Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 13: Advice and Predictions

by Spencer Toth - 11/27/2024

NFL survivor pool picks Week 13 Geno Smith Seattle Seahawks

If you have made it this far in your survivor pool, congratulations. While the NFL regular season is now 2/3 complete, the job of surviving the final six weeks of the year is a challenging task. Twelve NFL teams have been used, so you must be very selective around your final few selections to achieve the ultimate NFL glory. The Commanders (-10) and Texans (-8.5) lost to the Cowboys and Titans, respectively, eliminating even more of your competition last week. We correctly avoided those two teams in Week 12, as the Miami Dolphins gave us an easy 34-15 victory over the Patriots. Without further ado, here are your survivor pool picks for Week 13 ranked from most to least confident. 

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

Kansas City Chiefs (-12.5) Over Las Vegas Raiders

The Chiefs may not cover this daunting spread, but it would be shocking to see them lose outright to the Raiders this week. Kansas City is 10-1 on the season, while the Raiders are just 2-9. Las Vegas lost their quarterback to a season-ending injury, while the Chiefs dominant defense continues their quest for a third straight Super Bowl. The Chiefs only have the Chargers and Texans left at home this season, so now is the time to pull the trigger on Kansas City if you haven’t already. 

Detroit Lions (-10) Over Chicago Bears

The Lions will be a popular pick this week, as it is difficult to see them losing to the Bears on Thanksgiving. Detroit hasn’t allowed a touchdown in 10 straight quarters of action, and the Bears have been struggling offensively. Caleb Williams hasn’t had the rookie year he would have envisioned, and the Bears keep finding new ways to lose games. Detroit cannot afford a slip up with the Vikings and Packers hot on their heels, making this a great choice for this week. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) Over Carolina Panthers

The Buccaneers reignited their spark last week in their win over the Giants, and have another easy task this week against the Panthers. Tampa Bay got Mike Evans back from injury, and their aerial attack is one of the best units in the league. Carolina played the Chiefs close last week, but they will come back to Earth when the Buccaneers run up the score. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted the Bucs this week, but they still have the Panthers, Saints, and Raiders; all of which are at home later this season. Because of this, we will hold off one more week and look for something else down the board. 

Buffalo Bills (-7) Over San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are in complete disarray, and it is hard to imagine them upsetting the red hot Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen is playing like the league’s MVP and is dead set on securing the crucial top seed in the AFC. The 49ers will be desperate to shake off their recent struggles, but even with Brock Purdy back in the lineup, this is a tall task. A healthy 49ers team could be favorites against the Bills, but this current edition will get steamrolled by Buffalo all night long. 

Seattle Seahawks (-2.5) Over New York Jets

This will be our official play of the week. Seattle’s final two home games are against the Cardinals and Vikings, and they don’t have any slam dunk road games left on their schedule. There is speculation about Aaron Rodgers and his future with the Jets, and it’s unrealistic to expect the Jets to beat a legitimate playoff contender. The Seahawks have their flaws, but their offense is dominant and their defense is seemingly getting better with each passing week. This may not be a popular choice this week, but there is absolutely no doubt the Seahawks is the best survivor play you can make for Week 13. 

Denver Broncos (-5.5) Over Cleveland Browns

The Broncos look poised for their first playoff appearance since their 2015 Super Bowl victory. They have a primetime showing against the Browns on Monday and are a sneaky good choice for this week. Bo Nix is rapidly improving, and the Denver defense is as dominant as ever. If you’re looking for a safer play this week, the Broncos on Monday Night Football are the way to go. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) Over Cincinnati Bengals

The Steelers may be underdogs here, but they are still a solid choice this week in your survivor pool. If you are still on your first life, there is likely no need to go contrarian. However, if your league restarted after the brutal opening weeks, the Steelers could be a sneaky play this week. Russell Wilson’s introduction into the Pittsburgh offense has injected them with life. The Bengals were expected to compete this season, but we haven’t seen anything that resembles a playoff team on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers have won this type of game time and time again, and there is no reason to doubt Mike Tomlin as the calendar flips into December. 

Baltimore Ravens (-3) Over Philadelphia Eagles

There is no way you should sue the Ravens against a team as dangerous as Philadelphia despite the fact they are this high on the list. While I am confident the Ravens will win, there are much better options that do not have double digit spreads in their future. Baltimore’s one-two punch of Henry and Jackson is virtually unstoppable, and even though I expect a victory, look further down the list if none of these top teams satisfy your appetite. 

Green Bay Packers (-3) Over Miami Dolphins

I flip-flopped between the Seahawks and Packers for this week’s selection, which should tell you how confident I am about the Packers chances against Miami. The Thanksgiving slate is subpar in terms of quality before this matchup, but the Packers will deliver a classic performance. Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa haven’t been too different in recent weeks, but the difference in defense is noticeable. The Packers will shred through Miami while stuffing Tua on defense. Green Bay has a home game against the Saints on their schedule but has a daunting gauntlet aside from that. 

Washington Commanders (-5.5) Over Tennessee Titans

The Washington Commanders should beat the Titans this week, but they cannot be trusted after their debacle against the Cowboys. Tennessee pulled off an upset against the Texans too, so it’s probably better to stay away from this one for Week 13. Once you factor in the fact the Commanders have several easy games left on their schedule, this becomes a clear pass. 

Arizona Cardinals (+3.5) Over Minnesota Vikings

The Cardinals were stifled on offense last week against the Seahawks but that will not be the case against the Vikings. It is time to sell on the Vikings hot start against illegitimate NFL opposition. The Cardinals are the better team, and in a tight NFC West playoff race, they will pull out all the stops against Minnesota. 

Los Angeles Rams (-3) Over New Orleans Saints

Don’t let the Saints beatdown against the Browns distract you from how bad this team is. The Rams are chalked full of Super Bowl caliber players while the Saints lost to the Panthers earlier this month. Matthew Stafford will link up with his talented receivers while running up the score against a helpless Saints defense. The Rams have a tough schedule down the stretch, so even this low on the list they are still a reasonable selection this week. 

Houston Texans (-5) Over Jacksonville Jaguars

This team cannot be trusted. Houston on the road in a divisional game is a recipe for disaster, especially against a dangerous Jaguars team. Jacksonville may not be the best team in the league, but their backs are against the wall as the team looks to build into their next chapter. Houston just allowed 32 points against the lowly Titans, and still have a couple of winnable games on their schedule. 

Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) Over New York Giants

Neither of these teams can be trusted with your survivor pool life. The slight edge goes to Dallas due to their defense getting healthy, but they needed a flukey string of special team plays to beat Washington last week. New York shouldn’t be considered against anyone in the league at this stage, so we will lean towards the Cowboys. 

Atlanta Falcons (+2) Over Los Angeles Chargers

The Falcons are desperate to keep their lead on top of the NFC South, and they will be able to do just that against the Chargers. Baltimore exposed Los Angeles’s flaws last week while the Chargers receivers dropped pass after pass. Atlanta has legitimate Super Bowl hopes in a wide open NFC, but should only be used in desperation if there are truly no other options. 

New England Patriots (+3) Over Indianapolis Colts

There isn’t a good reason to take either of these teams this week. The Colts can’t be trusted to win on the road against a strong Patriots defense, while the Patriots cannot be trusted to win in general. 

Survivor Pool Pick of the Week: Seattle Seahawks Over New York Jets

Get NFL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent NFL Survivor Pool Picks

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers