NFL Survivor League Week 13 Picks: Seahawks In Bounce-Back Spot?
There's potential for good football, which might not be great for survivor leaguers
The NFL's Week 13 slate has the potential to be one of the best thus far. That might not be a good thing for NFL survivor league players, however.
When lines opened Monday, there was not a single double-digit favorite on the betting board, and only three games featured a spread of more than one touchdown. As of Thursday morning, there was one double-digit favorite, with four teams favored by more than one touchdown. NFL survivor leaguers tend to benefit from double-digit favorites, as was the case in Week 12, with both teams favored by 13 or more points covering their respective spreads.
Chances are there wasn't much of a shakeup in Week 12 of survivor leagues with the most popular choices all winning outright. Circa Sports revealed all five of the teams selected in their survivor contest -- the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs -- helped players advance.
With that, here are three teams to pick and three others to avoid in Week 13, with betting odds courtesy of the consensus data on NESNBets.com live odds page.
Teams to pick
(-8) Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos (-375 moneyline)
The Ravens might not be as good as their record indicates, but this is more of a wager against the Broncos. Russell Wilson and the offense continue to be an absolute dumpster fire, and it seems to be causing a divide among players. Denver's defense is good, but Baltimore is more than capable of beating the Broncos at home.
(-7) Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans (-326 moneyline)
Trusting Deshaun Watson in his return is questionable. The quarterback, who has been reinstated from his suspension, hasn't played a snap since the 2020 campaign. But similar to Ravens-Broncos, this is more of a bet against the Texans. Houston just allowed 30 first-half points to the Miami Dolphins in Week 12, and Houston running back Dameon Pierce, for some reason, has had his role reduced these last few weeks.
(-7.5) Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (-370 moneyline)
The Seahawks suffered two straight losses after a tough overtime defeat to the Raiders in Week 11, but it might be a bounce-back spot for Seattle. After all, rumors are swirling that Matthew Stafford might not return for the Rams this season and Sean McVay hasn't yet confirmed who will start behind center against Seattle.
Honorable mention: (-11) Dallas Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts (-564 moneyline)
Teams to avoid
(-5) Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tennessee Titans (-232 moneyline)
If you've held off on the Eagles this long, there's no reason to force it in this spot. Philadelphia, while looking dominant on the ground against the Green Bay Packers on "Sunday Night Football," will go up against one of the league's best run defenses in the Titans. Tennessee has allowed the second-fewest attempts and third-fewest yards per attempt on the ground this season. At this point, you should have the Eagles circled for Week 15 against the Bears.
(-3) Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Jets (-154 moneyline)
This is a spot where the Mike White-led Jets shouldn't be overlooked, especially after watching the Vikings allow the New England Patriots to have their best offensive game of the season on Thanksgiving. New York also has one of the best defenses in the league, ranking fourth in points and sixth in yards allowed. The Vikings have a few usable spots left, with the Lions (Week 14), Packers (Week 17) and Bears (Week 18) remaining on their schedule.
(-4.5) Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (-191 moneyline)
It's really difficult to not pick against the Bears given how they just looked against the Jets, especially with Justin Fields' status in question. But let's remember the Packers just lost seven of their last eight games, too. And while Aaron Rodgers is expected to start after suffering a ribs injury last week, we saw earlier this season how a similar injury to Justin Herbert hindered the signal-caller from playing his best football.
Honorable mention: (-2) Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals (-133 moneyline)
