Here at Fantasy Life, we support scratching your NFL itch in whatever way possible. For some people, that might be betting on spreads. However, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Instead, some people might enjoy picking games without the spread. Pick’em contests—where you simply pick the winner of each game each week—remain a popular way to compete against your friends without having to dive headfirst into the world of sports betting.

Each week, Geoff Ulrich and myself are going to walk you through our favorite ways to approach these contests. Which games should you eat the chalk, where should you look for leverage, and which trendy upsets should you avoid?

With the four Thanksgiving and Black Friday games out of the way, let’s dive into the 12 games for Week 13.

Seahawks at Jets

LaMarca: Seahawks (4/10 confidence). The Seahawks managed to pick up a huge win last week over the Cardinals, propelling them to first place in the NFC West. The Jets will be rested off a bye week, and they do have the advantage with a West Coast team traveling east for a 1 p.m. ET game. Still, I think the Jets are cooked. They’ve already fired the head coach and GM, and it seems like Aaron Rodgers will be next.

Geoff: Seahawks (4/10). I just have no confidence in the Jets. It is a tough spot for Seattle having to be at a rest disadvantage, but the Seahawks hung tough against two division opponents in a row now and are finally playing with a little confidence. They can handle the dysfunctional Jets. 

Steelers at Bengals

LaMarca: Bengals (2/10). The Bengals are up to three-point favorites in this spot, and they’re another team coming off a bye in Week 12. Their offense has been elite all season, and if they can score their usual complement of points vs. the Steelers, I’m not sure that Pittsburgh can keep up. This is also the Bengals’ official last stand; if they lose this week, their playoff chances are officially toast.

Geoff: Bengals (4/10). The Bengals should come out of this bye with a better defensive game plan which is likely all they really need to beat the Steelers—that and for their kicker not to let them down in a huge spot once again. Cincinnati could make things interesting with a win this week, and I think they finally get a W against a team ahead of them in the standings. 

Colts at Patriots

LaMarca: Colts (3/10). The Colts played better than the final score suggested last week vs. the Lions, but Anthony Richardson’s deficiencies as a passer are still hurting this team tremendously. That said, that shouldn’t be a huge issue vs. the Patriots.

Geoff: Colts (6/10). As I said last week, I’m just not sure what the Patriots have to offer. Their run defense has also been failing, so Jonathan Taylor may just take 25 carries and the Colts won’t have to rely on Richardson’s arm much if at all in this spot. 

Cardinals at Vikings

LaMarca: Cardinals (3/10). The Vikings continue to win games, but they’ve been pretty shaky of late. Kyler Murray has an elite track record as an underdog for his career, so he should be able to keep this one close. If they can cover the 3.5-point spread, there’s no reason they can't win the game outright.

Nov 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Geoff: Cardinals (4/10). The more I look at this game, the more I side with the Cardinals as well. They weren’t good off the bye last week, but they did have a divisional game against a tough opponent who was at home the week before. Minnesota has been eking out close games of late, but I could see them struggling with Kyler Murray, who may neutralize some of the pressure they bring on defense with his legs. 

Titans at Commanders

LaMarca: Titans (1/10). Maybe this is too much recency bias, but don’t be surprised if the Titans pull off another upset in Week 13. The Commanders’ offense has struggled for weeks now, and their defense isn’t good enough to help pick up the slack. If Jayden Daniels and company struggle against a better-than-expected Titans D, they’re ripe for the picking.

Geoff: Commanders (2/10). As much as I want to pick the Titans (just like I wanted to take them last week) I do think Jayden Daniels will find a way to get Washington back in the win column. Will Levis is playing better, so I do think this will be a close game, but the Titans are still masters at shooting themselves in the foot and the Commanders so good at clawing out of the jaws of defeat that I still side with the home favorite. 

Texans at Jaguars

LaMarca: Jaguars (2/10). AFC South chaos. This division almost always comes right down to the wire, and we’ve seen some big collapses in recent years. Are the Texans this year’s culprit? Their offense hasn’t shown any real improvement since getting back Nico Collins, while Trevor Lawrence should be back under center for Jacksonville.

Geoff: Texans (3/10). Any other team and I would probably pick against the Texans, as they have a failing O-line and a defense that gives up too many big plays. As tempting as it is, I’ll resist, because even if the Jaguars make this a close game I don’t see their defense doing enough to stop Stroud and Nico Collins from pulling out some late game heroics and stealing another win. 

Chargers at Falcons

LaMarca: Chargers (5/10). The Chargers didn’t come through on Monday vs. the Ravens, but they could have. Quentin Johnston had some terrible drops, which ultimately doomed his team. Still, Justin Herbert continues to play good football, while their defense is one of the best in the league. The Falcons also seem like a bit of a sinking ship.

Geoff: Chargers (5/10). I want to fade Kirk Cousins every chance I get from here on out. The Chargers did play on Monday Night, but they’re the far more well-rounded team and have a big edge at QB. I won’t be shocked if they win convincingly. 

Buccaneers at Panthers

LaMarca: Buccaneers (7/10). The Bucs looked really good last week vs. the Giants with Mike Evans back in the lineup. Granted, that might’ve had more to do with the Giants than the Bucs, with New York basically waving the white flag on the season. The Panthers haven’t quit yet—they gave the Chiefs everything they could handle last week—but the Bucs are still the better team.

Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs on the field agains the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Geoff: Buccaneers (7/10). Give the Panthers and Bryce Young some credit. They took Mahomes to the wire last week. Still, the Buccaneers have been clicking on offense with Bucky Irving igniting the run game, and they got Mike Evans back which is huge for Baker Mayfield’s upside. I don’t think Carolina can keep pace. 

Rams at Saints

LaMarca: Rams (4/10). The Rams are the definition of an average team in my eyes. The Saints have managed to win two straight games, but they’ve gotten some huge contributions from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Taysom Hill in those contests. I don’t think that can continue forever, so I’ll take a league-average team over them most weeks.

Geoff: Rams (2/10). I think this could be a somewhat close and exciting game. We have two veteran QBs with decent weapons against suspect defenses that allow big plays on the regular. I’ll take the Rams, who are healthier, to win a close one, but don’t be shocked if we see a ton of points in this game. 

Eagles at Ravens

LaMarca: Eagles (3/10). The Eagles are for real, folks. They have one of the best defenses in football, and adding Saquon Barkley this offseason has turbocharged their offense. They’re a more complete team than the Ravens, who continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball.

Geoff: Ravens (2/10). The Ravens know they need to play a complete game to beat the Eagles, and they are also due to play a complete game. They got by a trouble spot last week against the Chargers and will face an Eagles team who has been hearing about how good they are all week. Time for Baltimore to assert some authority. 

49ers at Bills

LaMarca: Bills (10/10). Maybe Brock Purdy returns to the lineup this week, but it probably doesn’t matter at this point. The 49ers have had a disastrous season from an injury perspective, and it’s hard to imagine them turning things around now. The Bills are simply too good.

Geoff: Bills (9/10). Yeah, I think you can stick a fork in the 49ers. It’s just to much to ask them to turn everything around in a week, even if they do get Brock Purdy back. Tough spot from a rest perspective as well with the Bills off the bye and at home. Nothing going right for San Francisco. 

Browns at Broncos

LaMarca: Broncos (9/10). The Broncos started the year as an afterthought but were quickly upgraded to scrappy underdog. Now…they might actually be good? They’ve rolled a couple of teams recently, and the Browns aren’t particularly impressive. With Bo Nix and the offense improving on a weekly basis, they should be able to take care of business.

Geoff: Broncos (8/10). The Broncos are the better team to begin with, and now they get the Browns off an emotional division win at home? Their defense likely picks off Jameis Winston a couple of times and potentially wins the game on their own. It’s crazy, I know, but the Broncos are for real and likely prove it again this week.