The NFL playoff race is heating up coming down the final stretch, but the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is worth tracking. The Jets remain atop the draft board thanks to their winless record, but the one-win Jaguars are breathing down their necks. We have a single two-win team on the board, but the Bengals have a tie mixed in there, so it’s basically like two and a half wins!
It should surprise nobody that the top six teams are all underdogs this weekend. Here’s a rundown of point spreads for each matchup.
Jets (+9) vs. Raiders
Jaguars (+10) @ Vikings
Bengals (+11.5) @ Dolphins
Cowboys (+7.5) @ Ravens
Chargers (+1) vs. Patriots
Eagles (+8.5) @ Packers
Chargers-Patriots is an interesting line. New England stunned Arizona on the road last week while LA struggled at home against Buffalo. At one point the Chargers were actually favorites in this one.
This might be the Jets last, best opportunity to win a game this season. The Raiders are a playoff contender, but are inconsistent and coming off an ugly 43-6 loss to the Falcons. This seems like a game the Raiders either win in a blowout or lose in a stunner.
This week, we’ve cut down our draft order list to include the top six spots in the draft order, i.e. all the teams with just three wins or less. After individual records, strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker for teams and is in parenthesis after each team’s record. Hat tip to Tankathon for providing that. Each team’s Week 13 opponent is listed as well.
- New York Jets: 0-11 (.591) — vs. Raiders
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-10 (.554) — @ Vikings
- Cincinnati Bengals: 2-8-1 (.537) — @ Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys: 3-8 (.486) — @ Ravens
- Los Angeles Chargers: 3-8 (.492) — vs. Patriots
- Philadelphia Eagles: 3-7-1 (.526) — @ Packers