There is no greater time to try to get into this competition than right now, as every week you beat me gives you another opportunity at that big cash prize at the end of the year. Let's get started right now with my Week 13 picks…

Buffalo Bills @ Minnesota Vikings (-5.5) – I know that the Vikes might be playing this one without RB Adrian Peterson, but how can I back a team that is allowing the most rushing yards in the NFL on the road against a great ground game? RB Toby Gerhart has all of the tools to be a special back in this league, and he'll make good on his start if he gets the opportunity. I know that the Bills haven't lost a game by more than three points in a month and a half, but all of that is going to change on Sunday, as the Leslie Frazier led Vikes are going to be able to take this one by two scores at home to at least keep a false sense of hope alive for a playoff bid. Rock and roll with Minnesota -5.5.

Cleveland Browns (+4.5) @ Miami Dolphins – I'm not so sure why I'm taking Cleveland +4.5 in this one, but I'll call it a gut shot. The Browns are a gritty, gritty team, and though they haven't been able to figure out how to string many wins (or covers, for that matter) together, they can certainly play on the road and win this game outright. I tend to get the feeling that QB Chad Henne is going to do just enough to win this game, and if that's the case, perhaps the Dolphins are going to win by exactly three points. You heard it here first.

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (-9) – I hate laying this many points with a Kansas City team that I'm not so convinced is all that good, but I am convinced that this is that bad of a matchup for the Broncos. This was a different scenario a few weeks ago when these two teams met at the Mile High Stadium, as there was a big heaping of revenge that needed to be served up for Denver on the Chiefs. Now, it's payback for the payback. Having already seen this passing game once, Kansas City probably won't be all that fooled, and as long as RB Jamaal Charles and RB Thomas Jones can keep the ball moving on the ground, there is no reason why QB Kyle Orton and company are on the field long enough to do that much damage. Lay the points and go with KC -9.

Washington Redskins (+7) @ New York Giants – Can someone please explain to me why on earth the Giants are in a position where they are always laying a TD at home against a reasonable team? I mean really, let's think this one out logically here. There are just too many injuries for New York to contend with right now, and it was very, very lucky to have beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend at home when it was, you guessed it, a seven point favorite. Now, I have a stingy Washington team that has proven it can win games in division, even on the road. Yep, I'll take the points and go with Washington +7 in a heartbeat.

San Francisco 49ers (+9.5) @ Green Bay Packers – The Packers are coming off of a fairly awful game against the Atlanta Falcons in which they just couldn't seal the deal. Now, they're coming home in a game that legitimately could be a postseason preview. The 49ers are still probably the best team in the NFC West, and they badly need to take a game like this to get some momentum going for the rest of the year to get to the head of the class. Green Bay isn't going to lose this one, but to win it by double digits seems like an awfully large task. Take the points and back San Fran +9.5.

New Orleans Saints (-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals – I can already hear your whining now. "But Gridiron Great," how are you going to lay seven points on the road with a team that hasn't played that well on the road against a team that really usually plays well at home?" Easy. Watch me. QB Drew Brees is going to rip this Cincinnati defense apart, and covering a TD is going to be as easy as holding the Bungals to about 20 points or so. No problemo. New Orleans -7

Atlanta Falcons (-3) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I know that the Bucs have shown some fight in recent weeks, and I know that they really had a chance to win this fixture up in the Georgia Dome. And yes, I even know that the season is on the line for Tampa Bay and that it is probably going to be an incredibly sharp play. But here's what else I see. I see an Atlanta team that usually gets beaten by passing games, not running games, and I see a Bucs team that really just wants to use that short passing attack to avoid making mistakes. You're not going to beat QB Matt Ryan by just trying to avoid mistakes. There really are no other options here for me but to lay the points and go with Atlanta -3.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers (-13) – Simply put, I'm not so sure that there is any team in the NFL right now that would be derailing the train that is that of the San Diego Chargers. This is just a well tuned machine that just continues to rip apart everything in its path. The Raiders could compete in this one, but I just don't see it happening. Somehow, QB Philip Rivers will find a way to throw for 300+ yards, and if that happens, RB Mike Tolbert will get his yards as well, and there's no way that Oakland is sticking within two TDs of a team that is coming up with 400 yards.

Carolina Panthers (+6) @ Seattle Seahawks – Gag me with a spoon, please… This the biggest dog game of the day, and it is one that is surely going to stink up the joint… especially if what I think is going to happen comes true. The first team to six in this game wins… and it might just be the Panthers! Go with Carolina +6.

Dallas Cowboys @ Indianapolis Colts (-5.5) – My gut feeling suggests that the carriage for the Cowboys is about to turn into a pumpkin and that the pumpkin for Colts is about to turn back into a carriage again. I don't care what form either team is in right now. QB Peyton Manning is only laying 5.5 points at home against QB Jon Kitna. Someone please tell me what I'm missing here… Indianapolis -5.5.

St. Louis Rams (-3.5) @ Arizona Cardinals – Only in the NFC West can you have one team go on the road and be laying points at the start of the season, cover the spread, and then come back home without any notable injuries three months later to be a 3.5 point underdog… Yet somehow, I have this strange trust in the Rams that we cannot ignore. QB Sam Bradford impresses me quite a bit, as I think the kid should be a Pro Bowler for the way that he has played in the second half of the season. Hey Derek Anderson, this is no laughing matter. Your team is going to get its butt kicked again. St. Louis -3.5.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-3) – Remember to make your tiebreaker picks in this game!!! This is a tough game that is going to be very difficult to make a call on. I'm just happy that I don't have to publically make a pick for the New England Patriots/New York Jets game (though for the record, I'd go with New York +3.5)… These two AFC North rivals are really just matched up dead evenly, just as they are seemingly each and every campaign. The confidence has to be brimming from the Ravens though, as they already have that last second win in Pittsburgh to bank on. Sure, QB Ben Roethlisberger is playing in this one and he was out of that one, but this game isn't in the Steel City either. Baltimore -3.

There is no greater time to try to get into this competition than right now, as every week you beat me gives you another opportunity at that big cash prize at the end of the year. Let's get started right now with my Week 12 picks…

Minnesota Vikings (+1) @ Washington Redskins – Everything suggests that the Redskins should be winning this game, as they are coming off of a great OT victory against the Tennessee Titans and are playing against a Minnesota team that is really just a train wreck right now. However, do you remember what happened when the Dallas Cowboys fired HC Wade Phillips and let Jason Garrett take over? Now, Dallas looks like a bunch of gangbusters. I'll take my chances that Minnesota +1 is the right choice for new HC Leslie Frazier.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills (+6.5) – An interesting line here… Three weeks ago, Buffalo would have been a double digit underdog in this one. The Steelers haven't had their very predictable trip up yet against a team that they have absolutely no business losing to, and though I'm not so certain that this is going to be the week, I know that the Bills are playing their best ball of the year, and they are catching Pittsburgh at a time in which it is still reeling with a lot of line injuries on both sides of the ball. I'll grab Buffalo +6.5.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (-6.5) – The Texans continue to invent new ways to lose games, but there's no way that they are losing this one to a team with QB Rusty Smith at quarterback, right? The only way that Houston gets beat here at home is if RB Chris Johnson goes absolutely bananas… just like he did twice last season. But I tend to think that this tough luck Texans squad will get the job done on Sunday just simply out of being in survival mode. I'm backing Houston -6.5.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+7) @ New York Giants – Something really seems wrong right now with the Giants, as they just don't have the look of a team that is winning the Super Bowl or even making the playoffs this year. There are a lot of injuries for QB Eli Manning to contend with, as he won't have the services of either WR Steve Smith or WR Hakeem Nicks on Sunday. Jacksonville is playing its best ball of the season and is really in a position to make the AFC South. Though I'm not so sure that the men from the Sunshine State are going to be pulling off the upset, I'll gladly take Jacksonville +7.

Carolina Panthers (+10) @ Cleveland Browns – Welcome back in the saddle, QB Jake Delhomme! The former Panthers signal caller is going to be leading his new team into battle on Sunday. Assuming that I am dealing with QB Jimmy Clausen and not QB Brian St. Pierre, I have to go with Carolina +10 in this one. There is just no way that I can lay double digits with the Browns no matter where the game is being played.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Baltimore Ravens (-7.5) – Tampa Bay really still hasn't beaten a great team this year, but after pitching a shutout against the San Francisco 49ers, there are some more heads turning in the direction of the 7-3 Bucs. Still, the Ravens are a 7-3 team as well, as I already know that they are a fantastic team. Baltimore might be the best in the NFL, and if that's the case, this isn't a game that it should be losing, or even remotely struggling in. Go with the Ravens -7.5 to make a huge statement.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears (+3.5) – I am so tired of hearing all of this BS about how the Bears aren't a great 7-3 team. Are they going to make the playoffs? I don't know. Toss a coin in the air in the crowded NFC. However, I know that the Eagles are the most overhyped team in the NFC right now, and there is no way that they should be favored at Soldier Field at the end of November. QB Michael Vick could put up another one of these superhuman efforts and beat the snot out of me, but I'll take my chances with the Bears +3.5.

Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons (-2) – This is probably the best game of the day, and it might be the best game of the entire season. The Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC, and they are in a spot where they can become the top team in the conference with a 'W' and some help. QB Aaron Rodgers has a shot to beat up on the Atlanta secondary, which is clearly the soft underside on the belly of this team as a whole. However, QB Matt Ryan has only lost one game at home in his career, and if the Falcons are going to be the best team in the NFC and have the road ot the Super Bowl go through the Georgia Dome, they have to win this one. Atlanta -2

Miami Dolphins @ Oakland Raiders (OTB) – No picks in this one folks. Sorry about that. Until we know who is playing quarterback for either of these teams, there is no sense in trying to make an NFL pick on the game.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Seattle Seahawks (+1.5) – The Chiefs are going on the road in this one to one of the toughest venues to try to play ball at, Qwest Field in Seattle. The Seahawks are just a different team there, and with QB Matt Hasselbeck in the saddle again, they are very, very tough to tame. It only seems like a matter of time until KC collapses under the pressure of the charging San Diego Chargers. Besides, there's no way that all four teams in the NFC West are going to be under .500 after 12 weeks, right? I've gotta go with Seattle +1.5 at home.

St. Louis Rams (+4) @ Denver Broncos – The Rams are a team with some mojo right now, but they are playing some fantastic defense in relation to what they had played last season when they were just a god awful team. The Broncos are snake bitten right now, and they aren't going to be able to win this game by this many points in all likelihood. Simply put, I'll take St. Louis +4

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts (-3) – Remember to make your tiebreaker picks in this game!!! The Colts seem to make a living out of beating NFL spreads like this one. QB Peyton Manning and company wouldn't be in the playoffs if they started today, and "The Sheriff" clearly isn't going to like that. I know that the Chargers are on a roll, but they know that they are winning the AFC West with or without this game. At some point, Indianapolis needs a wakeup call. This is the game that that happens. The Colts -3 are my choice for Sunday Night Football.

There is no greater time to try to get into this competition than right now, as every week you beat me gives you another opportunity at that big cash prize at the end of the year. Let's get started right now with my Week 11 picks…

Oakland Raiders (+7) @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Plenty of interesting NFL lines this week, and I'm one who is a believer in the dogs having their day. Oakland is a team that is good enough to come into Pittsburgh and win this game. The Steelers could be in for a long decent again this year as they were in '09, and if they even have the slightest trip up, they are going to be in a lot of trouble in the AFC South race. The Raiders have control of first place in the AFC West right now for a reason. QB Jason Campbell should at least be able to keep this game tight. I'm going with Oakland +7.

Houston Texans (+7) @ New York Jets – Though I know that the moneyline price really justifies itself, I'm not so sure that the spread really does. Assuming that Houston's QB Matt Schaub does actually suit up, the Texans have the gunslinger that can pick apart this New York defense. The Jets aren't really built to blow you out, and they are in a position where they are going to have to throw the ball all over the field to do the most damage on Houston's porous secondary. This is the one truly contending team in the AFC that the Texans really could have their way with, even on the road, and I'm taking the points. Houston +7

Baltimore Ravens (-10) @ Carolina Panthers – The Ravens are in the spotlight here, as they are in a position where they really should be posting an impressive victory. I was burned by QB Colt McCoy in his first career start for the Cleveland Browns against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I have no problems going back to the well again going against QB Tony Pike. Carolina barely has 100 points scored this season. It probably isn't putting much distance between itself and that 100 point mark on Sunday. If Baltimore can get to 21, not only does it have blackjack, but it has a cover as well. Quoth the Ravens -10.

Washington Redskins @ Tennessee Titans (-7) – The Skins are a train wreck right now, as they have no confidence in their offense and their defense was just absolutely destroyed by QB Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a national TV audience. Perception on this team isn't good, and I don't like betting against teams like that, but I know that this is a situation where the team was overhyped beforehand anyway. Don't be surprised to see Tennessee walk away with this in a romp as long as one of its QBs proves to be healthy. Tennessee -7.

Detroit Lions (+6.5) @ Dallas Cowboys – So Dallas beats the snot out of the New York Giants, and all of a sudden, it can be a world beater again? Remember what happened after the Cowboys beat the Houston Texans on the road? That's right. Nothing did. The Lions know that they need to win a road game one of these days, as 25 straight road losses is an NFL record. This might not be the game in which that streak stops, but let's be real about something: Dallas keeps finding ways to lose. The Lions keep finding ways to lose… but they also keep finding ways to cover spreads. Detroit +6.5

Green Bay Packers (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings – Bye-bye Love Boat! You had better believe that the Packers would love nothing more than to pick off QB Brett Favre six times and get him yanked from what could be his final game as well. At some point, HC Brad Childress really has to bench Favre, and if that happens, it would be awfully poetic justice, considering the fact that his last pass as a Packer was picked off. You know what they say about karma, Brett. It'll bite you in the seat of your Wrangler jeans. I'm not letting this one bite me where the sun don't shine either. Green Bay -3

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5) – The Bills are going to be trendy underdog selections in this game due to the fact that they have finally notched their first win, but I'm not buying it. The Bengals have a team that hasn't looked to have given up this year in spite of their 2-7 record, and as long as they keep up that mentality, this game should prove to be a victory. QB Carson Palmer could go absolutely bananas against this secondary, and if he does, Cincinnati -5.5 is the right NFL pick to make.

Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) – Something just doesn't seem right here. The Browns are implied to be the better team in this matchup, as they would theoretically be -1.5 on a neutral field against Jacksonville. Am I missing something here? The Jags might not be that good, but they are a 5-3 team with QB David Garrard in the sling, and they just appear to be a blessed team after finding a way to put down the Houston Texans with that ridiculous Hail Mary last weekend. I'm not one to buck the trends of karma. HC Jack Del Rio knows that he's going to need some luck and that this won't be the easiest game in the world, but you've got to figure that Jacksonville wins this sucker at least 60% of the time, right? Jacksonville -1.5

Arizona Cardinals @ Kansas City Chiefs (-8) – Someone please come and gouge my eyes out with a rusty fork. It might be less painful than trying to make a pick in this game. Toss a coin in the air… that's good enough. The Cards have no offense, but the Chiefs have no confidence, especially after getting totally blasted by the Denver Broncos last weekend. The hosts have a better all around resume and it isn't even close, so I guess I'll go with Kansas City -8 for the heck of it.

Seattle Seahawks @ New Orleans Saints (-12) – This is a heck of a lot of points to be laying in a game, especially with a team that already has an outright defeat at home to the Cleveland Browns on its resume this year. This is a legitimate playoff team that is coming to town, but I know that the Seahawks wouldn't finish in better than third place in any other division in football outside of the AFC West (and that's not a guarantee either). New Orleans is finally getting a running game back, as RB Reggie Bush expects to play after the team's bye week. That's a huge key that cannot be forgotten about, as QB Drew Brees has been turning around and handing the ball to a bunch of guys that were on the streets the week before of late. I just have a gut feeling that the Saints are going to start this second half of their season with fury and absolutely manhandle the Seahawks. Thus, the play is New Orleans -12 for yours truly.

Atlanta Falcons @ St. Louis Rams (+3) – The Falcons look like a tremendously better team than do the Rams on paper, but a closer inspection doesn't tell me that. Atlanta has made it because of the way that it has played at home this year. After all, QB Matt Ryan has only lost once at the Georgia Dome in his career, and that defeat didn't come this season. However, this is a 2-2 team on the road that really hasn't proven it can go much of anywhere to win games outside of the Peach State. The Rams are below .500, but they have a win against the San Diego Chargers at home and know that they are 4-1 while playing at the Edward Jones Dome. This would be one of those statement wins for a franchise that is turning around, and QB Sam Bradford might be in for a great day against a secondary that really hasn't been all that great. Don't be shocked to see the upset here, so I'm going with St. Louis +3.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers (-3) – The ghosts of trips to San Francisco are going to haunt the Bucs in this one. You know that they haven't won a game here since 1980?!?!?! Tampa Bay has beaten everyone that it was supposed to, but it hasn't done a darn thing against the teams it was supposed to lose to. This game is one of those that is sort of in the middle, and it is definitely a swing game for a team that is probably going to get the you know what beat out of it next week at the Baltimore Ravens. I just like the way that QB Troy Smith looks right now for the Niners, and I have confidence that he can win this game against a defense that really isn't all that great. I'm going with San Fran -3.

Indianapolis Colts (+3.5) @ New England Patriots – Again, this is going to be one of these games that more of you are on the Pats than are only the Colts, and that doesn't surprise me. After all, Indy looks like a mortal team right now and can't beat the pants off of anybody, while New England has beaten some of the best teams in the NFL and is about to come home after its destruction of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. However, there's something about "The Sheriff," QB Peyton Manning in a game like this. New England's defense just isn't that good, and everyone has seen it. Can the Colts take advantage? Many of you are going to bet against Manning. No way in the world will I do the same. Indy +3.5

New York Giants (+3) @ Philadelphia Eagles – Remember to make your tiebreaker picks in this game!!! Philly is hot. There's no doubt about that. However, we just love the matchup of putting this speedy defense against QB Michael Vick. New York's offense won't flounder like it did for most of last week against the Dallas Cowboys, and you can bet that the deep ball that worked so well for the Boys won't work again this week. Last week was simply a look ahead spot for the G-Men, and they aren't going to be caught napping again. All will be forgotten when they pull off the mild upset in the City of Brotherly Love and work towards the NFC East title once again. I'm closing out my Sunday with a big play on the Giants +3.