Happy Thanksgiving! A week known for stuffing our faces, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but more importantly making sure we switch over to the Lions game just in time for kickoff. On Thanksgiving we get the Bears vs Lions, Cowboys vs Giants (hopefully that game doesn’t ruin our appetite) and a third game which will make our top three for the week. The bye weeks are over for each team in the NFL, so we are back to a 16-game slate. It’s time to turn it up a notch with the postseason race getting closer. Here are our Top 3 2024 NFL Games Week 13.
Miami Dolphins vs Green Bay Packers – Thanksgiving Night
If a third team were to play each Thanksgiving outside of the Lions and Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers would be my pick, so this is a great way to end the holiday. The Packers are coming off their biggest win of the season over rival San Francisco with a 38-10 smackdown. It was ugly from the jump and only got worse as Josh Jacobs ran all over the Niners for a three-touchdown performance. A few weeks ago, this game would have been an easy call, but the Dolphins have gotten hot. They have three straight wins and their offense is clicking. They are on the playoff bubble, currently the first team out in the AFC if the season ended today. With a loss, they open the door for Buffalo to clinch the AFC East with a win on Sunday. I loved what I saw out of the Packers last week, but sometimes a game like that allows for a letdown and I see it coming after I eat my turkey. Prediction: Dolphins 27 Packers 24
Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings
The Cardinals are one of the surprise teams in the NFL this season. They put up a dud last week against Seattle and lost sole possession of first place in the NFC West but a win over a very good NFC foe would help their cause for a playoff spot down the line. The Vikings are still near the top of the conference thanks to a 9-2 record but in recent weeks they’ve looked a bit sloppy. The Bears took them to overtime a week ago and they’ve had a hard time putting away teams like the Titans and Jaguars. But this game is played in Minnesota where their home field advantage is no joke. They are 4-1 at home while Arizona is just 2-3 on the road. I expect Brian Flores to put together a masterclass to limit Kyler Murray and put clamps on Marvin Harrison Jr. The NFC West is crowded at the top as is and I think the Vikings handing them a loss on Sunday will make things even tighter. Prediction: Cardinals 20 Vikings 30
Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens
Shoutout to the Ravens for making it into our top three games for the fourth week in a row. I admittedly have not kept track over the year of teams’ streaks in these articles, but that might be a record. When you have a Q B like Lamar Jackson, it’s hard not to put them on this list. The Ravens offense dismantled a very good Chargers defense a week ago as John Harbaugh handed his little brother Jim another loss. But they will have their hands full this week against a Philly team that has won seven straight games and has had a lockdown defense the whole time. They’ve held opponents to 20 points or less in six of those seven games. Saquon Barkley has been a whole other problem. Last week, he set the Eagles single-game rushing record with 255 yards on the ground. He’s the frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year. I like Baltimore (clearly), but Philly is too hot. Prediction: Eagles 32 Ravens 27