NFL Picks Week 13: Examining Recent Odds and Expert Predictions: I hope youre ready for football, because some of the best matchups in Week 13 come right away Thursday. While watching football on Thanksgiving is as much of a holiday tradition as eating turkey and listening to your weird uncles stories, the games are usually just blowouts by the Dallas Cowboys and whichever team got to face the Detroit Lions. Fortunately, this year should be different, with all three games having serious playoff implications. With Sunday having four more games between teams with winning records, this has a chance to be one of the best weeks of the NFL season. Here is a look at picks and analysis from myself as well as some of the top experts around the web. Full view of Bleacher Reports expert picks available here. Top Games San Francisco 49ers (-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks This has become the best rivalry in the NFL over the past few seasons, with both teams ensuring every game against each other will be a dogfight. The big story, as it has been with these teams in recent years, is the effort by each defense. The Seahawks and 49ers rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in total yards allowed this season. While each side has lost key players, the remaining players continue to step up and ensure more team success. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL is expecting an extremely low-scoring battle: The question is not just which offense can step up to score points, but which team can make the plays when it matters. Still, ESPNs Paul Gutierrez notes some impressive stats while picking the 49ers to win: Granted, this will be the first meeting between the teams at Santa Claras Levis Stadium, but the Niners have won five straight games at home against the Seahawks in this series. ... Usually, you throw stats out the window in such rivalry games. Not this time. Not with the Niners needing this victory more, what with the Seahawks getting the rematch in Seattle in two weeks. Competing on Thanksgiving night with the pressure on, San Francisco should be able to come through in front of the home crowd. You can be certain the fans will make it a raucous atmosphere, helping Colin Kaepernick and Co. put this team over the top in a close game. New England Patriots (+3) at Green Bay Packers There is very little not to like in this matchup. This already seems like a potential Super Bowl preview, with the two teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in ESPNs power rankings as well as Bleacher Reports Matt Millers power rankings. Of course, Tom Brady remains in the school of Bill Belichick and doesnt want to make this game bigger than it is. He explained on WEEIs Dennis & Callahan show, via ESPNBoston: We are so far from [the Super Bowl]. We have so many games [left]. If we are lucky enough to make it there, no one ever cares who we play. But thats so far down the road. We think about the one game we have ahead of us, which is a good opponent. We have nine wins. Weve done a good job getting ourselves to this position. This is when the weather turns, the mental toughness, the discipline, how much weve improved really comes into play. While the Patriots are not going to look ahead, they cant stop the fans from doing the same and treating this game as an important marker going forward this season. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports likes this matchup for the quarterbacks and believes Aaron Rodgers will get the last laugh: This is a quarterback-lovers dream matchup. Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers for the first time ever. Whats not to like? Green Bay has scored 50 or more the past two times theyve taken the field at Lambeau. They wont get that, but they will win it with Rodgers outgunning Brady. The problem is this analysis discounts an important part of this game: the Patriots rushing attack. Belichick might hate you and your fantasy team, but you can be certain LeGarrette Blount, Shane Vereen or Jonas Gray will have a big game against the Packers No. 30 run defense. This will help the Patriots control the game and keep Rodgers off the field. After seven wins in a row, it is hard to bet against New England, and you should not start now. Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #NFLPredictions #PreviewPrediction
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 17:37:15 +0000
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