It’s official, folks — picking NFL games is no longer fun. The 2013 season has completely gotten away from Del, who posted a 6-8 record against the spread last week that included 0-3 in the so-called “locks” of the week. That’s pretty much par for the course with the way this season is gone.
We apologize for not posting our picks on Thursday, but as you know it was Thanksgiving. We were stuffing our faces like the rest of you, though we aren’t lying about who we picked for the three Thursday games. If we are lying, we need to learn how to do a better job of it. Here are Del’s Week 13 NFL picks. Check back later this weekend for Doc Brown’s selections.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
The first game I like this week (not that liking games has worked out for me) is the Bears getting one point on the road against the Vikings. Josh McCown has filled in admirably for Jay Cutler, and Minnesota’s pass defense has been horrendous. I’m guessing this line is so close because Chicago’s run defense has been very porous, and the Vikings have some guy named Adrian Peterson. Still, the Bears have a ton of weapons on offense. Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have done a great job of making McCown comfortable. I expect that to continue.
Next, I’m taking Atlanta getting 3.5 points on the road against Buffalo. On paper, this looks like a matchup that should heavily favor the Bills and their underrated defense. However, this game is being played in Toronto. It’s not a true home game for Buffalo, and it also happens to be indoors. The Falcons finally looked decent against the Saints last week, and we know how much better they are when you take weather out of the equation. They should keep this close.
And finally, I’m taking the Broncos on the road against Kansas City. The Chiefs are dealing with a number of injuries on defense. Dynamic outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are both hurt, which will change the face of a Kansas City defense that has been dominant all year. Couple that with the fact that Peyton Manning and company are coming off a painful loss to the Patriots and I love Denver this week.
