Hello, TWHS fam! I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving filled with good eats and even better people. I am thankful for all the long-time readers and friends of the site, as well as the new readers that stop by and hopefully stick around. I’ll tell you what, I’m pretty confident I set a calorie intake record for 2024, considering the two types of pie, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, craft beer, red wine, and whatever else found its way to my plate this year. The tryptophan coma is real… and it’s spectacular? Let’s hope these picks are spectacular, too. I do regret not taking any of the Thanksgiving games, because my gut reaction (and stat checks) would have landed me a 3-0 record against the spread. Oh well. Let’s hope this block of takes lands me in a similar spot. We are onto our Week 13 NFL Top Picks and CFB bets against the spread.

And again, if any of you have cashed in on this year’s picks, let me know in the comments. Better yet, click on any of the Fanatics related ads and buy yourself some team gear of your choice. We get a piece of that pie if you use the TWHS affiliate links and ads. Wink, wink… nudge, nudge.

Pick Your Knows

Confident with your own picks? Think you know who will cover? Go ahead, “pick your knows”.

This is a season long contest with potential prizes going out to our winners, so if you want to join in on the fun, drop a comment here at The Wife Hates Sports… or over at the land of the SportsChump.  We take our top five games of the week against the spread. If you beat us and go undefeated, that leads to fun prizes and heaps of praise on our websites.

Here are our TOP FIVE Best Bets for the week, including my Week 13 NFL Top Picks and College Football Best Bets. The list is ranked in order of confidence, from 50 “dollars” down to $10.

Week 13 NFL Top Picks and CFB Bets – Rivalry Week Edition

KP’s Picks: The Wife Hates Sports

$50: Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers (-27.5)

Rivalry games often create unexpected results. Yet, for this one, it feels like a safe bet. Indiana suffered its first loss last week, but the playoff is still very much in their sights. Win and there’s a good chance the Hoosiers shock the world and make the first expanded playoff. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers have lost ten straight. Facing top ten teams this season (Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, and Ohio State), Purdue is 0-4 and has been outscored 195-17. That’s next level bad. Indiana ranks 18th in total offense and will face a Purdue defense that ranks 120th in the country, allowing 440.9 yards per game. Again, games on rivalry weekend can surprise, but I just don’t see it in this one. Hoosiers cover at home.

$40: Tennessee Titans (+8) at Washington Commanders

Washington’s offense appears to be in a bit of a funk. Jayden Daniels is getting healthier, but his receivers are dropping more passes in recent weeks. Brian Robinson continues to be banged up and has been limited this week. He’s the bruiser in the Washington run game. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s defense has allowed 3,040 yards in 11 games. Only the Eagles have allowed fewer yards. I can see the Titans defense slowing down a Commanders offense that has failed with consistency, outside of a five minute fourth quarter flourish against the Cowboys last week. This one should be close. Expect a one score game. Give me the Titans and the points on the road.

$30: Kansas Jayhawks (-1.5) at Baylor Bears

I debated for quite some time on this slot. I nearly took one of the Thanksgiving NFL games. Then I nearly pulled the trigger on the Chargers or the Saints. Finally, I landed on the Jayhawks. Kansas has three straight wins, all over ranked teams. That includes Colorado last week (in commanding fashion). The recent hot streak now puts Kansas within reach of a bowl game. One more win and the Jayhawks will be bowl eligible. Statistically, the teams are close in all major categories. But there’s something about confidence, and Kansas has to have a ton of that right now. Jayhawks cover on the road.

$20: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+20) at Georgia Bulldogs

Yes, I stated that I was going to avoid SEC teams like the plague going forward. Old habits die hard. Again, as I said, rivalry games often create surprising results. We all know what’s at stake for the Bulldogs. So let’s just look at the history of the rivalry. Georgia has won 19 of the last 22 games in the rivalry. During that span, the Bulldogs were ranked in 14 of the years. Fifteen of those games were inside 20 points and eleven were one score games. Georgia Tech (7-4) is a good team. The Yellow Jackets rank inside the top 50 in both total offense and defense. I’m not calling upset here, but inside three touchdowns? Absolutely, especially with a heated rivalry. Give me the Yellow Jackets and the points on the road.

$10: Las Vegas Raiders (+13.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

Aidan O’Connell will start for Las Vegas. The Raiders are dead last in the NFL in rushing (821 yards in 11 games), so O’Connell will have his hands full, considering no offensive balance. But this pick is more about the Chiefs. Kansas City is 10-1, yes… but the Chiefs have been in one score games in all but two of their games. I’m a data and trends guy, so I do lean on that stat rather heavily. Then it comes to O’Connell and the rivalry itself. O’Connell played in 11 games last season (12 TD, 7 INT). That included two games against the Chiefs. He’s played in four games this season. Three of the last five games in the rivalry have been one score games. Give me the Raiders and the points on the road.

 

On the Outside Looking In (Other Games I Considered):

  • Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) at New England Patriots – You never know which Patriots team will show up
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans (+7.5) – If it were 10 1/2 points, I’d take it in the top five
  • Oklahoma State Cowboys (+16.5) at Colorado Buffaloes – OU is 66, Cowboys are 133rd in total defense
  • California Golden Bears at SMU Mustangs (-13.5) – Mustangs have playoff in their sights
  • Maryland Terrapins at Penn State Nittany Lions (-25) – Maryland has 12th ranked passing offense
  • Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) at New Orleans Saints – Saints allow a ton of yards
  • Los Angeles Chargers (-1) at Atlanta Falcons – No Dobbins hurts the LA offense, but by how much?

 

Week 13 NFL Top Picks and More: SportsChump

Coming Soon!

Last Week’s Recap: The Wife Hates Sports

  • $50: Detroit Lions (-7) at Indianapolis Colts – CORRECT
  • $40: Colorado Buffaloes (-2.5) at Kansas Jayhawks – INCORRECT
  • $30: Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers – INCORRECT
  • $20: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (-10) – INCORRECT
  • $10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) at New York Giants – CORRECT

Season Stats for Kevin Paul and The Wife Hates Sports (Top Five Only)

  • NFL: 17-11-1 ($210)
  • CFB: 16-14-1 ($220)
  • Overall: 33-25-2 ($430)

Week-by-Week for Kevin Paul and The Wife Hates Sports (Top Five Only)

  • Week 01: NFL: 1-2 ($20) | CFB 1-1 (-$10) | Week: 2-3 ($10) | Overall: 2-3 ($10)
  • Week 02: NFL: 3-0 ($100) | CFB 1-1 (-$10) | Week: 4-1 ($90) | Overall: 6-4 ($100)
  • Week 03: NFL: 1-2 (-$60) | CFB 1-1 ($30) | Week: 2-3 (-$30) | Overall: 8-7 ($70)
  • Week 04: NFL: 0-1 (-$30) | CFB 4-0 ($120) | Week: 4-1 ($90) | Overall: 12-8 ($160)
  • Week 05: NFL: 1-0 ($20) | CFB 2-2 ($50) | Week: 3-2 ($70) | Overall: 15-10 ($230)
  • Week 06: NFL: 2-0-1 ($50) | CFB 2-0 ($90) | Week: 4-0-1 ($140) | Overall: 19-10-1 ($370)
  • Week 07: NFL: 2-0 ($70) | CFB 1-1-1 (-$20) | Week: 3-1-1 ($50) | Overall: 22-11-2 ($420)
  • Week 08: NFL: 2-0 ($70) | CFB 1-2 ($20) | Week: 3-2 ($90) | Overall: 25-13-2 ($510)
  • Week 09: NFL: 2-1 (-$10) | CFB 2-0 ($60) | Week: 4-1 ($50) | Overall: 29-14-2 ($560)
  • Week 10: NFL: 1-1 ($30) | CFB 0-3 (-$80) | Week: 1-4 (-$50) | Overall: 30-18-2 ($510)
  • Week 11: NFL: 0-2 (-$60) | CFB 1-2 ($10) | Week: 1-4 (-$50) | Overall: 31-22-2 ($460)
  • Week 12: NFL: 2-2 ($10) | CFB 0-1 ($40) | Week: 2-3 (-$30) | Overall: 33-25-2 ($430)

 

Chime in with your top picks for the week.  Thank you for visiting The Wife Hates Sports!

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