Week 12 NFL Picks: Teams That Will Earn Much-Needed Home Wins

There is nothing like some home cooking to solve even the biggest problems with your NFL team. 

Heading into Week 12, a number of squads appear to be fading out of the playoff picture. Fortunately, they still have enough time to get back into the race with some quality wins.

Not every team in need will come through when a victory is needed the most, but these squads will use home-field advantage to secure a win this week.

Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Since losing Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone, the Green Bay Packers have been fading fast. They have lost three games in a row and are now in third place in the NFC North.

The good news is that replacement quarterback Scott Tolzien has not been awful. While he does have five interceptions in two appearances, these are mostly due to mistakes that come from inexperience. He is still doing a good job of moving the football and sustaining drives, which will lead to points when he cuts down on turnovers.

This should be easy to do against a team that has struggled against the pass all season. The Vikings rank 29th in the league in passing yards allowed and are one of four teams to allow a passer rating of more than 100 to opposing quarterbacks.

Tolzien should be able to come through with the best game of his career, and the Packers should score plenty of points along with the help of running back Eddie Lacy.

Additionally, the Packers should feel confident about slowing down the Vikings offensively after holding Adrian Peterson to just 60 yards the first time these teams played. This will help Green Bay earn an easy victory to remain in the division race.

Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Jets

While the Jets have sometimes looked like a playoff contender this year, they have been awful on the road. 

The normally stout defense has given up an average of 33 points per game, while quarterback Geno Smith has thrown 10 of his 16 interceptions in fewer attempts away from home.

On the other hand, the Ravens also have similar splits with a 3-1 record at home compared to only 1-5 on the road. Fortunately for them, this game will be played in Baltimore.

Even if the Jets can slow down Ray Rice and the rushing attack, Joe Flacco's steadiness at M&T Bank Stadium will come through, and he should have a solid, efficient day. The same cannot be said about Smith, who will struggle under the pressure of the Ravens' pass rush.

Expect a lot of turnovers from the rookie quarterback as Baltimore moves closer to .500 and into contention for a playoff spot.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts

According to Vegas Insider, the Cardinals are a surprise favorite for this matchup, although it seems like most fans are expecting the Colts to come out on top.

Still, the oddsmakers realize that Arizona has been underrated all season long. The defense ranks in the top 10 in both yards and points allowed and is No. 2 in the league against the run.

This will not only help complete the all-to-easy task of shutting down Trent Richardson, but Andrew Luck will struggle to throw the ball against the playmakers in the secondary like Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals have some big-play guys on the offensive side as well, including Andre Ellington and Michael Floyd. They are in addition to All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald. 

With a 4-1 record at home, Arizona only has one question mark: Carson Palmer, who has made a lot of mistakes with the ball this season. In fact, his recent win over the Jacksonville Jaguars was the first game all season where he did not throw an interception.

If the veteran quarterback can avoid turnovers in this matchup, he should lead his team to victory over an opponent that has looked shaky over the past three weeks.

Away	Home	Picks
Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Detroit Lions	Lions
Minnesota Vikings	Green Bay Packers	Packers
San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	Chiefs
Chicago Bears	St. Louis Rams	Rams
Carolina Panthers	Miami Dolphins	Panthers
New York Jets	Baltimore Ravens	Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	Texans
Tennessee Titans	Oakland Raiders	Raiders
Indianapolis Colts	Arizona Cardinals	Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys	New York Giants	Giants
Denver Broncos	New England Patriots	Patriots
San Francisco 49ers	Washington Redskins	49ers

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