Loot Levinson

The 49ers are in rough shape. For them not to be competitive against a spiraling Tampa bunch is a testament to how bad things are going into week 13. Nick Mullens offered some early promise at quarterback, but has thrown two picks in each of his last two games and the luster is long gone. The story of this team has been injuries. Then just this past week, Rueben Foster went from a difference-maker on defense to getting cut after another transgression. Is this the point where the 49ers give up? This idea can make getting even 10 points from your sportsbook seem like not enough.

So far this season, Pittsburgh has responded well to bad situations. After winning only one of their first four games of the season, they were able to alter course dramatically, winning 6 straight and have not failed to cover the spread once in that period. The last few weeks have seen the Steelers slacking off a bit. First came a close win against Jacksonville where they were half-dead for the first three quarters of the game. Against Denver, four turnovers and a general sagging in overall energy was responsible for the defeat. Does the Pittsburgh roller coaster climb back to the win column and so by 4 points?

With almost every NFL team, there are going to be peaks and valleys. The Raiders have been awful—there is no debate. But they managed to beat the Cardinals on the road a few weeks back. They dominated most of the first half against the Chargers the game before. And, against Baltimore on the road last week, they took a 7-0 lead and trailed only 13-10 at halftime. So, it’s not like they’re getting run over every time out. When looking at those efforts the 15 points bookmakers are offering looks a little juicy.

This season hasn’t gone according to script for the Lions, sitting at 4-7 and basically out of contention. Detroit is just a team taking up space. They have jumped up from time to time, with their wins coming against some good teams like New England and Carolina, along with decent teams like Miami and Green Bay. But more often than not, they fall flat as they did at home against the Bears last Thursday. Still, they were in it until the end. The big games have bettors looking at betting the +9.5 at their sportsbook. Should you? Loot makes his prediction.

The one thing the Cardinals have going for them is a nice defense against the pass. After Rivers threw for over 400 yards last week, they will be pushed to their limits. Unfortunately for them, their run-defense is maybe the worst in the conference. Even Oakland was able to feast on this “D,” which is a damning indictment if there ever was one. With the Chargers able to run the ball well, especially with star back Melvin Gordon, it looms as a major matchup problem. But is it a 12 point problem? LL looks at the match up and the 11.5 point spread.

This Chicago defense is for real. Their front-seven is immense, with one of the best run-stopping groups up-front. And with Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, and Leonard Floyd at linebacker, they make a lot of plays. Mack has shown what he can do when the field is balanced with other star players around him. This might be the best Chicago “D” since they won the Super Bowl over 30 years ago. Will the Bears shut down the Lions or will the Lions manage to score like they did a few weeks ago? LL has your Thanksgiving pick!