NFL Predictions Week 13: Can't-Miss Picks and Matchup Guide

With bye weeks officially in the books, the start of the 2014 NFL season's stretch run officially begins with Week 13.

Both conferences feature some intriguing and competitive playoff races that could play out in any number of ways. Every team has five games left to make its move and establish itself as a contender, and the unpredictable nature of the league should make for an exciting sprint to the finish line.

The Week 13 dynamic will stray slightly from the norm with three games taking place Thursday due to Thanksgiving. That could change the mentality of some teams playing Sunday and Monday based on how their closest competitors fare.

Regardless of that, though, here is a full rundown of picks for every Week 13 matchup along with further analysis of the week's biggest locks.

*Point spreads courtesy of Odds Shark.

Oakland Raiders (+7) at St. Louis Rams

Prior to the Oakland Raiders' surprising victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last week, most observers pointed toward their Week 13 meeting with the St. Louis Rams as their best chance to win a game this season. Now that Oakland has gotten that monkey off its back, however, it should enter Sunday with plenty of momentum.

St. Louis is a scrappy team that has managed to upset the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos this season. At the same time, though, the Rams talent is questionable, particularly on offense. Quarterback Shaun Hill has proven to be little more than a mediocre option, and he doesn't really have anyone to throw to.

Oakland, on the other hand, has some emerging, young talent that is worth getting excited about. Running back Latavius Murray tops that list after his four carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs. Unfortunately, he was forced to exit that game with a concussion, and head coach Tony Sparano is uncertain regarding his status for Sunday, according to ESPN.com's Michael Wagaman.

Right now he's involved in the middle of it. We'll see where he is by (Tuesday) and have a pretty good idea what's going on for Wednesday. As you know these things take time or they can be very fast. It just depends on the player and the severity.

Even if Murray can't play Sunday, the continued development of quarterback Derek Carr bodes well for Oakland's chances. Carr wasn't perfect by any means last week as he threw for just 174 yards, but he orchestrated a clutch, game-winning drive in the closing minutes.

As pointed out by Greg Gabriel of 670 The Score, Carr is growing as a quarterback as he continues to gain experience:

In addition to that, rookie linebacker Khalil Mack is a game-changing player who will give Hill and the Rams offense fits Sunday.

It is understandable why the Rams are favored at home, but a seven-point spread is far too large and feels like a lock in terms of an Oakland cover. In fact, the Raiders are in great position to pull off the upset and win this game outright to boot.

Buffalo Bills (-3) vs. Cleveland Browns

While it's likely that few football fans were circling a Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns Week 13 encounter on the calendar at the start of the season, this game could have a major impact on the AFC's playoff race.

The Browns are currently just outside the playoffs at 7-4, while the Bills are lurking closely behind at 6-5. Both teams scored big victories in Week 12, with Cleveland coming from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons on a last-second field goal and Buffalo dominating the New York Jets from start to finish.

These two teams appear to be pretty evenly matched on paper, but the intangible factor is firmly in Buffalo's favor. The Bills had to play their Week 12 game at Ford Field in Detroit due to massive amounts of snow in Western New York. They rose to the occasion, and now they have an opportunity to return home and perform in front of their fans.

According to NFL.com's Albert Breer, everything is now in order and the Bills will host the Browns at Ralph Wilson Stadium:

That should give the Bills a massive boost, and there is no question that the crowd will be raucous after enduring a trying week. While that can't be measured, it certainly plays into Buffalo's favor.

Aside from that, the Buffalo defense is coming off a truly dominant performance. The Bills lead the league in sacks with 46, and they are tied for fifth with 13 interceptions. That isn't great news for Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, who threw three picks against a suspect Atlanta Falcons secondary last week.

He does have the benefit of wide receiver Josh Gordon, who topped 100 yards in his return last week, but the Bills are great against the pass as they allow less than 214 yards per game through the air.

The biggest X-factor may be Buffalo's running game against Cleveland's No. 29 rush defense. The Bills triumvirate of Fred Jackson, Boobie Dixon and Bryce Brown ran well against the Jets' solid defensive front last week, and they will do so again this week.

Buffalo must win this game in order to maintain realistic playoff aspirations, and it will feed off the energy and emotion of the crowd en route to victory.

Carolina Panthers (+3) at Minnesota Vikings

Despite being just 3-7-1, the Carolina Panthers are only a half-game back in the NFC South. That means they absolutely must take advantage of every opening possible since they are being given an opportunity that most teams in the NFL aren't afforded.

With that in mind, they figure to be an extremely desperate team in Week 13 when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. The Vikes are 4-7, but they are essentially playing for pride at this point due to the fact that they are firmly behind the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the competitive NFC North.

The Panthers have lost five straight games, but they enter the weekend with the benefit of a Week 12 bye. There is no doubt that Carolina is an extremely flawed team. However, that bye could prove to be huge in terms of working out the kinks and getting healthy.

Quarterback Cam Newton has been nagged by injuries, and while they may continue to be a problem, one can only assume that the week off did his body good.

The Vikings have some quarterback concerns in their own right as rookie Teddy Bridgewater has struggled recently. His QBR is a mere 40.8 on the season, and it is clear that he is still developing and learning the ropes at the NFL level.

As seen in this photo courtesy of ESPN's Ben Fennell, Bridgewater didn't read and react to the Packers defense as well as he could have last week:

According to Around The NFL, the first-year player also had a tendency to hone in on one receiver rather than going through his progressions:

The Panthers have the advantage under center even with Newton battling through a trying year. This is a game that Carolina needs if it wants to make the playoffs, though, and it will find a way to get the job done on the road.

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