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Week 13 has almost nothing that looks important and a great deal that is. Eight of the fourteen games are conference games: no head-to-head to win, but every one of them moves the record that separates teams level on wins in January.
Baltimore, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and the Jets are out. December starts here, and with it the part of the season where the weather is an input rather than a description.
NFL Week 13 at a Glance
- Eight conference games of fourteen, the seeding week nobody calls one
- Four byes: Ravens, Colts, Raiders, Jets
- Only two division games, the fewest since week 9
- December football: outdoor fields in the north start mattering
The Take: Seeding, quietly
Conference record is the second tiebreaker in the NFL’s order, applied the moment head-to-head cannot separate two teams. It is decided in weeks exactly like this one and discussed in none of them.
Our view: a conference game in December is worth more than a cross-conference game in December, and the market prices them identically. If you are choosing between two similar bets, that is the tiebreaker.
Every Game, and What Actually Decides It
Thursday, December 3 · 8:15 PM ET
Interconference
A game between conferences: one result, no consequences beyond the column it lands in. 2 time zones west for the visitor. The body clock reads later than the scoreboard, and that is the friendlier version of this trip. We are interested in this one late, not early.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Conference
A conference game. Nothing head-to-head to win, but conference record separates teams level on wins. Under a roof that opens when it suits, so the forecast is a choice rather than a condition. We think the honest answer is that this one is close, and close games are where prices get lazy.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Interconference
Cross-conference, so nothing here settles a tiebreaker, which is exactly why it gets overread. Chicago in the cold months, outdoors, where the passing game gets simpler whether anyone plans it that way or not. Our view: the number will move more than the matchup warrants.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Divisional
First of two in the division, which makes it the half of the pair where information is worth most. Outdoors in Cleveland, in the part of the season where the forecast is a genuine input rather than colour. Our read: the line that opens is not the line that settles, and the gap is the whole edge.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Interconference
Non-conference, played once every four years by rotation, so neither side has much recent tape on the other. An outdoor field in Tennessee at this time of year. Weather is not scene-setting here, it is a condition of the game. We would take the home side’s price more seriously than the home side’s reputation.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Conference
Conference game, and those are the quiet ones that decide seeding three months later. Played indoors under a roof that does not open, so the weather is out of it entirely. The obvious side is the popular side, and those are not always the same bet.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Conference
In-conference, which matters in January rather than now: it is the record that breaks ties between strangers. 3 time zones east, into an earlier body clock than the one they practised in all week. We would leave this alone until the injury report lands.
Sunday, December 6 · 1:00 PM ET
Interconference
Across conferences, which usually means two unfamiliar teams and a market leaning on reputation to fill the gap. 3 hours east for the visitor. Nobody notices it in warm-ups; it turns up in the fourth quarter. Our view: wait for the number rather than the news.
Sunday, December 6 · 4:05 PM ET
Conference
In conference. No rematch, no head-to-head to settle, just a number in a column that decides a bye in January. Mile High, and the thin air is the rare home-field claim with something measurable behind it. Our view: this is the sort of game people are certain about for no good reason.
Sunday, December 6 · 4:05 PM ET
Conference
Within the conference. It will not look important until two teams finish level. Heading 2 zones west. Kickoff feels late to the travelling side, which is the version of jet lag nobody complains about. We would want a reason to be on the favourite here beyond the fact that they are the favourite.
Sunday, December 6 · 4:25 PM ET
Conference
Conference, not division: no rematch to correct it, which makes the single result heavier than it feels. A closed roof: no wind, no rain, no excuse in either direction. Our read: the total tells you more about what the books expect than the side does.
Sunday, December 6 · 4:25 PM ET
Divisional
The return game in the division. It is the fixture most likely to look nothing like the first one. Outdoors in New England, in the part of the season where the forecast is a genuine input rather than colour. Our view: the public will be on one side of this by Friday, and that is worth knowing before Sunday.
Sunday, December 6 · 8:20 PM ET
Conference
Conference game. The winner takes a game the loser cannot get back from anywhere else. An outdoor field in Pittsburgh at this time of year. Weather is not scene-setting here, it is a condition of the game. We would rather have the points here than the opinion.
Monday, December 7 · 8:15 PM ET
Conference
Same conference, no tiebreaker, but it moves the conference record that seeds the bracket. 2 time zones west for the visitor. The body clock reads later than the scoreboard, and that is the friendlier version of this trip. Our read: this is a total to look at before it is a side.
NFL Week 13 Schedule and Kickoff Times
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Matchup | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 3 | 8:15 PM | Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams | Interconference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears | Interconference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns | Divisional |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Washington Commanders at Tennessee Titans | Interconference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 1:00 PM | Los Angeles Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Interconference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 4:05 PM | Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 4:05 PM | Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 4:25 PM | Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings | Conference |
| Sunday, December 6 | 4:25 PM | Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots | Divisional |
| Sunday, December 6 | 8:20 PM | Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers | Conference |
| Monday, December 7 | 8:15 PM | Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks | Conference |
When the Week 13 Numbers Land
Spreads, totals and moneylines go up on each game’s own page as soon as the books open the market, in practice about three days out, which for this week means the early part of the week beginning December 3. Our free pick on every game follows on the same schedule, and this page is updated with it. Every live NFL prediction is here, in kickoff order, moving as the numbers move.
NFL Week 13 Betting FAQs
Which teams are on a bye in NFL Week 13?
Baltimore, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and the New York Jets.
What is the NFL’s second tiebreaker?
For teams in the same division it is head-to-head, then division record; between teams from different divisions, conference record does the separating.
How many Week 13 games are conference games?
Eight of the fourteen, the highest share on any card this season.
