NFL Betting: Week 13 Recap and Wagering News

There were a slew of close contests in Week 13 and nine of the 16 games were decided by one touchdown or less. While there’s plenty of moving and shaking for the last wild card berth in both conferences, the races at the top were far more intriguing this week.

Top Seeds Still Up For Grabs

As we get closer to playoff time, it’s going to be interesting to see who ends up with the top seeds in each conference. Right now, the races are quite tight.

In the AFC, the NFL betting odds show the Broncos are the favorite to win the conference and it will be a much easier path for them if they secure the top spot. A few weeks ago, many people thought the race for first in the AFC was down to them and Kansas City but that’s no longer the case. If you take a look at the standings, the Broncos are 10-2 and are just one game ahead of…yes, you guessed, the New England Patriots. Remember those Pats, who were supposed to be in flux without Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez? The same Pats who were supposed to sink after losing defensive stalwarts like Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo for the season? Well, they are just one game behind the Broncos and guess what: they have the tiebreaker should they end up with the same record. Neither team faces an opponent that has a winning record the rest of the way.

In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are 11-1, the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers are 9-3. Since the Seahawks beat the Saints on Monday Night Football, they’ve locked up the top spot. The Saints dropped into a tie with Carolina, which opens the door for the Panthers take steal the No. 2 seed in the conference. By the way, the Panthers and Saints still have two meetings left in the final four weeks of the season – including next week on Sunday Night Football.

Those looking for NFL betting tips should note that the Seahawks, Saints, Broncos and Patriots are all still undefeated at home this season (they are the only four teams that have yet to lose at home), so clearly, the top spot in each conference is very valuable.

Totals Betting: Unders Edge Overs

NFL online betting cappers saw the unders come in at an 8-4 clip during the Sunday games. However, people who played overs with their NFL betting picks for the Thanksgiving Day games did great as all three of those contests went above the set total.

Significant Injuries to Note

Joe Staley, San Francisco 49ers

Those betting on the NFL know how important a left tackle can be. 49ers’ bookend Joe Staley went down on Sunday with what’s being called an MCL sprain. He’s expected to miss at least next week’s game.

Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns

Boy, the Browns can’t catch a break with their quarterbacks, can they? Weeden suffered a concussion on Sunday and those who bet on the NFL will have to check-in to the wires midweek for his updated status. Keep in mind that backup Jason Campbell is also recovering from a concussion, which means Alex Tanney is the only healthy quarterback on the roster right now.

Stinging NFL Point Spread Loss of the Week…

Buffalo Bills. So, the Atlanta Falcons were winless on the road this season and came into this game riding a five-game losing streak. Surely, the Bills, with a seven-point fourth quarter lead could put the hapless Falcons away, right? Wrong. The Falcons went on a 65-yard game-tying touchdown drive with just 4:26 remaining. That drive included a 3^rd and 16 conversion from the Bills 16-yard line, which helped tie the game. That blew the 4.5-spread for those NFL football betting cappers that had Buffalo, and for good measure, the Falcons kicked the game winning field goal in overtime to wipe out some teasers in the process.