NFL Week 13 bets: Can Colts get back to winning ways vs. Texans?

Going 6-8 against the spread last week stings. What's worse is going 0-4 in spreads decided by one point, essentially winding up on the wrong side of four straight coin flips. The Ravens, Patriots, Chiefs, and Cardinals all failed to cover by the hook. Let's hope our fortune on these close calls turns around for Week 13.

You can find our Sunday Night Football betting preview between the Broncos and Commanders in a separate article.

👉 Check out all of the Week 13 lines available on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here

🏈 Pick: Saints (+5.5)

Before getting to this particular matchup, let's just say Sunday's lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the week's best games were played on Thanksgiving, and Sunday's early slate may be the ugliest one in a long time.

That said, I'll hesitantly side with the Saints, whose defense is the best unit in this game. That alone should be enough to cover the 5.5-point spread. The Dolphins' defense is among the worst in the league, which helps mitigate any concerns about the Saints' ability to score.

Confidence level: ★★☆☆☆

🏈 Pick: Rams (-10.5)

The Rams are a wagon, and they can't afford to take their foot off the gas in a tight NFC West. Usually, I'd be scared to lay double-digit points with a West Coast team traveling across the country to play a 1 p.m. ET game, but Los Angeles is the Super Bowl favorite for a reason. While the Panthers have played better at home this season, they have yet to face a team as well-rounded as the Rams.

Confidence level: ★★★★☆

🏈 Pick: Texans (+3.5)

The Colts have slowed down after their torrid start. They've lost two of their last three, and Daniel Jones is reportedly playing with a broken right fibula. Any mobility limitations against the Texans' relentless defense are a concern, especially since Will Anderson Jr. returned to practice and is slated to play for Houston. Regardless of who's under center for the Texans, I like their chances to keep this game within a field goal.

Confidence level: ★★★★☆

🏈 Pick: Cardinals (+4.5)

Baker Mayfield will likely play in this game, but he probably shouldn't. The Buccaneers' season will come down to its remaining two games against the Panthers. If they win those, they will secure a playoff spot. Mayfield is one hard hit away from leaving this game and missing more time due to his non-throwing shoulder injury. Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals should be able to move the ball on the Bucs' secondary to score enough points to cover the spread.

Confidence level: ★★★☆☆

🏈 Pick: Titans (+5.5)

The Titans are playing much better football than they were at the beginning of the year. It doesn't show in their 1-10 record, but they've covered the spread in three straight games, which is all we're asking them to do. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and linebacker Arden Key are fully healthy again, bolstering the Titans' defense and keeping them in games. The Jaguars will likely win, but I expect this to be a close battle between division rivals.

Confidence level: ★★☆☆☆

🏈 Pick: Jets (+2.5)

I'll take the home underdog in what should be an ugly, low-scoring game. Kirk Cousins gets the nod again for the Falcons and looked solid in his home start against the Saints. But asking this Falcons team to lay points in any scenario is a tall order, especially on the road. Atlanta is 1-5 as a favorite this season. Tyrod Taylor may have his limitations, but at least he gives the Jets some sort of passing attack, and Justin Fields couldn't.

Confidence level: ★★☆☆☆

🏈 Pick: 49ers (-4.5)

While Shedeur Sanders looked like an improvement over Dillon Gabriel in his first start for the Browns, this spread may be buying into the hype too much. The Browns play better at home, but two weeks ago, they were 7.5-point underdogs in a divisional game at home against the Ravens. The 49ers may not be on the same tier as Baltimore, but this spread is too short, giving too much credit to a bad Cleveland team and not enough to the improving Niners.

Confidence level: ★★★★★

🏈 Pick: Seahawks (-11.5)

This is the ultimate revenge game. Sam Darnold faces a Vikings team that let him walk in free agency and elected to go with J.J. McCarthy, who has significantly underperformed and is now in concussion protocol. The Vikings will start Max Brosmer in a horrible spot on the road in Seattle. The entire Seahawks roster will get up for this game to ensure their quarterback gets a convincing victory.

Confidence level: ★★★★★

🏈 Pick: Steelers (+3.5)

This is the first time all season the Steelers have been underdogs at home, which is always a good time to back them. Since 2007, the year Mike Tomlin was hired as head coach, the Steelers are 22-8-3 against the spread as home underdogs, an astonishing 73.3% cover rate. The Bills haven't been very impressive this season and lost their last two road games to the Texans and Dolphins, failing to score 20 points in either outing.

Confidence level: ★★★☆☆

🏈 Pick: Chargers (-8.5)

The Raiders are about as bad a football team as you can put together at the moment. They've lost five straight. Their only victory since Week 1 happened in Week 6 against the Titans, who are competing with Las Vegas for the first overall pick. The Chargers are coming off a bye, and even though their offensive line has issues, they should be able to smother the Raiders' offense and score more than enough points to cover this spread.

Confidence level: ★★★★☆

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