NFL Week 12 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread

Week 12 of the NFL season has arrived and it may yet serve as a life raft amidst the turbulent waters that Week 11 shoved us all into. The Big Lead was unable to escape last week unscathed, going 6-9 as Liam and Kyle near the .500 line for the first time in a while, sitting at 70-69. But they're ready to bounce back.

Here are our Week 12 NFL picks and predictions against the spread (all odds via WynnBet).

NFL Week 12 Predictions

BEARS (-3.5) over LIONS

Chicago is probably going to start Andy Dalton on a short week after Justin Fields hurt his ribs in the team's terrible loss against the Ravens. Matt Nagy knows his job is on the line here. If Chicago lets the Lions earn their first win of the year on Thanksgiving, he's done. Detroit's quarterback room is just too inept to safely bet on. Nagy staves off the noise for one more week as fans continue to call for his job. Bears 23, Lions 13

RAIDERS (+7.0) over COWBOYS

The last time the Cowboys lost in brutal fashion (Week 9, Broncos), they beat the tar out of their next opponent (Week 10, Falcons). That will not and cannot happen here as the short week means Dallas is not going to be any healthier against Las Vegas on Turkey Day than they were against KC last Sunday. Dak Prescott will do enough to win this game, but Derek Carr and Co. will keep it close. Cowboys 31, Raiders 28

SAINTS (+4.0) over BILLS

Sean Payton surely smells blood in the water after watching Buffalo's defense get absolutely eviscerated by Jonathan Taylor. The Bills surely aren't as bad as they showed but they have enough bad losses now to question if they're as good as last year. Taking all that into consideration and adding the Saints' homefield advantage and this seems like one of the better bets of the week. Bills 28, Saints 27

STEELERS (+3.5) over BENGALS

It doesn't seem like the books know what to do with either of these teams, so they just threw the Bengals three and a half because the game is in Cincinnati. The Bengals haven't shown any proof they're as good as the team that beat Lamar Jackson's Ravens halfway through the year, and thus we bet on Pittsburgh to Big Brother the Bengals. Steelers 28, Bengals 24

BUCCANEERS (-2.5) over COLTS

The Colts are gaining steam and rounding into form as the season goes on, capped off by an extremely impressive beatdown of Buffalo last week. But the offense doesn't work if Jonathan Taylor can't get going, and for all of Tampa Bay's defensive woes this year, defending the run is an area of strength. On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady will do Tom Brady things and Indianapolis will come back to earth. Bucs 34, Colts 21

PANTHERS (PICK-EM) over DOLPHINS

This one is pretty simple. We're willing to bet that Carolina's talent at the skill positions is so much better than Miami's that the Panthers handle this one with ease. Don't expect a ton from Cam Newton after Brian Flores saw him twice last season, but Christian McCaffrey will do his thing. Tua Tagovailoa has made strides but one good performance against the New York Jets doesn't move the needle here. Panthers 23, Dolphins 17

TITANS (+5.5) over PATRIOTS

Tennessee had an "everything goes wrong" game and lost to the Texans last week. But the Patriots are not as good at home as the line would have you believe and Mike Vrabel always shows up extremely prepared to play his old boss. The Titans are still too banged up to come away with a win, but five and a half points is a little steep for our tastes. Patriots 20, Titans 17

EAGLES (-3.5) over GIANTS

It feels like it's time to start thinking of the Eagles as a good football team. Their rushing attack is absurdly dominant, a point hammered home after they put up 242 yards on the ground against the best run defense in the NFL last Sunday. The Giants showed some fight this year but their beatdown at the hands of the Buccaneers further exposed the deep-rooted flaws in Dave Gettleman's roster. Eagles 29, Giants 14

NFL Predictions Week 12

FALCONS (PICK-EM) over JAGUARS

Oddsmakers studying this game and declining to pick a side is a move to earn our infinite respect. Not sure a game like these even deserves to have a favorite. When pressed, it seems as though the Falcons are a clearly superior football team and should win if interested and engaged. Which are not settled questions. Recent reporting suggests Jacksonville is happy with the Urban Meyer-Trevor Lawrence alliance and committed to seeing it through. There are certainly flashes there but it doesn't feel like there's much energy or urgency. Falcons 23, Jaguars 17

TEXANS (-3) over JETS

What is the deal with this week's games? Some absolute abominations. The Texans are riding high after pushing the Titans around in Nashville and evidently opening up a window into an alternate universe. As hard as it is to believe in another unicorn like that, crazier things have happened. At the end of the year we'll look back at the two-week stretch where Houston inexplicably went scorched Earth and laugh. Texans 40, Jets 9

CHARGERS (-2.5) over BRONCOS

Justin Herbert prevented a historic collapse from hurting the Chargers' playoff chances with a late game-strike against Pittsburgh. It will be incumbent on him to do it again, on the road, against a decently nasty defensive unit. These are the ones he needs to win to ascend to the top tier of the sport and we're wide-eyed enough to think he'll do it. Chargers 20, Broncos 16

RAMS (+1) over PACKERS

This is a Put The Kids to Bed game. Matthew Stafford returns to Green Bay to lock horns with Aaron Rodgers and finally does it with a supporting cast capable of being superior. Backs are up against the wall for the only bye and all the makings are there for an instance classic. May we be so lucky, with Cooper Kupp snaking into the end zone in the final seconds. Rams 38, Packers 35

NINERS (-3) over VIKINGS

Don't look now but Kyle Shanahan has a team that can run the football, play defense, and trust Deebo Samuel to break free every now and again. All is not lost. The same is true for the Vikings, who are either going to the Super Bowl or finishing 6-11 despite leading every single game by a touchdown at one point. This is a Spider-Man meme of a matchup as both teams have a ton of potential but could veer off track at any time. Niners 28, Vikings 24

RAVENS (-4) over BROWNS

Baker Mayfield deserves a heaping helping of respect for going out there and gutting it out with a broken body. But damn, is it painful to watch. John Harbaugh is the best coach in football and will have his team ready to deliver a knockout blow to their rivals. Ravens 28, Browns 11

FOOTBALL TEAM (-1) over SEAHAWKS

This line is the clearest indication yet that the Seahawks' run is over. Russell Wilson spent 19 hours per day rehabbing a finger and may be a medical miracle yet he's doing all this to see his team kick field goals and lose. Sad state of affairs. Football Team 20, Seahawks 12