Week 12 was surprising for the Tennessee Titans (3-8) and Washington Commanders (7-5) for completely different reasons, and they’ll meet in an interconference matchup on Sunday.

Will Levis orchestrated the best win of his young career last week when he went into Houston and threw two touchdown passes against the division-leading Texans. It wasn’t a result many expected given how bad the offense has been, but it’s an encouraging sign for a quarterback hoping to remain a starter for years to come.

For weeks, the Dallas Cowboys looked like an easy victory. But the Commanders couldn’t capitalize against the struggling team and instead dropped their third-straight game. It’s concerning an amazing start to the season is looking to be wasted, but Washington gets another crack at it back at home.

Commanders vs. Titans odds, moneyline, over/under

The Commanders are favorites to defeat the Titans, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.

• Spread: Commanders (-5.5)
• Moneyline: Commanders (-250); Titans (+200)
• Over/under: 44.5    

NFL Week 13 odds, predictions and picks

Lions vs. Bears | Cowboys vs. Giants | Packers vs. Dolphins | Chiefs vs. Raiders | Falcons vs. Chargers | Bengals vs. Steelers | Jaguars vs. Texans | Vikings vs. Cardinals | Patriots vs. Colts | Jets vs. Seahawks | Commanders vs. Titans | Panthers vs. Buccaneers | Saints vs. Rams | Ravens vs. Eagles | Bills vs. 49ers | Broncos vs. Browns

Lorenzo Reyes: Commanders 27, Titans 14

Washington has come down a little bit, though the team’s obvious talent remains. Getting steady production out of Jayden Daniels, while protecting the ball, is essential. The Titans aren’t the strongest opponent and are second-to-last in turnover differential. 

Tyler Dragon: Commanders 27, Titans 20

The Commanders have lost three straight games, and Jayden Daniels is experiencing some mild rookie growing pains. I think Washington gets back on track this week against a bad Titans team.

Richard Morin: Commanders 35, Titans 16

Washington needs to get back on track after a head-scratching loss, and they’ll be able to when a rebuilding Tennessee squad comes to visit.

Jordan Mendoza: Commanders 24, Titans 17

Washington won’t like to see its offense go against the best pass defense in the league in Tennessee. However, expect Jayden Daniels to play with a sense of urgency and use his legs a ton to extend drives and get his team back on the winning side.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Travelers heading out for Thanksgiving in Cheyenne and the surrounding areas may face slick roads this morning as lingering snow showers continue. According to the National Weather Service, light to moderate snow has been reported along Interstate 80 near the Summit and in parts of Laramie County. Snowfall is expected to diminish by this afternoon.

Accumulating snow of 1 to 2 inches could create hazardous driving conditions early Thursday, especially in the Laramie Valley and other wind-prone areas. While road crews are working to clear routes, drivers should remain cautious and allow extra time for travel.

The combination of cold temperatures, dipping into the teens overnight, and snow-covered roads will keep conditions slick into the morning. The Wyoming Department of Transportation recommends checking road conditions before departing.

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By late Thursday, breezy winds are expected to develop, with gusts potentially reaching 50 mph in areas like Arlington, Elk Mountain, and the I-80 Summit. While not expected to reach high-wind warning thresholds, gusts could reduce visibility in open areas, especially where blowing snow persists

As snow showers taper off and winds subside, travel conditions should improve by Thursday afternoon. Holiday travelers can expect dry roads and clearer skies heading into the evening. Temperatures will remain cold, with highs in the 30s and lows dipping into the single digits in sheltered valleys.

For those staying local or driving across southeastern Wyoming, Friday through Tuesday looks mostly dry, with breezy but mild conditions. Travelers venturing to higher elevations or wind-prone areas should continue to monitor forecasts for updates on road conditions.

Detailed Forecast for Cheyenne

• Today: Snow is likely, with a 40 percent chance mainly before 11 a.m. Skies will remain cloudy through mid-morning, followed by gradual clearing. The high temperature will be near 35. Expect breezy conditions, with a north wind of 15 to 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph.
• Tonight: Skies will be mostly clear, with a low around 15. Winds will shift to the west-southwest in the evening, at 5 to 10 mph.
• Thanksgiving Day: Sunny skies are expected, with a high near 36. Winds will come from the northwest at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Thursday Night: The night will be mostly clear, with a low around 14. Winds will be light, coming from the west-southwest at around 5 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny conditions are forecast, with a high near 42. West winds will range from 5 to 15 mph.
• Friday Night: Skies will remain mostly clear, with a low around 20.
• Saturday: Expect mostly sunny skies, with a high near 40.
• Saturday Night: The night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 18.
• Sunday: Sunny skies will dominate, with a high near 45.
• Sunday Night: Skies will be mostly clear, with a low around 20.
• Monday: The day will be sunny, with a high near 47.
• Monday Night: Expect mostly clear skies, with a low around 22.
• Tuesday: Sunny skies are forecast, with a high near 51.

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• Mike Manalac has worked in the tech hubs of San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Chicago since 2016.
• He says each place has its strengths, but Chicago is the best place for raising a family.
• Chicago offers Manalac and his family the perfect balance career, affordability, and family life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mike Manalac, a 39-year-old accounting manager at Google. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

Over the past eight years, I’ve worked in the tech scenes of San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Chicago. The three places couldn’t be more different in terms of lifestyle, and they’ve each appealed to me for different reasons.

Here’s how the three places compare:

San Francisco is fun but not for the faint of heart

I moved to San Francisco in 2016 to pursue world-class career opportunities and adventure. I’d spent the past eight years as an audit manager in Baltimore and the cross-country move was a big change for me.

As someone with ambitious career goals, San Francisco was the mecca of opportunity, so I joined PwC to get closer to Bay Area tech jobs. Some of the world’s most innovative companies were basically next door, and their corporate headquarters lined the city’s blocks like Lego bricks.

I once interviewed at Salesforce’s headquarters while on my lunch break since it was only a few blocks away from PwC. When doing phone screens for Uber, Twitter, and Dolby, I knew I’d be able to walk over to their offices for an on-site interview at a moment’s notice.

As a young professional with limited life responsibilities, San Francisco turned out to be the perfect place to live fast and loose. The social scene was amazing — a night out for drinks could mean stopping by a speakeasy with no sign, sipping a mai tai on a floating tiki bar, or drinks served from a bathtub at a bar the size of a walk-in closet.

San Francisco also has the best park scene in the country; I’ve yet to find a better party than a regular Saturday afternoon at Dolores Park.

It’s also a walkable city. For the first time in my adult life, I was car-free. The city was full of trendy coffee shops, unique bars and restaurants, and charming neighborhoods to explore.

But living in San Francisco also isn’t for the faint of heart. Outside of coworkers, my then-fiancée (and now wife) and I found it incredibly challenging to make friends; everyone seemed to assign others a level of importance based on where they lived and worked. I also would’ve needed an absurd amount of wealth to purchase a home and raise a family there.

I felt that the city’s biggest blemish, though, was the seedy Tenderloin district, which sits smack dab in the middle of downtown. I had to walk through the neighborhood to catch a corporate shuttle bus to work, and I saw my fair share of sketchy characters and shady dealings at the time.

Silicon Valley’s career opportunities were unmatched

Later that year, I started working in Silicon Valley after I joined Walmart’s eCommerce division in San Bruno. And the following year, I landed a job as an accounting manager at Google’s Sunnyvale campus.

Silicon Valley offers the coolest places to work and its career opportunities are unmatched. I was amazed by the sprawling corporate campuses. Walking through Facebook’s invite-only campus, which is like a walled garden city, and down its main street, Hacker Way, I was in awe. In nearby Mountain View, I couldn’t believe how nearly every building in the city was branded with Google’s logo.

I saw corporate buses and colorful bikes whizzing around and young professionals with corporate badges on their hips and branded backpacks on their backs.

While Silicon Valley may be the tech capital of the world, I’d never live there. For one thing, I couldn’t afford it; the cookie-cutter neighborhoods of Silicon Valley are reserved for millionaires and the hillside mansions for billionaires. I, on the other hand, commuted from San Francisco via corporate shuttle bus.

But I wouldn’t have wanted to live there anyway. The social scene was dead, the city wasn’t walkable, and the nightlife was nonexistent. Nobody I knew went to happy hour after work, restaurants closed early, and most people only lived there because of the proximity to work.

Chicago has a down-to-earth social scene and affordable, family-friendly neighborhoods

I moved to Chicago with my wife in 2019, transferring to Google’s Chicago office. The cost of living in Chicago was much cheaper, my commute would be shorter, and we’d be closer to her family in Michigan and mine in Maryland.

Chicago doesn’t have the buzzy tech scene or beautiful weather of San Francisco and Silicon Valley, but it’s no slouch when it comes to career opportunities. More Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Chicago than in almost every other city in the US, and the job opportunities are much more diverse than what you’ll find in the tech-centric San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

From Google’s office in Chicago’s West Loop, I can see McDonald’s global headquarters down the street and a number of other premier employers dotting the city skyline.

Chicago is a city that likes to party, making San Francisco look sleepy by comparison. Bars don’t close until 2 a.m., with some staying open until 4 a.m. Chicago’s Lake Michigan beach scene is much livelier than that of San Francisco. But the social scene also has a down-to-earth vibe; people are Midwest nice and seem to live at a more casual pace.

The best part about Chicago is the moderate cost of living. I was able to afford a three-unit home with rental potential in Chicago for $830,000 — a price I’d never find in San Francisco — that’s in a walkable neighborhood. It’s the perfect blend of family-friendly city life. Our three-year-old son loves taking the train home from daycare and running wild at one of the city’s many playgrounds.

I think Chicago is the best of the three places to start a family

After working in these three awesome places, I’ve realized that even the best cities have their flaws.

San Francisco has the coolest social scene and overall vibe, but it’s one of the worst cities for settling down because of its high costs.

Silicon Valley offers the best career opportunities, but its social scene is lacking since everything there is about work, work, work.

Chicago is the best of the three locations to start a family due to its affordability and comfortable pace of life, but it’s not quite as cool as San Francisco and can’t match the career opportunities offered in Silicon Valley.

Overall, though, it’s hard to beat Chicago’s mix of career opportunities, vibrant social scene, and opportunities to start a family.

If you’ve moved around for work and would like to share your experiences of different cities, email Jane Zhang at janezhang@businessinsider.com.