NFL Week 13 Odds: 5 best bets against the spread
By Brad Rowland
Miami Dolphins (-3.5) over Baltimore Ravens
This is the rare “fade the public” pick that happens to be on a favorite. The Dolphins have been generally wretched all season, and it seems odd that they would be favored over any team in the league, much less one that just got a very public win on Monday night.
However, nearly 70% of the action is on Baltimore and the line is going… up. The Dolphins aren’t very good right now and that is indisputable, but I like Miami having a new play-caller this week and likely getting back to the running game. More than that, though, this is a play against Matt Schaub on the road, and Baltimore is still a bad football team that happened to luck into a win over the lowly Browns. Don’t be fooled.
St. Louis Rams (+6) over Arizona Cardinals
The Rams have lost four straight, and the shine is off Jeff Fisher’s team right now. On the flip side, the Cardinals are cooking with a 9-2 record that includes a 5-1 mark on the road. Go against everything you are (naturally) thinking and take the home underdog.
You know the drill here. Arizona is getting more than 80% of the action (via Sports Insights) and that makes all of the sense in the world with less than a touchdown to lay. Still, the line has actually dipped from the opening spread in most places, and that is a general indication that the sharps are in lockstep with the underdog in their own building.
Taking Jeff Fisher isn’t fun, but St. Louis is the right side if you can get this kind of candy.
Next: Texans-Bills and Chiefs-Raiders