The type of week we got from Del last week is not the type of week we can afford this late in the game. With only five weeks remaining in the NFL season, Del now has to try to rebound from a 6-10 week after stringing together a few solid weeks in a row prior to that. We still have some work to do in order to get above the 50-percent mark against the spread on the season, but it can be done. Most importantly, we have plenty of wiggle room in the top-3 selections sitting at an impressive 20-13-3 on the year. Here’s hoping we have nothing but winning weeks from here on out to close out the final five weeks of the season. Now, onto Del’s Week 13 NFL Picks, with analysis of the top-3 after the chart. Make sure to check back later in the week when Doc Brown makes his selections.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
Despite Fred Jackson being placed on IR, I’m taking the Bills at home -1.5 against the Titans. The Jets may not have the defense they once had, but Buffalo’s offense looked the best it has since Weeks 1 and 2 in New York last weekend. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills passing game looked sharp in a place that has made people like Tom Brady look really bad. C.J. Spiller is no Fred Jackson, but he looked decent enough running the ball. The Titans have alternated with wins and losses over the past six weeks and are inconsistent to say the least. I see the Bills handling them at home coming off an impressive performance despite the loss.
The second team I like this week is the Ravens laying 6.5 on the road against the Browns. Had this line been -7, I probably would not have locked them in. The Browns looked pretty good against the Bengals last weekend, but they had plenty of chances to put Cincinnati away in the game and could not get it done. Against a tougher Ravens defense, I don’t think they’ll even have the same opportunities this week. With the Steelers and Ravens both sitting at 8-3, I think Baltimore will come out with a sense of urgency in knowing they have to have these games against weaker competition down the stretch.
Finally, I’m taking the Chargers on the road laying 2.5 against the Jaguars. Why? Because the Jaguars aren’t good. Neither are the Chargers, but at least they have potential that they for some reason refuse to fulfill. Changing head coaches is never easy. Even if Jack Del Rio wasn’t the best man for the job in Jacksonville, turnover is always difficult to overcome. I’m basically going on a gut feeling here that the above-average Chargers will show up and should be able to beat the Jags with ease.
