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NFL odds Week 13: Opening Lines, Sharp Money & Line Movement
Patrick Everson
The Rams' Aaron Donald and the Cardinals' Kyler Murray will get reacquainted in a Week 13 matchup that has both teams needing a win. The SuperBook opened Los Angeles a 2.5-point road favorite.
NFL Week 12 still has two matchups left, on Monday night and Tuesday night, but NFL Week 13 odds stop for no one and are already getting some action. Among the noteworthy matchups: an AFC clash between the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, and an NFC West battle pitting the Los Angeles Rams against the Arizona Cardinals.
The SuperBook's John Murray provided insights on NFL Week 13 opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting.
Teams on bye: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers
Cowboys at Ravens Odds
Opening line
OFF, Over/Under OFF
Why the line moved
This game was supposed to be the Week 13 Thursday nighter, but the Ravens-Steelers Week 12 game – originally set for Thanksgiving night – won't be played until Tuesday, due to Baltimore's COVID issues. So Week 13 will have two Monday games, the Cowboys-Ravens at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the regularly scheduled Bills-49ers contest.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson's Week 13 status is uncertain due to his positive COVID test, so The SuperBook is not posting this game until there's more clarity.
Lions at Bears Odds
Opening line
Bears -3, Over/Under TBA
Why the line moved
The Lions tumbled to Houston 41-25 at home on Thanksgiving and on Saturday fired coach Matt Patricia. On Sunday night, the Bears got thumped at Green Bay 41-25. The SuperBook opened Lions-Bears at Chicago -3 and quickly scooted to -3.5 early Sunday evening. Per standard operating procedure, the game then came off the board once the Bears-Packers Sunday night meeting began, and the line will go back up Monday morning.
Bengals at Dolphins Odds
Opening line
Dolphins -11.5, Over/Under 43
Why the line moved
Miami had no issues with the still-winless New York Jets, winning 20-3 on the road Sunday, while Cincinnati was respectable, minus Joe Burrow, in a 19-17 home loss to the New York Giants. Still, the Dolphins are not the Giants, and as such, The SuperBook opened Miami -11.5. There was no line movement through Sunday night.
Colts at Texans Odds
Opening line
Texans +2.5, Over/Under 55
Why the line moved
Indianapolis took a beating at the hands of Tennessee in Week 12, losing 45-26 at home Sunday. Meanwhile, Houston is coming off a mini-bye after bouncing host Detroit 41-25 on Thanksgiving.
"We opened Colts -2.5 and are still there," Murray said Sunday night. "The Colts' defense got torched in the first half today. We're going to keep a close eye on the Colts' injury report. They were missing some key guys on defense today, and it showed."
Jaguars at Vikings Odds
Opening line
Vikings -9.5, Over/Under 51
Why the line moved
Minnesota's offense had turnovers on consecutive plays Sunday, and both were returned for touchdowns, yet the Vikings still managed a 28-27 victory over visiting Carolina, winning on a last-minute touchdown. Jacksonville kept it interesting as a touchdown underdog to Cleveland, losing 27-25 at home. The SuperBook opened the Vikes -9.5, and there was no line movement Sunday night.
Washington at Steelers Odds
Opening line
Steelers -10, Over/Under TBA
Why the line moved
Pittsburgh still has Week 12 work to do, and in fact can't do that work until Tuesday in the multi-delayed matchup against Baltimore. Washington will be much more rested, coming off a stunning 41-16 road wipeout of Dallas on Thanksgiving. The SuperBook opened the Steelers -10, and there was no line movement Sunday night.
Raiders at Jets Odds
Opening line
Jets +8.5, Over/Under 46.5
Why the line moved
Las Vegas laid a fat Week 12 egg in Atlanta, getting boat raced 43-6, but winless New York (0-11 SU) could be the cure. The hapless Jets fell to Miami 20-3. However, it appears early bettors were much less impressed by the Raiders' awful showing, as this line is already down a point to -7.5 Sunday night.
Saints at Falcons Odds
Opening line
Falcons +3, Over/Under 47.5
Why the line moved
New Orleans is 2-0 in the Taysom Hill era, with at least another two games to go before Drew Brees (ribs) can get back under center. The Saints coasted to a 31-3 road victory over the quarterback-less Broncos, while Atlanta pounded visiting Las Vegas 43-6. New Orleans opened -3 at The SuperBook, and the only movement Sunday night was a price adjustment to Saints -3 (-120).
Browns at Titans Odds
Opening line
Titans -4, Over/Under 53
Why the line moved
Tennessee waltzed over host Indianapolis 45-26 in Week 12, while Cleveland hung on for a 27-25 road win over Jacksonville. The Titans are atop the AFC South at 8-3, and the Browns (8-3) occupy the top wild-card slot.
"We opened this one Titans -4 and are still there," Murray said Sunday evening. "Incredible performance by the Titans today. I think the public will be pretty heavily on them here."
Giants at Seahawks Odds
Opening line
Seahawks -9, Over/Under TBA
Why the line moved
Seattle still has Week 12 work to do, traveling to face Philadelphia in the Monday nighter, while New York squeaked by host Cincinnati 19-17 Sunday. The SuperBook opened the Seahawks -9, and there was no movement through Sunday night.
Rams at Cardinals Odds
Opening line
Cardinals +2.5, Over/Under 49
Why the line moved
Los Angeles rallied from a 17-3 deficit against visiting San Francisco on Sunday, but ultimately lost 23-20 on a final-seconds field goal. Arizona went to New England as a short favorite and left with a 20-17 loss, also on a final-seconds field goal.
"We opened Rams -2.5 and are still there," Murray said. "The Rams will be a fairly public side, but I expect to see bets come in both ways here. The Cardinals really gave that game away today to New England. Both teams need this game to keep pace in the playoff race."
Eagles at Packers Odds
Opening line
Packers -7, Over/Under TBA
Why the line moved
Green Bay rolled over Chicago 41-25 in the Week 12 Sunday nighter, while Philly is set to host Seattle in the Monday nighter. Eagles-Packers opened Green Bay -7 at The SuperBook and had no movement before coming off the board once the Packers kicked off against the Bears.
"There could be significant line movement either way, depending on how those games play out," Murray said, alluding to the Week 12 Sunday and Monday night games. "Having said that, we will need the Eagles."
Patriots at Chargers Odds
Opening line
Pick, Over/Under 48.5
Why the line moved
New England nabbed a last-second 20-17 home win over Houston in Week 12, while Los Angeles fell 27-17 on the road against Buffalo. The line moved shortly after going up Sunday, from pick 'em to Chargers -1.
Broncos at Chiefs Odds
Opening line
Chiefs -14, Over/Under 49
Why the line moved
Kansas City led Tampa Bay 17-0 in the first quarter and 27-10 midway through the third quarter, then hung on for a 27-24 road win in Week 12. Due to COVID protocols, Denver had no actual quarterbacks available, elevating practice-squad wideout Kendall Hinton, and it showed in a 31-3 home loss to New Orleans.
Presumably, the Broncos will have starting QB Drew Lock back on the field in Week 13, though it might not matter much against the defending Super Bowl champion. The Chiefs opened -14 at The SuperBook and actually ticked down a notch to -13.5 Sunday night.
Bills at 49ers Odds
Opening line
49ers +3, Over/Under 47.5
Why the line moved
San Francisco notched a surprising 23-20 road victory over the Los Angeles Rams, winning on a last-second field goal. Buffalo prepped for the Week 13 Monday nighter with a 27-17 home win over the L.A. Chargers.
"We opened Bills -3 and are now at Bills -3 (even)," Murray said, before taking note of the new COVID regulation in Santa Clara County, Calif., that could keep this game from being played on the Niners' home field. "This game will be action at our book regardless of where the game takes place. The 49ers are getting healthy and are probably better than people think right now, but the public will be all over the Bills here."
NFL Betting Tips for Week 13: Bet Now or Bet Later
Jason Logan
Yeah, we know the Steelers have a game to play before facing Washington. But there are more potential negatives than positives that will influence the Week 13 odds, so we're grabbing all the points we can with the WFT.
The post-Thanksgiving NFL landscape is a very challenging one for football bettors.
December’s schedule not only brings chilly temperatures and erratic weather but playoff pushes, missing motivation, coaches on the hot seat, a season’s worth of wear and tear, and – special for 2020 – COVID-19 outbreaks.
There’s so much more to consider when betting the NFL Week 13 odds. But despite all those additional influences, the best NFL betting strategy remains: get the best of the number. That means knowing when to pull the trigger on your wagers.
These are our best NFL betting tips for the Week 13 lines to bet now, and the lines to bet later.
Washington Football Team (+10) at Pittsburgh Steelers: Bet Now
Thanks to Baltimore’s COVID outbreak, Washington catches Pittsburgh on a short Week 13 turnaround. The Steelers, who were supposed to battle the Ravens on Thanksgiving Thursday, play their AFC North rivals Tuesday (fingers crossed) leaving little time to prep for a feisty Football Team out of D.C.
As of Sunday night – two days away from that Ravens-Steelers game – Washington is catching 10 points on the road in Pittsburgh this Sunday. The Football Team played on Thanksgiving – a huge win at Dallas – and now reaps the benefits of that mini bye against the top team in the AFC.
There are not many positives that can come out of the Steelers’ Tuesday contest, beyond beating up on a shorthanded Baltimore squad, and that’s not going to be enough to lift this spread any higher. And with a trip to Buffalo in Week 14, Washington gets Pittsburgh in a dreaded sandwich spot: letdown from a wild week and rivalry game and looking ahead to a battle with the Bills.
Take all the points you can with Washington now (also because this line will come off the board come Tuesday). The WFT has covered in four of its last six and is well-rested in Week 13.
New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers (+1): Bet Later
We’ve seen this from the Patriots already this year. New England skitters along and then posts one big win and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. How else can you explain the Pats moving from as big as +2.5 to +1 for their cross-country trip to L.A. this Sunday? Well, besides the Chargers playing shit football…
New England ground out an ugly 20-17 home victory over Arizona in Week 12 and that’s helping push this spread close to a pick’em. The Patriots are 1-4 ATS on the road and fell into a similar situation at Houston in Week 11, fresh off a big home win over Baltimore the following game.
Say what you want about Anthony Lynn – and people are – but he does know Bill Belichick very well from his time in the AFC East with the Jets and Bills. The L.A. passing attack can scorch that fancy new turf at SoFi Stadium and New England gives up 9.2 yards per pass attempt on the road—dead last in the NFL.
The Chargers have come up short for sports bettors in five straight but if you’re buying the Bolts at home in Week 13, wait it out and see if you can get a pick (or even points) by the time this game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins (Under 42.5): Bet Now
The Burrow-less Bengals looked how we thought they would, putting up only 17 points in a home loss to the New York Giants this past weekend. Cincinnati second-stringer Brandon Allen completed 17 of 29 passes for 136 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Cincinnati was three for 10 on third downs and picked up only 3.4 yards per play in that game, and now takes on a Dolphins squad that's second-best in third-down defense, allowing foes to convert on less than 34 percent of their third-down snaps. On top of that, Miami is a stop unit rooted in havoc, generating 17 takeaways on the year, including two interceptions in Sunday’s victory over the Jets.
Offensively, the Fins aren’t fantastic—no matter which QB is under center. Ryan Fitzpatrick has jumped back into the fray in relief of the injured Tua Tagovailoa (thumb) and may need to lace up that beard one more time in Week 13. Miami has managed a combined 33 points the past two games with an offense in the bottom third of DVOA, per Football Outsiders. If you’re bracing for another boring game, bet the Under now as this total has started to tick down from 43 to 42.5 points.
Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans (Under 53): Bet Later
Derrick Henry ran up one side of the Indianapolis Colts and down the other, helping Tennessee drop 45 points on its divisional rival in Week 12. That ass waxing has inflated this Week 13 total and continues to puff it up with early action on the Over moving the number from 52 to 53 points.
Let’s not take anything away from Henry’s performance this past Sunday but the Browns present a pretty stout ground game as well. Cleveland’s two-headed RB monster of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt is the best rushing combo in the NFL, helping the Browns boast the No. 1 average run yards per game.
There’s no shortage of home run hitters on both sides but the team that wins will be the team that's able to transform all those gains on the ground into sweet, sweet TOP (time of possession), each hoping to protect a suspect stop unit. On top of that, Cleveland could get pass rusher extraordinaire Myles Garrett back from the COVID list in time for Week 13. If you wonder about the Under, chill the F out and let this tick a little higher before you get down.