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NFL Betting Predictions: Week 13 Opening Line Report and Picks

by Spencer Toth - 11/26/2024

NFL betting predictions Week 13 opening line report Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs

By securing the opening lines rather than the closing lines in the NFL, you can maximize your chances of turning a profit throughout the NFL season. The NFL oddsmakers are often quite accurate with their closing lines, but they can frequently dangle favorable opening lines early in the week. An extra point or two of value can go a long way in keeping us in the green. Last week, we went 2-1 on the opening line picks for the fourth consecutive positive week. The Buccaneers and Eagles both won by multiple touchdowns, easily covering their respective -5 and -3 point spreads. The only loss of the week was courtesy of the Arizona Cardinals scoring just 6 points against Seattle. Another positive week brings our season total to 20-12-1 against the spread. 

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Before we get into a season-defining Week 13 slate, we need to go over the biggest storylines from an eventful Week 12. 

  • AFC North classic: The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers gave NFL fans a great start to week 13 in their snow-filled showdown. The 24-19 scoreline is exactly the type of game so many other great AFC North teams have found themselves in over the decades. 
  • Cowboys stun Washington: The Cowboys and Commanders went into halftime 3-3 before a fourth quarter explosion saw the final score finish 34-26 in favor of Dallas. A pair of kickoff return touchdowns in the final three minutes allowed Dallas to pile on the misery for the NFC East compatriots. 
  • The Bucs and back: Tampa Bay got Mike Evans back from injury in their 30-7 win over the Giants in Week 12. They find themselves just one game back of the Falcons for the division lead and will have plenty to play for down the stretch. 
  • Lions are Super Bowl favorites: There is a new Super Bowl favorite in town as the Lions haven’t allowed a touchdown in 10 consecutive quarters. Detroit has rattled off 9 straight victories, as they made it look easy against the Colts in Week 12. 
  • San Francisco stumbles: The 49ers playoff hopes, let alone their Super Bowl aspirations, are quickly evaporating. They find themselves at the bottom of the NFC West after their 38-10 beating from the Packers last week. Christian McCaffrey is back from injury, but the 49ers still have plenty of work to do down the stretch. 
  • Baltimore is inevitable: The Ravens put up 30 points against a seemingly strong Chargers defense on Monday night. Their ability to move the football both on the ground and through the air is like no other offense in the league. 

Now that Week 12 is a distant memory, it is time to lock in the opening line picks for Week 13. All 32 teams are in action for Thanksgiving weekend, and there are plenty of games to choose from for our picks this week. 

Game 1: Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs 

Opening Line: Kansas City Chiefs (-13)

The Chiefs and Raiders square off in a special Friday afternoon NFL week 13 matchup. The Chiefs were able to bounce back after losing to the Bills, narrowly beating the Panthers to move to 10-1. The Chiefs may have 10 wins on the season, but not one of those wins has come by 14 or more points. Kansas City’s offense is not what it used to be, as they have relied on their defense to pick up wins. This has prevented them from blowing teams out and covering these big spreads. The Raiders may be one of the worst teams in the league, but they still have a roster full of talented players fighting for their careers. Gardner Minshew went down with an injury last week, but even Aidan O’Connell can get the cover against Kansas City. The Chiefs will win this one, and it probably won’t even be a sweat. However, covering the -13 point spread against the Raiders will be a different story. 

Pick: Las Vegas Raiders (+13)

Game 2: Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders 

Opening Line: Washington Commanders (-5.5)
This is a line that must be scooped up immediately, as this will swell up to a touchdown by the time kickoff rolls around. Washington’s debacle against the Cowboys is fresh in everyone’s mind, while the Titans just pulled off an upset against the Texans. The results last week are not indicative of where these two teams currently are, as the Commanders will make it look easy against the Titans. Washington’s offense has fallen asleep just as their defense woke up. This team was never really taken seriously after giving up 30+ points a game, but they are all of a sudden well built on both sides of the ball. Jayden Daniels will get a much-needed bounce-back game before heading into the bye, and it’s just too hard to envision the Titans consistently moving the ball down the field. The Commanders will continue to struggle against the league’s best teams, but they have no choice but to take care of business against a helpless Titans squad. 

Pick: Washington Commanders (-5.5)

Game 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens

Opening Line: Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)

These two offenses will give us an absolute treat on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles and Ravens have the two best running backs in the league with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, both of whom are backed up by talented quarterbacks. While both of these teams are streaking, only one can emerge with the win, and that will be the Ravens. Philadelphia has won seven straight games, but all but one of those wins were against sub .500 teams. They have yet to prove themselves against the league’s best, and the Ravens will give them a harsh reality check. Baltimore’s biggest weakness is their secondary, and they will be able to shut down Barkley and the Eagles towering offensive line. They held Justin Herbert and the Chargers to just one garbage time touchdown in the second half, and it’s hard to envision the Eagles having much more success in Baltimore. The Ravens duo of Henry and Lamar Jackson is simply unstoppable, and they will get a big statement win over the Eagles on Sunday. This spread is currently just under the crucial 3 point mark, making this one that has to be taken as soon as possible. 

Pick: Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)

Season Record: 20-12-1

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