NFL Predictions Week 12: Last-Minute Picks for Sunday's Games

With Sunday's slate of games coming up for Week 12, it's time for some last-minute predictions for a number of exciting NFL games.

There are a number of big games with playoff implications this week, and the postseason picture could look quite different after Sunday.  There are some incredibly tight division races and some important rivalry games this week, making this week even more important.

Below is a complete list of predictions for Sunday, followed by a breakdown of the biggest games to watch for.

Away	Prediction	Home
New York Jets	21-17	Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers	24-10	Cleveland Browns
Carolina Panthers	30-13	Miami Dolphins
Chicago Bears	21-24	St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	20-24	Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings	14-20	Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars	7-24	Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers	13-24	Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts	23-28	Arizona Cardinals
Tennessee Titans	20-21	Oakland Raiders
Dallas Cowboys	24-28	New York Giants
Denver Broncos	38-30	New England Patriots

Indianapolis Colts (7-3) at Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 24

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Prediction: 28-23, Cardinals

While most people expected the Indianapolis Colts to grab a playoff spot in the AFC, not as many were expecting the Arizona Cardinals to be in the NFC wild-card race this late in the year.

Andrew Luck and the Colts haven't looked the same offensively without Reggie Wayne.  In the past three games, they've scored a total of nine points in the first half, forcing Luck to lead difficult second-half comebacks in two of those contests.

While T.Y. Hilton and Coby Fleener can make plays in the passing game, they may have trouble against this talented secondary for the Cardinals.  Football Outsiders has the Cardinals as the No. 1 defense in the NFL in terms of weighted defense-adjusted value over average, or DVOA.  Players like Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu make this one secondary no one wants to mess with.

On the other side of the ball, it will be the inconsistent defense of the Colts trying to stop the improving Cardinals offense.  Carson Palmer has looked more comfortable in the offense, while Andre Ellington has emerged as a real weapon in the backfield.  Larry Fitzgerald is having a much better season than he had in 2012, catching 45 passes for 554 yards and six touchdowns.

Look for Luck to struggle against this defense on Sunday, and look for the Cardinals to squeak out a relatively close win and continue their run for a wild-card spot.

Dallas Cowboys (5-5) at New York Giants (4-6)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 24

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Prediction: 28-24, Giants

The NFC East is the weakest division in the NFL right now, and the race is currently wide open with just a few weeks remaining. 

At 5-5, the Dallas Cowboys are on their way to posting their third consecutive 8-8 season, even with Tony Romo having one of the best seasons of his career.  Heading into Sunday, Romo has thrown for 2,681 yards and 21 touchdowns with a 98.3 passer rating.

However, the defense has been ugly for the Cowboys this year.  As a team, the Cowboys give up 439.8 total yards per game, which is by far the most in the NFL.  

Meanwhile, the New York Giants have won four straight games and are beginning to be more effective on offense.  After throwing 15 interceptions in the team's first six games, Eli Manning has only thrown two during the win streak, and the offense is averaging 22.3 points per game.

The Giants appear to be on a real roll here, and Tom Coughlin knows a thing or two about leading his teams to incredible comebacks in the second half of the season.  Expect the Giants to continue their hot streak and force themselves back into the NFC East race.

Denver Broncos (9-1) at New England Patriots (7-3)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 24

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Prediction: 38-30, Broncos 

The rivalry between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady has been one of the most exciting to watch over the past decade, and as their respective careers start slowly winding down, things just keep getting more interesting.

Everyone will be expecting the Denver Broncos to put up big numbers, and they likely will.  The offense is putting up 455.5 yards and 39.8 points per game, with weapons like Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker continuing to get the ball and make plays.  These weapons have helped Manning have the best season of his career, as he's thrown for 3,572 yards, 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

While the Broncos should light up the scoreboard, the New England Patriots will have to keep up.  Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen have all helped out Brady and the rest of the offense, scoring 75 points in their last two games.

However, Brady will have to keep his eye on Von Miller, who has helped the Broncos considerably on defense.  He has two sacks along with a forced fumble in his four games since coming back from suspension, and according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Miller is already the highest-grade 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL.

I'm anticipating an exciting shootout in this game, but the presence of Miller will make it too difficult for the Patriots to keep up in this one.