NFL Spreads Week 12: Best Picks Against the Spread

Canadian bettors are treated to three NFL games this Thursday because it’s the biggest football — and eating — holiday of the year in the United States: Thanksgiving. As usual, Detroit hosts the early game on the holiday and Dallas the mid-afternoon game. A decade ago, the NFL also added a rotating prime-time game. Here’s a quick look at all Week 12 matchups with Sports Interaction NFL odds. Games on Sunday unless noted. Because it’s such a showcase week, there are no teams on the bye.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, Thursday

Point spread: Detroit -3
Total: 42.5
Big game in the NFC North as the Lions and Vikings are tied for first at 6-4. The Lions go for the season sweep and a huge potential tiebreaker as they won in Minneapolis 22-16 in overtime in Week 9 in a game the Vikings really gave away. I will have a preview of this one later this week.
Pick ATS: Lions

Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday

Point spread: Dallas -7
Total: 48.5
This game could be crucial in the NFC East, with first-place Dallas up two games in the loss column on both the Redskins and the Giants. The Cowboys, with the NFL’s best record at 9-1, go for the season sweep as they won at Washington 27-23 in Week 2. I will have an in-depth preview of this game later this week.
Pick ATS: Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts, Thursday

Point spread: Pittsburgh -2.5
Total: 53
The prime-time game on Turkey Davy and you can find a preview later this week here at Sports Interaction. Both teams are fighting to win their respective mediocre division, and that’s likely the only route for either to reach the playoffs. The Steelers blew out the visiting Colts in Week 13 last year.
Pick ATS: Steelers

Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears

Point spread: Tennessee -2
Total: 44.5
The Titans as road favourites? That’s not something you see very often. Tells you how bad the Bears are as they fell to 2-8 with a 22-16 loss at the Giants on Sunday. It matches Chicago’s worst start since 2002, and it still hasn’t scored more than 23 points in a game yet — every other team has. Tennessee is still in the mix in the AFC South but lost an important game at Indianapolis on Sunday, 24-17.
Pick ATS: Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills

Point spread: Buffalo -7
Total: 45.5
Jacksonville lost its fifth straight game on Sunday, 26-19 at Detroit. That ensures the franchise’s ninth consecutive non-winning season. The Jags have actually had a chance to win every game this year other than two. But turnovers have been a major problem all year. Buffalo came out of its bye week and ended a three-game losing streak with a 16-12 win at Cincinnati. Top running back LeSean McCoy suffered a dislocated thumb that required surgery but he’s expected to still play.
Pick ATS: Bills

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Point spread: Baltimore -4
Total: 41.5
First meeting of the season between the AFC North rivals. They close the season against one another in Cincinnati. The Bengals swept the series last year on the way to the division title, but Baltimore is better this year and Cincinnati not as good. The Bengals also lost receiver A.J. Green and running back Gio Bernard to likely season-ending injuries in Sunday’s defeat to Buffalo.
Pick ATS: Ravens

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons

Point spread: Atlanta -4
Total: 50
NFC South-leading Atlanta comes off its bye week. Arizona has been uneven much of the season and lost 30-24 in Minnesota on Sunday. Carson Palmer played at an MVP level last year for Arizona but hasn’t been the same guy in 2016. He was picked off twice vs. the Vikings, one returned for a touchdown.
Pick ATS: Falcons

New York Giants at Cleveland Browns

Point spread: Cleveland +7
Total: 44.5
Is this the week the Browns get that first win? They dropped to 0-11 with a one-sided home loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday and also lost rookie starting quarterback Cody Kessler to his second concussion of the year. The team might simply shut him down the rest of the way now. The Giants are one of those teams that tend to play down to their competition at times. New York has won five straight, however, after a 22-16 home victory over the Bears on Sunday. It’s the Giants’ longest regular-season winning streak in six years.
Pick ATS: New York

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints

Point spread: New Orleans -7
Total: 46
New Orleans’ playoff hopes took a big hit with last Thursday’s 23-20 loss in Carolina. Five of the Saints’ six losses this year have been by six points or fewer. Los Angeles gave rookie No. 1 overall pick QB Jared Goff his first NFL start on Sunday, and he struggled in a 14-10 home loss to the Giants. Goff was 17-for-31 for 134 yards with no TDs or turnovers. The Rams led that game 10-0 with less than five minutes left.
Pick ATS: Saints

San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins

Point spread: Miami -7
Total: 45.5
Miami looks for the California trifecta here. The Dolphins won in San Diego in Week 10 and then beat the Rams 14-10 in Los Angeles this past Sunday with two late fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Dolphins have won five in a row, their longest streak since 2008. Sadly, Miami doesn’t then play Oakland next week. San Francisco lost a ninth straight Sunday, 30-17 at home to New England but did cover a big spread.
Pick ATS: Dolphins

San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans

Point spread: TBA
Total: TBA
Short week for Houston as it was in Mexico City on Monday night against Oakland. A double advantage for San Diego as it comes off its bye week. But the Texans are unbeaten at home. These teams haven’t played since the 2013 opener.
Pick ATS: Chargers

Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Point spread: Seattle -4.5
Total: 45
Potentially tricky trip across country for Seattle, although it catches a break in that this game isn’t an early kickoff but at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Seahawks won a third straight game Sunday, 26-15 over Philadelphia but lost good-looking rookie RB C.J. Prosise to a season-ending injury. Tampa Bay had the upset of Week 11, a 19-17 win at Kansas City. Jameis Winston threw for 331 yards.
Pick ATS: Bucs

Carolina Panthers at Oakland Raiders

Point spread: TBA
Total: TBA
Carolina kept its playoff hopes alive with a 23-20 home win over New Orleans last Thursday, although the Panthers tried their hardest to blow a 23-3 fourth-quarter lead. They did lose All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly, the best in the NFL in the middle, to a concussion. If you watched that game, Kuechly, one of the toughest players in football, was sobbing while being carted off. It was heartbreaking. Here’s hoping he’s OK. It’s a short week for Oakland as it played Houston in Mexico City on Monday.
Pick ATS: Raiders

New England Patriots at New York Jets

Point spread: New England -8.5
Total: 47
New York comes off its bye week, while the Pats had a layup win at San Francisco on Sunday. It’s the first meeting of the season between these blood rivals. Who will be the Jets’ starting QB: Bryce Petty or Ryan Fitzpatrick? That’s not exactly like choosing between which supermodel to take to the prom. The Pats swept the series last year but both were close.
Pick ATS: Jets

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Point spread: Denver -3.5
Total: 40
This game was “flexed” into the prime-time spot, while Patriots-Jets booted from that. Look for a preview of this important matchup later this week at Sports Interaction. It’s the first meeting of the season between the AFC West rivals.
Pick ATS: Broncos

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles, Monday

Point spread: Philadelphia -3
Total: TBA
Look for a preview of this game later this week. Green Bay enters on a four-game losing streak but has won four of the past five meetings vs. Philly, last in 2014. The Eagles lost their top two running backs, Ryan Mathews (knee) and Darren Sproles (ribs), before halftime of Sunday’s loss in Seattle.
Pick ATS: Packers