NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (2024)

Our Week 11 picks and predictions straight up and against the spread can be summed up in one word: Bru-tal. Injury effects and wild last-minute finishes all didn't go in the right way, leading to the toughest results of the season.

There's only one way to overcome what just happened — focus on doing better with the next set of pigskin prognostications. It's time to remain fearless with Sporting News' weekly pro football forecast, diving headfirst into every upcoming matchup.

Stats of the Week

Week 11straight up: 6-8

Week 11against the spread: 4-10

Season straight up: 102-58

Season against the spread: 91-67

Week 12 brings up a lot of close lines, starting with the trio of games on Thanksgiving Thursday. Here's to your health and here's to being more feast than famine with the picks. This week, we get a full heaping of 16 games with no teams on bye:

MORE:Week 12NFL power rankings|Week 12picks straight up

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (1)

Game of the Week: Chiefs (-3, 53 o/u) at Buccaneers

Sunday, 8:20p.m. ET, NBC

The Chiefs are coming off a thrilling, emotional last-minute comeback win over the Raiders. The Buccaneers are coming off a short week with a physical Monday night game against the Rams. This game simply comes down to whether you like Patrick Mahomes and his weapons to outperform Tom Brady and his. At this point, counting against Mahomes is a mistake. He'll be under lesspressure than Brady and will come through with another clutch fourth-quarter drive.

Pick:Chiefs win 31-27 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (2)

NFC Game of the Week: Bears at Packers (-8, 45 o/u)

Sunday, 8:20p.m. ET, NBC

The Packers know they will have red-hot Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, trying to make up for the Colts loss by finishing better. The Bears don't know if they will have Nick Foles, MItchell Trubisky or Tyler Bray at quarterback. Coming off a bye helps for a strong Chicago defense, but theoffense will cost the distant second-place team in the NFC North another prime-time division game.

Pick:Packers win 27-20 but fail to cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (3)

Lock of the Week: Bills (-5.5, 54 o/u) over Chargers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Bills are coming off a bye and should have their offense revved up around Josh Allen to attack a Chargers' secondary that's really struggling. Justin Herbert will duel him well, but he's also going into a hostile environment with some weather concerns on a cross-country trip against a Buffalo defense that can dial up some good pressure.

Pick:Bills win 34-17 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (4)

Upset of the Week: Eagles over Seahawks (-5.5, 51 o/u)

Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Eagles desperately need this game to hold off the pack of even weaker NFC East teams behind them. They came through with a key win over the 49ers earlier and get that result here at home in prime time. The Seahawks are much more vulnerable on the road defensively. Wentz uses all his weapons and running style to outduel Russell Wilson with some help from his defense, too.

Pick:Eagles win 27-24.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (5)

Dolphins (-7, 44.5 o/u) at Jets

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Dolphins need to shake off that bad loss against the Broncos and resettle at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa. The good news is they did pitch a shutout against the Jets the first time. The bad news is New York seems to playing with a little more life to keep from going winless. Miami still wins on the strength of the defense, but it's another grind offensively to edge a team led by former coach Adam Gase.

Pick:Dolphins win 23-20 but fail to cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (6)

Cardinals (-2.5, 49.5 o/u) at Patriots

Sunday,1 p.m. ET, Fox

The Cardinals profile very similarly to the Texans, who just ripped the Patriots with a running QB and big pass plays all over the field. Kyler Murray is hard to stop and the Patriots' front seven is not equipped to do so with limited speed. They also will have trouble contaning DeAndre Hopkins downfield. The Cardinals' defense has a lot of holes, but they pick spots to slow down and stop Cam Newton.

Pick:Cardinals win 27-20 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (7)

Panthers at Vikings (-4.5, 49.5 o/u)

Sunday,1 p.m. ET, Fox

The Vikings' defense put them in a tough spot again in the loss to the Cowboys. They need to get ahead of the game script and blast Dalvin Cook to a big lead. The Panthers' run defense is terrible, so you can bet Cook will be fed all day to compensate for the Dallas experience. Teddy Bridgewater, if he returns from his knee injury as expected, has a nice chance for a good "revenge" game, but Cook's constant chunk running will put this game out of reach in the end.

Pick:Vikings win 31-24 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (8)

Titans at Colts (-3.5, 50.5 o/u)

Sunday,1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Titans' offense woke up with a monster day from Derrick Henry to come back and clip the Ravens. The Colts' mighty defense is a different story, coming off the confidence of a Week 10 beatdown in Nashville. The Titans' defense still isn't very good and slowing down in many aspects, while Philip Rivers is suddenly red-hot. He delivers again as Ryan Tannehill goes back to slumping.

Pick:Colts win 27-20and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (9)

Browns (-6.5, 48.5 o/u) at Jaguars

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Browns won't mess around in this game where weather won't be a factor, unlike their past three home games. Look for them to trust in a heavy dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the running and short passing games, with a few calculated high-percentage big-play passes from Baker Mayfield. The Browns' defense rallied around Myles Garrett's absence last week and does it again this week, facing Mike Glennon

Pick:Browns win 30-20 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (10)

Giants (-5.5, 42.5 o/u) at Bengals

Sunday, 1p.m. ET, Fox

The Giants get a massive break after the bye as Daniel Jones has a much better chance of outdueling Brandon Allen on the road than Joe Burrow. The Giants' defense is well rested and will go hard after Allen, forcing sacks and mistakes. The Bengals' defense is ill-equipped to stop any of Jones' versatile weapons.

Pick:Giants win 23-17 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (11)

Raiders (-3, 55 o/u) at Falcons

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Raiders will shake off that Mahomes magic loss of Week 11 in style with a strong road trip to the NFC South. Derek Carr is playing too well to be contained by the Falcons awful pass coverage with no rush behind it, taking advantage when they blitz. Matt Ryan can't seem to keep his key receivers healthy and now his offensive line and running game are crumbling at the wrong time for an improving, youthful defense.

Pick:Raiders win 31-27 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (12)

Ravens at Steelers (-3, 45)

Sunday, 1:15p.m. ET, NBC

The Ravens are going into this short-week road game reeling from the devastating loss to the Titans and have new COVID-19 concerns (Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins). Lamar Jackson is coming off a rough home game and the Steelers' defense won't make things any easier on the road in this rematch. Pittsburgh found its balance and explosiveness last week while Baltimore's once nasty defense keeps wilting everywhere.

Pick:Steelers win 27-20 and cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (13)

49ers at Rams (-6.5, 46.5 o/u)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

The 49ers will still have Nick Mullens starting at quarterback but they should be healthier in their skill support at running back and wide receiver. Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh would have game-planned well during the bye for a team they were able to beat when healthy in Week 5. With the 49ers rested and the Rams tired from Monday night, look for a tighter rematch than expected at SoFi Stadium.

Pick:Rams win 24-20 but fail to cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (14)

Saints at Broncos (-5.5, 44 o/u)

Sunday, 4:05p.m. ET, Fox

Taysom Hill shined in his home debut as a starting quarterback, but now goes to a hostile road environment in the elements, back in Mountain West country. The Broncos woke up defensively with a good pass rush and more respectable run defense. They tend to play better at home while the Saints, Drew Brees or not, aren't the best west- and outdoor-traveling team. They still survive with the better running game and the superior run defense.

Pick:Saints win 23-20 but fail to cover the spread.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (15)

Game of the Midweek I: Texans (-2.5, -51.5) at Lions

Thursday, 12:30p.m. ET, CBS

The Texans have Deshaun Watson cooking with gas with all of his wide receivers and is also feeling it as a runner. They have great confidence offensively after having their way with the Patriots. They draw a weaker defense this week and their run defense will get another break, assuming D'Andre Swift misses another game with a concussion. Houston has been more motivated without Bill O'Brien while Detroit is now going through the motions with Matt Patricia.

Pick:Texans win 27-24 and cover the spread.

Result: Texans won 41-25.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (16)

Game of the Midweek II: Washington Football Team at Cowboys (-2.5, 46.5)

Thursday, 4:30p.m. ET, Fox

Andy Dalton finally played well filling in for Dak Prescott, a far cry from his first effort against Washington. The Cowboys also got their running game going with Ezekiel Elliott to help and also played more inspired defense against the Vikings. Dalton has more weapons than Alex Smith and Dallas evens the season series at home to resurrect its NFC East chances.

Pick:Cowboys win 24-20 and cover the spread.

Result: Washington won 41-16.

NFL picks, predictions against the spread for Week 12 (2024)

FAQs

What are the odds for week 12 in the NFL? ›

NFL Odds Week 12
MatchupSpreadMoneyline
Eagles vs Bills-2.5 (-120) +2.5 (-102)-154 +130
Raiders vs Chiefs+9.5 (-115) -9.5 (-105)+360 -480
Chargers vs Ravens+3 (-108) -3 (-112)+146 -174
Vikings vs Bears-3 (-110) +3 (-110)-164 +138
12 more rows

What are the most accurate NFL prediction sites? ›

OddsTrader stands out as the best site for NFL predictions due to its sophisticated computer algorithms that analyze thousands of data points and simulations, offering highly accurate game projections.

Who is the best at picking NFL games straight up? ›

Past Champions
YearMost Accurate
2021Matt Bowen ESPN
2020Matt Bowen ESPN
2019Kevin Seifert ESPN
2018Jamey Eisenberg CBS Sports
6 more rows

Who is the best quarterback pick for Week 12? ›

Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: QB
RKPlayerOpp
1Josh Allen@PHI
2Jalen HurtsBUF
3Lamar Jackson@LAC
4Dak PrescottWAS
28 more rows
Nov 22, 2023

How accurate are NFL odds? ›

Point spreads are chosen to be maximally difficult to beat, so even a success rate of 5% above a baseline would be considered a success. It has been said by certain professional sports bettors that one should not expect more than approximately 60% accuracy in betting, so this is the figure that we will strive towards.

What is the number 1 football prediction site? ›

EaglePredict is the best football prediction site in the world with over 89.9% accuracy rate in our football betting tips.

Is Walter Picks accurate? ›

Not only has WalterPicks found an audience, but it has been 17% more accurate than ESPN and Yahoo, according to the app's loading screen. Factor said he knew they had a good product, but he and Shane were surprised to see just how good it was.

Which website is accurate fixed football prediction? ›

Betagamers.net is the surest prediction site providing the most accurate football predictions in the world with average accuracy above 80%, an accuracy level that is impossible for many forecast sites on the internet to reach.

What NFL team is best against the spread? ›

NFL Team ATS Trends - All Games, 2023
TeamATS RecordCover %
Kansas City13-7-165.0%
LA Rams11-6-164.7%
Tampa Bay12-7-063.2%
Baltimore12-7-063.2%
28 more rows

What are the luckiest NFL teams? ›

  • New York Jets.
  • Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • San Francisco 49ers.
  • Seattle Seahawks.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • Tennessee Titans.
  • Washington Commanders.

What stats are best to predict NFL games? ›

Passing yards and rushing yards are best predicted weighting recent data more heavily whereas interceptions and fumbles require more evenly weighted data.

What is the secret of football prediction? ›

Check the odds carefully

First, pay attention to the two clubs' current rankings. Most strong teams with consistent performance will be highly ranked. Then decide whether the bet is over or under. Second, carefully research the two teams' existing status at the time.

How often is the spread correct in NFL? ›

Over the past 10 seasons, NFL regular-season favorites have gone 1206-1303-62 against the spread. That's a 48% win clip.

What is the biggest NFL point spread ever? ›

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the highest spread by a team in a game, at +26.5 points against the Broncos on October 13, 2013.

What are the odds for the 12 vs 5 seed? ›

Number 5 seeds are 99-53 versus No. 12 seeds since 1985, when the field expanded to 64 teams. That said, a 12th-seeded team has beaten a fifth-seeded team in all but five years since 2000.

What are the odds for the Big 12 Championship Game? ›

Utah is the favorites to win the 2024 Big 12 Championship with odds as short as +275, representing an implied win probability of 26.67%.

What NFL players are out for Week 12? ›

NFL Week 12 injuries: News on Kupp, Higgins, Ward, more
  • Cooper Kupp, WR; Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams.
  • Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals.
  • Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns.
  • DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Zay Flowers, WR; Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens.
  • Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders.
Nov 24, 2023

What are the odds for the NFC? ›

The teams with the best NFC title odds according to the latest NFL futures odds:
  • 49ers: +250.
  • Lions +550.
  • Cowboys: +700.
  • Eagles: +700.
  • Packers: +800.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Jerrold Considine

Last Updated:

Views: 6218

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jerrold Considine

Birthday: 1993-11-03

Address: Suite 447 3463 Marybelle Circles, New Marlin, AL 20765

Phone: +5816749283868

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Air sports, Sand art, Electronics, LARPing, Baseball, Book restoration, Puzzles

Introduction: My name is Jerrold Considine, I am a combative, cheerful, encouraging, happy, enthusiastic, funny, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.