Week 12 NFL Picks - Thankful For Football
Happy Thanksgiving! Week 12 of the NFL season is here! I'm thankful for so many great matchups not only today, Sunday and Monday, but for the remainder of the year! This will likely be published either in the middle of or immediately following the Vikings vs. Lions game, but I'm going to include the pick I wrote up last night for it. Enough premise, let's make some picks!
Minnesota Vikings (8-2) @ Detroit Lions (6-4) (Thursday, 12:30 PM ET)
I apologize in advance for not publishing this article before the beginning of this game. I had my scores written out previously, so I'll explain my pick now. Detroit is a playoff-calibre team. I firmly believe in Matthew Stafford being able to carry this team to the postseason, but it's going to be tough to do so from 6-5. Minnesota is too powerful on defense and has just enough offense to escape with a win on Thanksgiving. Case Keenum will be thankful for his receivers on his way to three touchdown passes.
The Pick: Vikings 27, Lions 20
Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) @ Dallas Cowboys (5-5) (Thursday, 4:30 PM ET)
Dallas' offensive line gets a boost with the return of Tyron Smith against LA, but I'm not sure it will make that big of a difference. Dak Prescott is not the same without Ezekiel Elliot in the backfield and he faces one of the best front sevens in the league this week. Los Angeles will be able to put up some points on the Dallas defense and will prevent Prescott from playing the role of hero on Thanksgiving.
The Pick: Chargers 21, Cowboys 17
New York Giants (2-8) @ Washington Redskins (4-6) (Thursday, 8:30 PM ET)
New York had a nice surprise win last week against the Chiefs, but the luck ends here. Washington is trying to salvage what is nearly a broken season and will pick up a desperation win. It's not going to be close, either. Kirk Cousins has to be angry with himself and his team after blowing a huge lead to the Saints last week. Revenge is a dish best served with stuffing and mashed potatoes.
The Pick: Redskins 31, Giants 14
Buffalo Bills (5-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
Tyrod Taylor is going to have an average Tyrod Taylor game. The Bills always play the Chiefs tough but because this game is being played in Kansas City, I'm giving it to the Chiefs. Alex Smith will rebound and have a very good game and the defense will do just enough to hold LeSean McCoy and company off for one week.
The Pick: Chiefs 27, Bills 21
Tennessee Titans (6-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (3-7) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
Tennessee needs a big rebound win in order to keep pace in the playoff race and to regain some confidence after a beatdown at the hands of the Steelers. Indianapolis has played some close games this year and Jacoby Brissett will want the upset, but it's not going to happen. Expect a big game for Marcus Mariota on Sunday.
The Pick: Titans 34, Colts 21
Cleveland Browns (0-10) @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
I'm rolling with the Browns in this one. I'm going out on a huge limb by saying DeShone Kizer will throw for two touchdowns and no picks. Any Dalton has been solid these past few weeks, but he'll have a pedestrian game this week. Cleveland scores three total touchdowns and picks up its first win of the season.
The Pick: Browns 24, Bengals 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-4) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
Tampa Bay has won two straight, but Atlanta is coming off a huge win against the Seahawks and is looking to keep the momentum going. We all know that only one of these teams has playoff aspirations, and that's the team that will win this week. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a nice run, but he's no match for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense.
The Pick: Falcons 41, Buccaneers 17
Miami Dolphins (4-6) @ New England Patriots (8-2) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
This one is going to get ugly. Whether or not Jay Cutler plays, it's going to get ugly. New England just held a talented Oakland offense to just eight points in Mexico City. Matt Moore or Jay Cutler are not going to do much more than that. I'm giving them a couple extra points because eight is such an odd score, but New England will win big in this one.
The Pick: Patriots 31, Dolphins 10
Chicago Bears (3-7) @ Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
This is another one that isn't going to be close. Mitchell Trubisky has been given the keys to the car and has been improving a bit, but he's going to have a rough game against Philly. Carson Wentz is coming off an average game - expect him to explode in this one. Sometimes when you're rolling, you fall into a trap game. This isn't one of them.
The Pick: Eagles 34, Bears 13
Carolina Panthers (7-3) @ New York Jets (4-6) (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET)
New York has played a lot of teams tough this year and somehow finds itself 4-6 after 11 weeks, but MVP Cam Newton appears to be back - and so does his defense. Carolina is quietly one of the best teams in the NFL despite not having played its best football up to this point. Last week was the beginning of some good football, expect it to continue this week.
The Pick: Panthers 30, Jets 14
Seattle Seahawks (6-4) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-9) (Sunday, 4:05 PM ET)
Seattle desperately needs this win in order to keeps its playoff hopes alive. 6-4 doesn't look desperate but in a crowded NFC, every win is important. San Francisco still isn't starting Jimmy Garoppolo, so the offense will remain stagnant. Be sure to play Russell Wilson if you have him on your fantasy team.
The Pick: Seahawks 24, 49ers 10
New Orleans Saints (8-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (7-3) (Sunday, 4:25 PM ET)
This one could be the game of the week. The Rams are coming off a loss and are going to be without Robert Woods, which is a difference maker. The Saints might be a bit better of a team right now, and I'm going to give them the win. These next few weeks will be huge for Los Angeles in terms of defining how they respond to adversity. Here's the start of some.
The Pick: Saints 27, Rams 21
Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (4-6) (Sunday, 4:25 PM ET)
Jacksonville is a dangerous team. They don't turn the ball over a lot on offense and the defense is the best in the league. This team is going to continue winning games if that formula is followed. I don't think it even matters if they play a good game against Arizona... they're still going to win. It won't be a blowout, but a win nonetheless for the playoff-bound Jags.
The Pick: Jaguars 20, Cardinals 17
Denver Broncos (3-7) @ Oakland Raiders (4-6) (Sunday, 4:25 PM ET)
Denver has lost six in a row. Coming into the season, I thought they would rip off a six game winning streak, not a six game losing streak. I expected Oakland to be 7-3 or 8-2 at this point, not 4-6. That's how crazy this season has been. With that said, things will go back to normal in Oakland for a week as Derek Carr finds himself again and the team picks up the win against a Paxton Lynch-led Denver squad.
The Pick: Raiders 24, Broncos 14
Green Bay Packers (5-5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) (Sunday, 8:30 PM ET)
With Aaron Rodgers, I'd be inclined to pick Green Bay in this one. Without him, forget about it. Ben Roethlisberger and company played some of their best football last week and I expect it to continue in week 12. The Packers won't be shut out again, but they won't be able to be in a shootout with one of the best offenses in the league.
The Pick: Steelers 27, Packers 13
Houston Texans (4-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (5-5) (Monday, 8:30 PM ET)
Houston's 4-6 record is deceiving. DeShaun Watson is not there anymore. Tom Savage is not as good as Joe Flacco and the Ravens are suddenly looking dangerous. Baltimore gets one game above .500 after winning this one and Houston begins a long skid in a low-scoring affair.
The Pick: Ravens 17, Texans 10
That's it for this week's picks! I hope you're ready for yet another exciting week of NFL football! I'm thankful for each and every one of my readers. You guys make me love what I do!
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