Both Jeremy and Jeff started with a 1,000 unit bankroll as they go head to head all season long.
Jeff went 1-3 last week as he came up empty on the Steelers, Buccaneers and under Broncos/Patriots. His only winner came on the Vikings. Jeff finished the week minus 60 units. Jeremy dropped his selections as he fell short on the Cardinals, Jaguars, Giants and over Buccaneers/Colts. Jeremy finished the week down 120 units. Jeff was able to extend his season-long lead to 130 units. Can Jeff build on his lead during the five weeks remaining in our season-long contest? Let's get to the picks for Week 13.
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 Jeff Baldwin Record: 30-22Units: 1,310
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 Jeremy Wardwell Record: 29-23Units: 1,180
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| Jets (-2) at Giants - 35 units The Giants came off their bye week flat last week as they fell to the Redskins 20-14. The Jets snapped their two-game losing streak as they defeated the Dolphins at home 38-20. The Giants squandered a golden opportunity to extend their lead in the NFC East. They now look to get back on track as they face a solid Jets team. QB Eli Manning played poorly last week. He woke up in the fourth quarter as he led his team to two touchdowns, but by that time it was too late. I expect Manning to play better here as he'll most likely catch a break as indications are that CB Darrelle Revis will sit for the second straight week recovering from a concussion. This bodes well for the Giants’ passing game. WR Odell Beckham will be the primary beneficiary as he'll be targeted heavily in this matchup. Beckham comes off a nine catch 142 yard receiving day with a touchdown versus the Redskins. The Giants will need to do a better job running the football after a dismal effort last week as they managed only 33 rushing yards. As for the Giants defensively, they'll need to contain RB Chris Ivory. They can't afford to allow Ivory to pick up big chunks of yards on the ground. The Giants will also need to do a good job defending the pass as WR Brandon Marshall and WR Eric Decker have been producing on a consistent basis almost every game this season. The Giants don't do anything easy as we expected a better performance last week coming off a bye and given the importance of the game. It seems after a poor performance they usually respond with a much better performance with QB Eli Manning behind center. Look for the Giants to bounce back here and get the outright win. The Giants are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games versus the AFC East. Pick: New York Giants +2 |
Texans (+3) at Bills - 25 units |
| Seahawks at Vikings (Pick) - 35 units The Seahawks were in a high-scoring contest last week against the Steelers as a late touchdown catch by WR Doug Baldwin sealed the win. The Vikings rebounded nicely after their home loss to the Packers as they went on the road to Atlanta and defeated the Falcons 20-10. The Vikings currently sit alone atop the NFC North standings at 8-3. The Seahawks now travel to Minnesota looking for their third straight win as they continue their quest for a berth in the playoffs. I think this is a great matchup for the Seahawks as their strength in stopping the run feeds right into the Vikings’ strength. The Seahawks are ranked fifth in the league against the run as they only give up 92.9 yards/game on the ground. They can't afford any slip-ups in this matchup as they face RB Adrian Peterson and the number one ranked rushing team in the league that averages 146.4 yards/game. If the Vikings can't find success running the football, they'll be forced to throw the football which is something they don't do well. They are ranked close to last in the league in the passing yards per game at 187. The Seahawks’ secondary can shut down any attempt the Vikings may take in moving the ball through the air. Offensively, QB Russell Wilson has been playing much better of late as he comes off a five touchdown performance against the Steelers. Wilson will have his work cut out for him against a Vikings team that plays well against the pass. Look for the Seahawks’ offense to attack the Vikings on the ground with RB Thomas Rawls. I can also see Wilson picking up key first downs with his scrambling ability. In the end, I think this matchup fits nicely for the Seahawks as they'll put together a solid all-around performance and get the road win. The Seahawks are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games in December. Expect that trend to continue on Sunday. Pick: Seattle Seahawks (Pick) |
Panthers (-7) at Saints - 35 units
After rolling over the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day to remain undefeated, the Carolina Panthers travel to New Orleans to take on the 4-7 Saints who already have an eye towards the 2016 season. The Saints have lost three in a row after their 24-6 loss to the Texans in a game in which they gained less than 275 yards. QB Drew Brees has struggled recently and could be without one of his primary targets as WR Willie Snead missed practice with a calf injury and is questionable for Sunday's game. His absence will allow top Carolina CB Josh Norman to focus on WR Brandin Cooks. Any limitation of the Saints offense against the Panthers will make an already difficult task more so. Carolina is giving up less than 19 points per game and has held their last three opponents to 16 or less. When they are on offense, the Panthers, clearly led by Cam Newton, have developed other options to keep opposing defenses on their toes. RB Jonathan Stewart is averaging 75 yards per game and takes some of the pressure off Newton. While they lead the league in rushing attempts, Newton can go to the air to his reliable TE Greg Olsen along with rookie WR Devin Funchess who has seen his targets increase the last four games and will continue to be more involved moving forward. New Orleans is giving up more than 30 points per game and despite changing defensive coordinators will still struggle to contain Newton and the Panthers’ offense. Carolina is 9-2 ATS this season while the Saints are 4-6-1. Playing at home won't be enough to help the Saints in this one. Look for Carolina to keep rolling using their superior defense and quarterback. |
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Falcons at Buccaneers (-2) - 30 units |
Bengals (-9.5) at Browns - 40 units |
| Panthers at Saints (Total: 49 points) - 20 units The Panthers continued their tremendous season as they dominated the Cowboys on Thanksgiving 33-14 as they moved to 11-0 on the season. The Saints dropped their third straight game as they fell to the Texans in Houston 24-6. They now return home to take on the undefeated Panthers. QB Cam Newton should have no problem moving the football on a very vulnerable Saints’ defense. He'll continue to spread the football around like he has all season. Expect his favorite target TE Greg Olsen to see a lot of balls thrown his way as he'll get into the end zone at least once on Sunday. When Newton isn't throwing the football, he'll be handing it off to RB Jonathan Stewart. Stewart has been productive on the ground and there's a strong chance he scores this weekend. The Saints put up a lackluster performance on the road in Houston. I expect them to play better as they always do in their stadium. They'll have to be firing on all cylinders if they hope to keep this game close with the Panthers. QB Drew Brees missed their matchup earlier this season so he'll be looking to put an end to the Panthers’ perfect season. I expect Brees to play well here as I think this game is closer than people think. The Saints need to establish a running game with RB Mark Ingram which will free up some passing lanes for Brees. I think this game has all the making of a shootout with both teams making big plays in the passing game. Look for this game to go over the posted total as this game will have plenty of big plays on the offensive side of the ball. Pick: Over 49 |
Eagles at Patriots (Total: 49.5 points) - 20 units The New England Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles one week after suffering their first loss of the season to the Denver Broncos. The Eagles are coming off a 45-14 beat down at the hands of the Lions on Thanksgiving. The Patriots are one of the best offenses in the league when fully healthy but they are currently dealing with injuries to several key players. TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Julian Edelman will miss this game. WR Danny Amendola is expected to play but just how effective he is remains to be seen after straining his knee a couple weeks ago. New England will be able to move the ball as the Eagles don't possess a particularly strong defense. They are giving up 25 points and nearly 400 yards per game. Even against that unit, I don't expect the Patriots to reach their season average of 32 points with the players currently available. Philly has scored less than 20 points in each of their last three games against defenses less talented than the Patriots who are expecting DE Jamie Collins to return after he missed the last three weeks with an illness. New England is allowing 19 points per game and will put heavy pressure on whoever starts at quarterback for the Eagles. Sam Bradford has cleared the concussion protocol and has been practicing all week but a final decision may not come until this weekend. The Patriots’ defense will keep the Eagles’ receivers in check and force them to rely on the running game to keep the Patriots' offense off the field as much as possible. Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Philly, I don't see them putting up enough points to push this game over the posted total of 49.5. Pick: Under 49.5 |
Editor's note: Both Jeremy and Jeff started with 1,000 units as they go head to head all season long.
You can follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffBaldwin4 and Jeremy @jdwardwell5.