NFL Week 12 Picks: Vegas Odds, Props and Predictions Before Thursday Night

The action in Week 12 should be quite compelling, starting with Thanksgiving Day, when the NFL has come through with three notable games.

We have a strong opinion on the first of those games, which sees the Minnesota Vikings visit the Detroit Lions. 

The Vikings ended their four-game losing streak in Week 11, against the Arizona Cardinals, and that 30-24 victory has allowed head coach Mike Zimmer to breathe a bit easier. However, it may be difficult for the Vikings to make it two in a row against Detroit since the Lions have shown a tendency to compete hard in the fourth quarter and earn late victories.

That's what the Lions did in Week 9, when quarterback Matthew Stafford rallied the team to a last-second tying field goal against the Vikings before leading a TD drive in overtime. The Lions also rallied for a 26-19 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11.

Matchup	Spread	O/U	ATS and O/U Prediction
Minnesota at Detroit (Thursday)	DET -1	41.5	DET/O
Washington at Dallas (Thursday)	DAL -7	52	WASH/U
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis (Thursday)	PIT -9	48	PIT/O
N.Y. Giants at Cleveland	NYG -7	44	NYG/U
San Francisco at Miami	MIA -7.5	44	MIA/O
L.A. Rams at New Orleans	NO -7	45	NO/O
Tennessee at Chicago	TEN -4.5	42	TEN/O
Jacksonville at Buffalo	BUF -7.5	44.5	BUF/U
Arizona at Atlanta	ATL -4	50.5	ATL/O
Cincinnati at Baltimore	BAL -3.5	40.5	BAL/O
San Diego at Houston	SD -1.5	46	HOU/O
Seattle at Tampa Bay	SEA -6	45	SEA/O
Kansas City at Denver	DEN -3	39.5	KC/U
Carolina at Oakland	OAK -3	49	OAK/O
New England at N.Y. Jets	NE -7.5	47	NE/U
Green Bay at Philadelphia (MNF)	PHI -4	47.5	GB/O

Detroit hosts their divisional rivals as the NFC North leader, and the Lions have won five of their last six games. They have been making a move up the ladder behind their quarterback's excellent and consistent play.

Stafford is completing 67.8 percent of his passes, and he has an impressive 18-5 TD-interception ratio. Anquan Boldin is leading the Lions with five TD receptions, while Marvin Jones and Theo Riddick both have four. That diversity in the passing game makes the Lions difficult to defend against.

The Vikings are certainly going to try, as Zimmer's defense ranks third overall and third against the pass. If they are going to be effective, look for defensive ends Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter to have big games. Those two have combined for 13.0 sacks.

If they can put pressure on Stafford, safety Harrison Smith will have a chance to make big plays in the secondary.

This game is nearly a tossup in the eyes of the oddsmakers. The Lions are one-point favorites, according to Odds Shark.

While the Vikings have covered seven of their last 10 games against Detroit, we like the Lions to get the win and cover at home.

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Arizona at Atlanta

This has not been the season the Arizona Cardinals were expecting.

After getting to the NFC Championship Game a year ago, a lot of sharp NFL observers expected the Cardinals to get back to that game and win it this year.

But after losing at home to the New England Patriots in Week 1, Arizona's season has been a series of fits and starts.

The latest debacle came in Week 11, when the Cardinals lost a road game to the Vikings, during which they gave up two TD returns of 100 yards or longer.

The Cardinals take a 4-5-1 record into their game with the rested Atlanta Falcons.

Matt Ryan (24-5 TD-interception ratio) has had two weeks to get ready for this game, and while the Cardinals have the top-ranked defense in the league, it's hard to see them shutting down Ryan and wideout Julio Jones.

On the other hand, Carson Palmer has not found his groove and is struggling with a 13-10 TD-interception ratio.

The Falcons are four-point home favorites, per Odds Shark, and we see this game going to Atlanta. Look for Ryan to hit a couple of big touchdowns in the second half to help his team gain separation on the scoreboard.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Kansas City at Denver

NBC flexed the Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos game to prime time on Sunday night, and the Chiefs should be fully focused after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in Week 11.

KC is not a high-powered offensive team, but its strength has been its ability to avoid turnovers with Alex Smith at quarterback.

Look for Smith to stay true to his form, since he has thrown just four interceptions this season. If Smith can avoid turnovers against the Broncos, his team has an excellent chance to win.

The Broncos have the 27th-ranked offense in the league, and we don't see Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian having much success against a Kansas City defense that features Marcus Peters, who has a team-high five interceptions. 

Outside linebacker Justin Houston returned to the Chiefs lineup in Week 11, and his ability to rush the passer could help Kansas City take over this game.

The Chiefs are three-point underdogs, per Odds Shark, and we like them to get the cover and win the game.

Prop Bet

The Cleveland Browns are running out of opportunities to win games. They take an 0-11 record into their Week 12 home game against the New York Giants, and Odds Shark reports they are seven-point underdogs.

However, Las Vegas is offering a prop bet on the Browns and whether they will fail to win a game this season. According to Odds Shark, the Browns are 29-20 to go 0-16 this season.

Bettors who think the Browns will find a way to win can also bet on the number of games they will win. Per Odds Shark, those who say they will one game can get 5-4, while optimists who believe the Browns will win two games can get 33-10. Three wins for the Browns comes in at 12-1, while four wins or more is 50-1.

As badly as the Browns have played, we don't see much of an opportunity to win a game outside of Week 16, when they host the San Diego Chargers. Cleveland may be competitive there, but we see the Chargers pulling it out.

The winless-season bet has an excellent chance to come through, and we are backing that option.