The best underdogs to bet in Week 13

A lot of teams with bad records continued to pile up losses last week. One of them was the Giants, who fell to 2-9 in a close loss to the Bears. Saquon Barkley had another quiet performance, turning his 17 carries into only 59 yards. Daniel Jones threw for two touchdowns, but he was held to 150 yards through the air. Meanwhile, the much-maligned Mitchell Trubisky provided two touchdowns for the Bears in their eventual 19-14 victory.

The Broncos also laid an egg in their 20-3 loss to the Bills to drop their record to 3-8. Brandon Allen couldn’t get anything going through the air, completing only 10 of 25 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. The Bills unleashed rookie running back Devin Singletary, who rewarded them with 106 yards on 21 carries. Josh Allen recorded two touchdown passes while chipping in 56 yards on the round. With the win, the Bills improved to an impressive 8-3.

One team who pulled off somewhat of a surprising win was Washington, who topped the Lions by the score of 19-16. The main reason it was a surprise is that Washington entered the contest 1-9. However, the Lions weren’t exactly at full strength with Matthew Stafford (back) still out. Jeff Driskel was picked off three times playing in his place and Washington also used a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Steven Sims Jr. to pull out the victory.

As we turn our attention towards Week 13, we already have three games in the book after Thursday’s Thanksgiving slate. Among the remaining contests is a great matchup on Monday Night Football between the Vikings and Seahawks. If you’re looking to take a chance on some more underdogs, here are three who are worth considering.

Dolphins (+10) vs. Eagles (O/U 44.5)

Injuries haven’t done them any favors, but the Eagles have been a disappointment at 5-6. Their defense has held opponents to 17 points or fewer in four straight games, but their lack of offense left them with just a 2-2 record during that stretch. Carson Wentz did record a touchdown pass in the closing minute against the Seahawks last week, but he struggled, overall, in their 17-9 loss.

After pulling off back-to-back wins against the Jets and Colts, the Dolphins have fallen back into the pit of despair the last couple of weeks. First, they loss to the Bills by 17 points at home. Then last week, they fell to the Browns by 17 points on the road. They had no answer for Baker Mayfield, who threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

This is a favorable matchup for the Eagles to get back in the win column, but this is an awfully large spread given their struggle to score points lately. The Dolphins haven’t been much better, but they have at least averaged 21.5 points across their last four games. Given this big number, taking the points might be the way to go.

49ers (+5.5) at Ravens (O/U 46.5)

The 49ers have had a pretty easy schedule, but they’ve taken advantage of it in a big way. They entered their matchup against the Packers with a 9-1 mark, although this figured to be one of the biggest tests of the season. To say that they passed would be an understatement. They steamrolled Aaron Rodgers and company by a final score of 37-8. Rodgers finished with a measly 104 passing yards while Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

As good as the 49ers have been, the Ravens have been just as impressive. They entered Week 12 having played three of their last four games against the Seahawks, Patriots and Texans. Not only did they emerge victorious all three times, but they won each contest by at least 14 points. They then kept their hot streak going against the Rams, blowing them out 45-6 on Monday Night Football. Lamar Jackson was as good as it gets with five touchdowns, further making his case to be the league’s MVP.

It doesn’t get much better than this matchup. The Ravens are certainly battle tested given their recent tough schedule and the 49ers will have their work cut out for them trying to slow down Jackson. With that being said, this is a fairly large spread since the 49ers have only lost one game all season. I like the Ravens’ chances to win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t cover.

Bengals (+3) vs. Jets (O/U 41)

The Jets have picked themselves up off the mat to win three straight games. That streak included a 34-3 trouncing of the Raiders last week. Sam Darnold once again put on an impressive performance, throwing for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, their defense capped off their stellar effort with a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

In one of the more uninspiring games of Week 12, the Bengals suffered yet another loss, this time at the hands of the Steelers. They did carry a 7-3 lead into the half, but Ryan Finley once again struggled by completing only 12 of 26 passes for 192 yards. The score was tied at 10 apiece heading into the fourth, but the Steelers used their defense and two field goals from Chris Boswell to earn the win.

With how poorly Finley has played, the Bengals announced that they are making the move back to Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback. Although they didn’t win a game with him under center, either, he at least makes them a little more dangerous. The team should be motivated with him back at the helm and they do have the advantage of this game being at home, so could they actually win their first game of the season? They might, so I’ll take my chances and go with the points.

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