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There will be six teams on a bye for Week 12. The good news is, we still have some great matchups. That includes the Chargers hosting the Ravens and the Rams taking on the Eagles.
Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format that requires it. The games will be grouped into locks, semi-confident picks, and toss-ups. The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least confident pick. The winner picks are italicized.
Some weeks, you may see a subcategory of “Wait and See” because some platforms require all games to be selected before the kickoff of Thursday Night Football. There may still be some injury questions for Sunday and Monday games. If that’s the case, I’ll leave those games off to the side and suggest where they should be placed if a player is in or out. Let’s get to our Week 12 picks.
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Week 12 NFL Pick'em Pool Locks
The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least-confident pick. The higher the number, the better. The winner picks are italicized.
- 13 – Kansas City at Carolina
- 12 – Detroit at Indianapolis
- 11 – Houston vs. Tennessee
The Chiefs against the Panthers is an incredibly lopsided matchup. The Chiefs are 9-1 and looking to make another run at a Super Bowl. The Panthers are 3-7 and have allowed 31.0 points per game. No need to overthink this one. The Chiefs should win in a route.
The Lions have won eight games in a row to improve their record to 9-1. They have one of the best running back duos in the league in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The Colts have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game in the league, so look for those two to help the Lions dominate this matchup.
Absolutely INCREDIBLE
Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown all scored TD in the same game for the @Lions for the 8th time.
That is the MOST instances of a trio of teammates doing so in NFL HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/ZacuL3g6ex
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 17, 2024
The Texans are finally getting healthy with Nico Collins back. He was targeted seven times against the Cowboys last week, finishing with 4 receptions for 54 yards. The Texans are 5-1 in games that Collins has played this season. They shouldn’t have any problems dispatching the Titans, who are 2-8 and averaging just 17.0 points per game.
Semi-Confident Picks For Week 12 Pick'em Pools
10 – Denver at Las Vegas
I debated making the Broncos a lock. They have clearly been the much better team this season, going 6-5 while the Raiders have posted a 2-8 record. The Raiders could also be thin at running back with Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps) battling injury. The Broncos should be able to win this game handedly, but I felt better putting them in this section because crazy things can happen during divisional matchups on the road.
Bo Nix was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Bo became the first rookie in NFL history to have 4 TDs, 300 passing yards, 80% completion and no INTs. pic.twitter.com/F9kKHaLYAb
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 20, 2024
9 – Washington vs. Dallas
The Commanders have dropped consecutive games to fall into second place in the NFC East. This is a great spot for them to get back on track with the Cowboys sporting a 3-7 record. They have scored a total of just 16 points over the last two games without Dak Prescott (hamstring). Again, anything can happen in a divisional matchup, but the Commanders should be the prohibitive favorite here.
8 – Miami vs. New England
The Dolphins have won back-to-back games to keep their hopes of making the playoffs alive. They are 3-3 in games in which Tua Tagovailoa has played, compared to 1-3 without him. The Patriots are more dangerous with Drake Maye under center, but a healthy Tagovailoa should help the Dolphins win at home.
7 – Pittsburgh at Cleveland
After defeating the Ravens last week, is this a letdown spot for the Steelers? It’s certainly a quick turnaround with this matchup being the Thursday Night Football game of the week. As tough as this could be on the road on a short week, it’s difficult to imagine the turnover-prone Jameis Winston leading the Browns to a victory over one of the best defenses in the league.
NFL Pick'em Toss-Ups Of Week 12
6 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants
The Giants have benched Daniel Jones. Tommy Devito will take over at quarterback for at least Week 12, and that might not be a bad thing. The Giants offense looked listless with Jones at the helm, so DeVito might be able to add a spark. The Giants are 0-5 at home, so I’ll lean towards the Buccaneers, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Giants pulled off the upset.
5 – Minnesota at Chicago
The Bears have lost four in a row to land in the basement of the NFC North. The Vikings have won three straight to improve to 8-2. Despite these two teams heading in opposite directions, this isn’t a slam dunk for the Vikings. The Bears are 4-1 in Chicago, so while the Vikings should still win, we might be looking at a nailbiter.
4 – Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia
The Eagles have won six straight after a 2-2 start to the season. However, it’s worth noting that only one of those wins came against a team with a winning record. The Rams have been mediocre at 5-5, but they are much more dangerous now with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp healthy. In a toss-up like this, I usually default to the home team.
WR Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) became the first player in NFL history to record 600+ receptions, 7,500+ receiving yards and 50+ touchdown receptions in a player's first 100 career games. pic.twitter.com/fIEx5vzAhH
— Los Angeles Rams PR (@TheLARamsPR) November 17, 2024
3 – Baltimore at Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers pulled off a big win over the Bengals last week and will have the advantage of playing this game at home, where they are 4-1. If the Ravens lose this game, their record will fall to 7-5, which seems unfathomable based on how good they have looked for most of the season. Even with the Chargers having the edge of playing at home, the Ravens will be tough to beat.
2 – Seattle vs. Arizona
This is an important game in the NFC West. The Cardinals sit atop the division at 6-4, while the Seahawks are right behind them at 5-5. The Seahawks are 3-1 on the road, but just 2-4 at home. Even with that in mind, I’ll continue to lean towards the home team when matchups are close like this one.
1 – Green Bay vs. San Francisco
The 49ers have been a disappointment with their 5-5 record. George Kittle (hamstring) is trending towards making his return, which would provide a huge boost to their offense. The Packers are 5-1 over their last six games with their lone defeat during that span coming at the hands of the Lions. I’ll lean towards a healthy Packers offense at home, but this could come down to the final possession.
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