Dallas Cowboys v New Orleans Saints
The Saints will aim for a 10th straight win as they head to Dallas this Friday. New Orleans comfortably accounted for the Falcons at home last week on Thanksgiving with a 31-17 victory. At 10-1, they're in the box-seat for a week off in the first week of the playoffs. This Saints offence is ranked 1st in the NFL for points scored and interestingly, they're also the best defence against the run. Which is the key to this matchup as they take on Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. He's over 1000 rushing yards for the season and has been dominant since the Cowboys acquired Amari Cooper in the passing game. Last week, Cooper starred in the Cowboys 31-23 victory over the Redskins at this venue. They currently lead the NFC East with a 6-5 record and have won 3 straight games. Their record against the Saints isn't too flash with 4 losses in 5 the meetings since 2010. However, the one victory was at home in 2014 (38-17). At the moment, it's hard to see any defence stopping the Saints offence and as a result, I like the chances of this game turning into a high scoring affair. New Orleans have scored 30+ points in 4 straight games and they're also undefeated on the road this season (5-0). When they face the Cowboys since 2010, they also average 31.2 points per game. Meanwhile, the Cowboys D has a decent matchup against the Saints pass D as they allowed Matt Ryan to pass for 377 yards last week. Prescott seems to be connecting with Cooper now so he should be able to have success in this matchup.
Stadium Record
The Cowboys are 4-1 at home this season and beat the Redskins by 8 points in their latest. New Orleans haven't played here since 2014 and lost 38-17 on that occasion.
Head to Head Record
The last meeting between the two sides was back in 2015 and the Saints won 26-20 at home. They own a 4-1 record against the Cowboys since 2010.
Best Bet
New England Patriots v Minnesota Vikings
In the late window of Monday games, New England vs Minnesota is arguably the most interesting matchup. The home side returned from the bye in Week 12 and quickly returned to form with a 27-13 win over the Jets in New York. They had lost 34-10 to the Titans previously so the bye looks to have helped a few of their injured stars recover. Which is mainly Gronkowski and Sony Michel on offence. Michel rushed for over 100 yards against the Jets and Gronk was back scoring touchdowns after a long injury layoff. The Patriots are a perfect 5-0 in Foxborough this season and should be confident of taking down the Vikings. Minnesota travels to New England after a 24-17 home win over the Packers. With a 6-4-1 record, they probably can't win the NFC North so they'll be fighting for a wildcard spot in the NFC. In this matchup with Tom Brady and his offence, the Vikings do have a good chance defensively. They rank top 5 in the NFL for both passing yards and rushing yards allowed. On offence, they are relying heavily on Kirk Cousins as their running game is pretty much non-existent (30th in the NFL). In the end, I like the chances of this turning into a fairly low scoring affair. The Patriots last 4 games have all finished under 49 total points. Also, the Vikings last 3 games have fallen under 46 points. In the 2 meetings between these two sides since 2010, the total is averaging just 41.5 total points.
Stadium Record
New England is undefeated at home this year with a 5-0 record. They last played at home in Week 9 and beat the Packers 31-17. Minnesota last travelled to New England in 2010 and lost 28-18.
Head to Head Record
The Patriots have won 4 straight meetings against the Vikings. In 2014, the Patriots won 30-7 in Minneapolis.
Best Bet
Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers
A massive AFC battle takes place on Monday as the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the LA Chargers. Both sides are well in contention for the AFC playoffs and that means this could be a playoff preview. The home side's 6 game winning streak was snapped last week in Denver as they lost 24-17. However, they still lead the AFC North division with a 7-3-1 record. The Steelers are one of the best passing team's in the league as they rank 2nd in the NFL. With Big Ben under centre, this offence is hard to stop. Also, JuJu Smith-Schuster is coming off a career day as he racked up 189 receiving yards in the Denver loss. Los Angeles head to Pittsburgh with an 8-3 record and currently sit 2nd in the AFC West behind the Chiefs. So they'll be desperate to avoid a wildcard game in the AFC. Last week, they started slowly against the Cardinals as they were down 10-0 in the first quarter. However, a masterclass passing game by Phillip Rivers saw the Chargers score 45 unanswered points! Rivers tied the NFL record for consecutive completed passes in the victory as well. This Chargers side has been impressive on the road in 2018 with a 4-1 record and should have no concerns as they head East. In the end, this looks like a potential high scoring affair between two pass happy offences. They're both ranked inside the top 10 for points scored and that should mean plenty of points in this matchup. The last meeting in Pittsburgh saw 58 total points in a 34-24 Chargers victory. So I can see a similar type of game.
Stadium Record
Pittsburgh is 3-0 at home and thrashed the Panthers 52-21 in their last home game. The Chargers beat the Steelers at this venue in 2012 by 10 points.
Head to Head Record
Since 2012, the two sides have both won a game against each other. The last meeting was played in 2015 at the Chargers old home venue and the Steelers won 24-20.
Best Bet
Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Redskins
Week 13 of the NFL ends in Philadelphia with an NFC East battle between the Eagles and Redskins. Both sides are just one win away from the division lead so each side will be desperate for a win. For the Eagles, they returned to the winners' list with a 25-22 home win over the Giants. However, they were down 19-3 at one stage and continue to show inconsistent form since winning the Super Bowl last season. The Redskins are ridding a 2 game losing streak and a 1-3 record in their last 4 games. They've also lost 2 in a row against the Eagles by 10 or more points. They lost #1 QB Alex Smith a few weeks ago and Colt McCoy struggled in his first start last week, throwing 3 interceptions against the Cowboys. So with both sides not looking in the best of form, this should be a low scoring, divisional affair. The Eagles offence is scoring just 20.9 points per game and have been cruelled with injury in the running game. Meanwhile, the Redskins are 27th in the NFL for points scored and it's doubtful McCoy's offence can score enough points on the road in Philadelphia.
Stadium Record
The Eagles have been up and down at home this season with a 3-3 record. Washington lost 24-24 in their last game at this venue.
Head to Head Record
Since 2010, the Eagles and Redskins have both won 8 games against each other. Looking back to last season, the Eagles clean swept the Redskins in the 2 meetings.
Best Bet
Other NFL Week 13 Tips:
| Game | Venue | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta | OVER 46.5 points $1.73 |
| Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals | Cincinnati | Broncos -3.5 $1.82 |
| Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions | Detroit | Rams -8.5 $1.87 |
| Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers | Green Bay | UNDER 46.5 points $1.74 |
| Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins | Miami Gardens | Bills +5.5 $1.91 |
| Chicago Bears at New York Giants | East Rutherford | Bears WIN $1.48 |
| Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa | OVER 52.5 points $1.62 |
| Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars | Jacksonville | UNDER 48.5 points $1.85 |
| Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans | Houston | OVER 48.5 points $1.96 |
| New York Jets at Tennessee Titans | Nashville | OVER 40.5 points $1.91 |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders | Oakland | Raiders +15.5 $1.82 |
| San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks | Seattle | UNDER 46.5 points $1.87 |
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