NFL Picks 2018: 5 Best Bets Against The Spread For Week 13 Include Browns, Steelers, Redskins

There are a few betting lines in Week 13 that don’t make a ton of sense. Three teams that are below .500 are favored against an opponent that has the same record or even more wins, according to the Las Vegas betting odds. Five home teams are underdogs Sunday, and all of them are getting more than a field goal.

There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to gambling, but here are the five best bets against the spread for Week 13 of the 2018 NFL season:

Cleveland Browns (+5.5)

The Browns have been a much better team since Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired. They’ve got a real chance to pull off the upset and end the Houston Texans’ eight-game winning streak.

Houston has caught a ton of breaks over the last two months, taking advantage of questionable late-game coaching decisions by the Colts and Broncos and facing multiple backup quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield has been terrific with Freddie Kitchens as the offensive coordinator. This could be one of the best games of the week with Mayfield and Deshaun Watson going back and forth and a late score determining the outcome.

Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5)

This is too many points for the Denver Broncos to be laying on the road. The Bengals shouldn’t be getting more than a field goal, making this an easy pick.

The return of A.J. Green will be a major boost to Cincinnati’s offense. Case Keenum has thrown five touchdown passes and four interceptions on the road. Denver’s defense has struggled at times away from home, giving up 27 points in a loss to the Ravens and 34 points in a loss to the Jets. Even when they beat the Chargers two weeks ago, the Broncos gave up 479 yards of offense.

New England Patriots (-5)

The Patriots remain dominant at home, going 5-0 at Gillette Stadium. Their only home win by less than a touchdown was a three-point victory over the Chiefs. New England could win pretty handily Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Cornerback Xavier Rhodes might miss the game with a hamstring injury and wide receiver Stefon Diggs is battling a knee injury. The Vikings have struggled against the best teams on their schedule, losing to the Bears, Rams and Saints by five points or more. Minnesota’s contest with New England will be added to that list.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)

After struggling in the first month of the season, Pittsburgh has played extremely well on both sides of the ball. The Steelers have been particularly good at home, making this a difficult matchup for the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.

L.A. has been defeated by double-digits against both Super Bowl contenders on their schedule. The same could happen Sunday night when they face a Pittsburgh team that has won six games by four points or more. Melvin Gordon’s injury will make it more difficult for the Chargers to keep pace with the Steelers. Six straight “Sunday Night Football” games have been decided by more than a field goal.

Washington Redskins (+6.5)

The Philadelphia Eagles have been overvalued for most of the season, and that remains the case for Monday night’s game. This should be a close, low-scoring affair that’s decided by only a few points.

Colt McCoy could have some success against the NFL’s most banged-up secondary. It’s probably time to stop expecting the Eagles’ offense to return to its 2017 form, considering the team has scored more than 25 points just once in 11 games. The Redskins rank seventh in points allowed.

Season Record: 32-24-4