Top Five NFL Picks for Week 13 (guest post)

There are just five more weeks of regular season, starting with Week 13. The playoff pictures look murky right now as five of the 12 teams holding postseason spots are just one game over .500 or worse. Expect plenty more musical chairs this Sunday as we circle our five NFL picks of the week.

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

Spread: Packers -3

The Packers have dropped four of their last five, including a 16-18 loss to the Lions on November 15. The Lions have won three in a row and four of five after mauling Philadelphia on Thanksgiving. This is a must-win for the Packers if they want to stay in the hunt for the playoffs, so expect them to show up to play.

Pick: Packers -3

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans

Spread: Titans -2.5

The Jaguars have been feisty, but they’ve still had a tough time against quality opponents. The good news is that the Titans are not in that caliber. The combined record of the four opponents they’ve defeated is 15-29. The Titans have lost three in a row, including a 19-13 loss in Jacksonville two weeks ago, and have now dropped nine of their last 10. The Titans might be at home in this one, but Jacksonville has been the more competent of the two teams. Roll with them.

Pick: Jaguars +2.5

Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams

Spread: Cardinals -6

The Cardinals suffered a bit of a letdown after huge wins against Seattle and Cincinnati; however, the Cards still managed to edge out San Francisco on the road. The Rams didn’t have the same luck against the Bengals – they were pounded in Cincinnati and have now lost four in a row. It has gotten so bad that the media questioned the team’s effort following last week’s loss. That caused Rams’ coach Jeff Fisher to use some choice words for his team’s critics. The Rams are 3-2 at home this season and should have more pep in their step after last week’s poor effort.

Pick: Rams +6

New York Jets @ New York Giants

Spread: Jets -2

The Jets routed Miami to keep their playoff hopes alive, and meanwhile the Giants continued to be miserable, losing for the third time in four games. There is no home field advantage this week, as both teams play at MetLife Stadium. The Giants’ offensive line is so banged up that it’s tough to trust them to get anything done against a quality defense.

Pick: Jets -2

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins

Spread: Redskins -4.5

The Cowboys saw their season go down the drain when they lost Tony Romo to another broken collarbone over Thanksgiving. Matt Cassel will take over, which means the Cowboys will struggle to score points and win games. This is the first meeting of the season for these rivals (they play on January 3 as well). With Romo, the Cowboys are the better team, but the Cowboys are basically 0-8 without Romo, and the Redskins have won five straight at home. Take Washington.

Pick: Redskins -4.5