleveland, where the Browns make everyone look like Pro Bowlers. For a team like the Chargers, which is made up of former Pro Bowlers, this will be like a trip back in time, when LT was good, and scored just about every time he touched the ball.
Pick: Chargers 31 - Browns 13

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
Spread: Pick
o/u: 41.5
I hate to make a pick based solely on road/home record, but the facts are there: The 49ers are 1-4 on the road and the Seahawks are 3-2 at home, including both of their shutouts. Things do not look good for the '9ers in Emerald City this week.
Pick: Seahawks 35 - 49ers 17

Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals
Spread: Vikings, -3
o/u: 48
Forget Brett Favre, forget Kurt Warner's status, forget the fact that both of these teams are currently leading their division. Remember only that Adrian Peterson and his 98.5 yards per game are facing a defense giving up 108.6 yards per game on the ground. You should also know that he is only 1 TD away from a career high 13. This game probably won't be easy, but the Vikings will come out on top.
Pick: Vikings 31 - Cardinals 20