NFL Week 13 Odds Preview: Jets-Vikings Headline Early Games on CBS
Jets Vikings May be Best Early Affair, Expect a Fantastic Clash
Hot Garbage Lines The Early Sunday NFL Lines
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This applies to a certain football matchup this Early Sunday, which features a quartet of games on CBS. The NFL Week 13 odds outline a bit of everything as we have two games expected to be blowouts and two that could go down to the wire. But of the four games, the Jets-Vikings matchup could be the one worth paying attention to as it’s the only one between two decent NFL teams.
Game Information
New York Jets (7-4)vs Minnesota Vikings(9-2)
Date, time (TV):
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Streaming: CBS
Vikings Test the Jets and Their New Quarterback
The Vikings end their three-game homestand by hosting the Mike White-led Jets. Minnesota bounced back from an embarrassing 40-3 loss to Dallas by beating the Patriots while White started for New York and led them back to the “win” column against the Bears. The backup quarterback looked unstoppable as he threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-10 win.
With White leading the Jets, the defense can go to work. This is the fourth-ranked scoring defense (17.8 points) in the NFL and one that allows a measly 15.8 points as a visitor (2nd in the NFL). It’s part of the reason why 63.6 percent of their games go under the total. The other is their inconsistent offense, which has failed to NFL score more than 17 points in nearly half of their games. Of course, the Jets lost all but one of these games.
The Jets will look to stick it to the Vikings, who allow over 24 points at home (25th). The 44.5 total seems apt. However, Minnesota is also 5-1 at home and favored by only a field goal (-155 on the moneyline). The Vikings started the season on a cold streak on the NFL point spreads but have since covered (or pushed) five of its last six games.
Denver Broncos (3-8) vs Baltimore Ravens(7-4)
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Ravens Open As Wide Favorites Again Despite Recent Form
While the Vikings are starting to hold their own on the spread, the Ravens continue to struggle. Despite getting upset by the Jaguars, Baltimore returns as a double-digit favorite (-10) on the NFL Week 13 odds. The Ravens are just 2-5-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last eight games. This team is also 0-4 ATS as a home favorite.
But the Broncos are hard to trust even as a +335 underdog. Russell Wilson has made a mockery of himself and the team’s offense, which is dead-last in the NFL at 14.3 points per game. Denver has hit the 20-point mark just twice this season. They are in the bottom three in the NFL in most major offensive metrics like red-zone efficiency, third-down conversion rate, and average time on the field.
Baltimore allows 21 points at home on average, which is mediocre. But given Denver’s ineptitude, the Ravens could pad that number. The game’s total is set at 38.5, which is the lowest for the week. All but one of Denver’s games has gone over the total and in unison, only one of Baltimore’s home games has as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7) vs Atlanta Falcons(5-7)
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Falcons Look To Snap Skid Against Steelers
The last time Atlanta beat Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher was still coaching the Steelers and Michael Vick was the Falcons’ quarterback (2006). Since then, Pittsburgh has won three straight on both the spread and moneyline. Now, it’s a toss-up as the NFL Week 13 odds indicate. Atlanta is 4-2 at home and could find a way.
Kenny Pickett had a solid outing against Indianapolis even if he did not throw any touchdowns. The rookie QB doesn’t need to as the Steelers can push the running game and lock it down with their defense. Pittsburgh shuts down running attacks, limiting opponents to just four yards per attempt, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
The Steelers have allowed an average of just 67 rushing yards in their last three games. Pittsburgh went 2-1. Atlanta relies heavily on the run as a team that attempts the third-most per game (32.5). However, the Steelers also give up the most touchdowns by air. So even if Atlanta can struggle in their passing, they could just light up Pittsburgh. The total of 42 may be too conservative if this becomes an aerial duel.
Cleveland Browns(4-7) vs Houston Texans(1-8-1)
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Texans Face Their Former Star
Don’t look now, but Deshaun Watson is back, and it’s just in time for Cleveland as they face his old team, the Texans. Of course, the one-win Texans are expected to lose this by over a touchdown (+7.5). Cleveland (-320) is the fourth-largest favorite this week despite the fact that Watson has not played a meaningful NFL game since 2020.
The much-maligned quarterback debuts with Cleveland, a team that needs to sweep its remaining NFL schedule to have a shot at the playoffs. Watson should improve the team’s offense, theoretically. But offense is not the Browns’ issue. It’s defense. Cleveland is giving up the third-most points per game (26).
Houston is ranked 31st and 32nd in scoring and total offense. This team also turns the ball over a lot with at least a pair in its last four games
This team has made subpar offenses from Pittsburgh and the Jets look above average. So can the Texans follow this trend? Don’t hold your breath. Houston is ranked 31st and 32nd in scoring and total offense. This team also turns the ball over a lot with at least a pair in its last four games. Quarterback Davis Mills has thrown six picks to four touchdowns in his last four starts. But these came against some of the top defenses in the NFL, something Cleveland surely isn’t.
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