Thanksgiving supercharges the NFL odds, with a trio of games on Thursday and a standalone showdown on Black Friday before Sunday's big board.
With everyone home for the holiday, books are bracing for ample action as everyone makes their NFL Week 13 picks.
The recipe for the perfect bet always begins with getting the best of the number to support your side or total. I help you do just that, highlighting the best NFL picks to make NOW and some you may want to consider LATER.
NFL predictions: Week 13 bet now, bet later picks
- Texans (+3.5) at Colts: Bet Now
- Bears (+7) at Eagles: Bet Later
- Vikings at Seahawks (Under 43.5): Bet Now
- Packers at Lions (Under 49.5): Bet Later
Houston Texans (+3.5) at Indianapolis Colts: Bet Now
The Indianapolis Colts had the Chiefs’ season on life support, but Kansas City came back from the dead and dealt Indy a gutting loss in overtime. The defense was on the field for almost 43 minutes and now takes on a well-rested rival.
The Houston Texans get a mini-bye after besting Buffalo on Thursday and could have QB1 C.J. Stroud back from a concussion in Week 13. The Texans defense is powering the team’s three-game winning streak, holding four of its last five foes to 19 points or less.
Indy couldn’t get RB Jonathan Taylor going against Kansas City, and QB Daniel Jones looked more like his former self than the revived version we’ve seen so far with the Colts. Houston is a Top 10 run-stop unit and sits tied for third in total sacks (33).
An update on Stroud’s status will likely tip this spread to a field goal, so if you’re selling the Colts and buying the Texans’ streak, you’ll want to get that half-point hook on the road underdog.
Best odds to bet Texans +3.5 right now
Chicago Bears (+7) at Philadelphia Eagles: Bet Later
Before you storm the gates at Best Buy on Black Friday, check to see how many points the Chicago Bears are getting in the City of Brotherly Love.
Chicago opened as a touchdown underdog for the standalone contest. While we’re seeing some cheaper vig on the Philadelphia Eagles -7 in the wake of their collapse against the Cowboys, there will be no shortage of action on the home side.
The Bears have been labelled as frauds despite improving to 8-3 with another close win over Pittsburgh in Week 12. The Eagles are the most complete team Chicago has faced since starting the schedule 0-2.
All that said, Philly’s offense stalled out in Dallas, and turnovers turned a 21-0 buffer to dust. The Bears can trade shots with any team and specialize in forcing takeaways.
I see this point spread going to Chicago +7.5 sometime between now and Friday’s 3 p.m. ET kickoff. If you’re a believer in Da Bears, wait it out for the best deal on Black Friday.
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Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (Under 43.5): Bet Now
It’s safe to say J.J. McCarthy has work to do if he’s going to be the Minnesota Vikings' answer under center.
The first-year starter finished 12-for-19 passing for a measly 87 yards along with two interceptions in the road loss at Green Bay in Week 12. The Vikings have failed to crack 20 points in three straight games and now head to Lumen Field to take on another elite defense.
The Seattle Seahawks got a bit of a scare in Tennessee on Sunday, but still limited the Titans to 17 points, checking them to 4.4 yards per play and sacking rookie QB Cam Ward four times. Minnesota gave up five sacks on McCarthy and watched both the left tackle and left guard leave Week 12 with injuries. Yikes.
Sam Darnold takes on his former club and needs to be wary of the Vikings’ blitz-heavy schemes. That means quicker hits and lots of handoffs, with little time in the pocket for deeper strikes to develop.
This total opened just shy of the key number of 44 points and is already sinking like a stone in the opening hours of action. Grab the Under 43.5 now, as the next stop is 42.5 with little reason to like the Over.
Best odds to bet Under 43.5 right now
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (Under 49.5): Bet Later
The Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in their annual home Thanksgiving matchup, with this total hitting the board just south of 50 points on Sunday night.
This is the first game on Thursday's slate, and with the public pounding these holiday odds, we’ll see blind betting on the Over - especially after Detroit dodged a bullet in a shootout with the Giants on Sunday.
Green Bay’s defense has been incredible the last four weeks, getting tremendous pass pressure and holding those foes to a collective 52 points. Detroit’s secondary is slowly getting healthy and could have some starters back for Week 13.
I could see this total ticking up toward the key number of 51 and beyond, so if you want to buy back the Under, wait until you put the turkey in the oven on Thursday morning.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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