Mark Craig's Week 13 NFL picks against the spread. Knockout punch to Packers?

December 2, 2022 at 5:23AM
This weekend could be an eventful one for the Green Bay Packers and their fans. (Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Da Bears have been the NFL's winningest franchise since posting 10 victories in 1920, when the first-year league was known as the American Professional Football Association and the Bears were called the Decatur Staleys.

Well, that can change — and will, says this NFL guesstimator — if the Bears lose to the Packers on Sunday in a battle of NFC North also-rans.

The Packers, who joined the league a year later than the Bears, are tied with Chicago at 786 regular-season wins.

In other news, the Vikings can officially dethrone the Packers in the division with a win over the Jets and a Lions loss or tie against Jacksonville, or a tie against the Jets and a Lions loss.

Here are this week's picks:

THURSDAY'S GAME

Bills (-4 ½) at Patriots: The Bills and Josh Allen haven't looked quite like themselves while sputtering along at 2-2 the past month. This feels like the time they'll remind us just how powerful they can be. Bills 31, Patriots 20

SUNDAY'S TOP GAMES

Jets (+3) at Vikings: Robert Saleh has the Jets playing with a swagger they haven't shown since Rex Ryan was walking the sideline. Mike White added another layer of underdog grit and carefree looseness with his fourth career start and first this season in last week's rout of the Bears. And the Jets also are 4-1 on the road. The Vikings, however, are the better team with the better quarterback. Ed Donatell's inconsistent pass rush steps up enough against White for the Vikings to get another one-score win. Vikings 30, Jets 22

Chiefs (-2 ½) at Bengals: Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow will go touchdown-for-touchdown until Mahomes wins the rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game and reminds us not to hand the MVP trophy to Jalen Hurts just yet. Chiefs 41, Bengals 34

Dolphins (+3 ½) at 49ers: The Dolphins have won four straight while scoring 30 or more points each time. The 49ers have won four straight while allowing fewer than 17 points each time. Tua is too hot for the league's top-ranked defense. Dolphins 34, 49ers 31

THE REST

Jaguars (-1 ½) at Lions: Jaguars by 3

Packers (-4) at Bears: Packers by 6

Seahawks (-7 ½) at Rams: Seahawks by 7

Broncos (+8 ½) at Ravens: Ravens by 10

Titans (+5 ½) at Eagles: Eagles by 7

Commanders (-1 ½) at Giants: Giants by 3

Steelers (-1 ½) at Falcons: Steelers by 3

Chargers (-1 ½) at Raiders: Chargers by 3

Colts (+10 ½) at Cowboys: Cowboys by 14

MONDAY'S GAME

Saints (+3 ½) at Buccaneers: Tom Brady falls to 5-7 and … STILL STANDS ATOP THE NFC SOUTH?! Saints 27, Buccaneers 21

UPSET SPECIAL

Browns (-7) at Texans: Every downtrodden Cleveland vibe from the past half century – and possibly some good, old-fashioned karma — is screaming, "Texans upset Browns in Deshaun Watson's Cleveland debut against his former team (not to mention his first live action in two years)"!! Texans 28, Browns 25

Last week's Upset Special: Packers (+6 ½) 34, Eagles 30. Score: Eagles 40, Packers 33. Record: 3-9.

SEASON RESULTS

Straight up last week/season: 9-7/98-69-1.

Against the spread last week/season: 6-10/87-89-2.

Vikings picks: 6-5.

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

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