Week 12 NFL Picks: Predictions for Mid-Week Odds and Spreads

The Houston Texans were struggling badly through the first nine weeks of the season. Head coach Bill O'Brien's team seemed to be on a fast road to nowhere as the offense was inconsistent, and the defense was not coming close to its potential.

Despite having players like J.J. Watt, Brian Cushing and Jadeveon Clowney, the defense had given up 44 points or more in two games and was getting pushed around against the run. 

However, in Week 10, the Texans went to Cincinnati to take on the undefeated Bengals. Not only did they hand Cincinnati its first loss of the season, the Bengals did not score a touchdown.

Yes, the Texans played a good game, but there was no reason to believe that they had turned it around. It looked like they had played a flukish game. But the Texans did not rest on their laurels. They came back and defeated a hungry New York Jets team 24-17 in Week 11.

The Texans are 5-5 and tied for first place in the AFC South. It appears as if the Texans have hit their stride.

If so, they should be able to handle the defenseless New Orleans Saints at home. The Texans are three-point favorites according to Odds Shark, and they are scheduled to get quarterback Brian Hoyer (concussion) back in their lineup. 

Hoyer and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins have formed a deadly combination to this point in the season, and the Saints have the 32nd-ranked defense in the league. The Texans should have a huge day.

The Texans defense has shut down Cincinnati and performed well against the Jets. They should be able to keep Drew Brees and the Saints in check. Look for the Texans to win and get the cover.

Game	Line	Over/Under	Selection
Phialdelphia at Detroit	Philadelphia -1	45	Detroit; Over
Carolina at Dallas	Carolina -1	46	Dallas; Under
Chicago at Green Bay	Green Bay -9	46	Chicago; Over
Minnesota at Atlanta	Atlanta -1	46	Minnesota; Under
St. Louis at Cincinnati	Cincinnati -10	42	Cincinnati; Under
New Orleans at Houston	Houston -3	47.5	Houston; Over
Tampa Bay at Indianapolis	Indianapolis -3	47.5	Tampa Bay; Over
San Diego at Jacksonville	Jacksonville -4	46.5	Jacksonville; Over
Buffalo at Kansas City	No line	--	Kansas City
Miami at New York Jets	New York Jets -3.5	42.5	New York Jets; Under
Oakland at Tennessee	Oakland -1	44	Tennessee; Under
New York Giants at Washington	N.Y. Giants -2.5	46.5	New York Giants; Over
Arizona at San Francisco	Arizona -11.5	45	Arizona; Under
Pittsburgh at Seattle	Seattle -4	45.5	Pittsburgh; Under
New England at Denver	New England -3	44.5	New England
Baltimore at Cleveland	Cleveland -2.5	41.5	Cleveland: Over

Pats and Broncos will show off their defensive skills

The undefeated Patriots could not get their offense untracked in their Week 11 Monday night 20-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots had scored 40 points in their first win over the Bills in Week 2, but injuries have ravaged the New England offense. Dion Lewis is out for the season, Julian Edelman is likely out for the regular season, while Danny Amendola injured his knee in the win over the Bills.

The Broncos have replaced Peyton Manning with untested Brock Osweiler, who played a turnover-free game in Denver's 17-15 win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday. 

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak knows that he has a championship-level defense. While the Broncos were turning the ball over frequently with Manning at quarterback, the key the rest of the season is to help that defense play to its potential by limiting turnovers.

While the Patriots don't have the defensive consistency of the Broncos, they have been quite good thanks to Chandler Jones, Patrick Chung, Dont'a Hightower and Malcolm Butler. 

This game appears to be a defensive struggle. Manning has been benched, and Tom Brady has limited weapons. The total is 44.5 points, but this game appears to be a strong under play.

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Bears will keep it close this time

The Chicago Bears have been getting beaten soundly by the Green Bay Packers for more than two decades.

The Packers have beaten the Bears in 33 of their last 44 meetings, and they have maintained their edge whether the games have been played in Chicago or Green Bay.

The two teams meet Thanksgiving Night in Green Bay, and the Packers are coming off a 30-13 victory over the Vikings. They had lost three games in a row prior to that win, and while there were doubts about the Packers' ability to get their high-scoring offense in gear, Aaron Rodgers and Co. answered those fears with a sharp performance.

The Bears are coming off a close loss to the Denver Broncos, a team that handed the Packers their first loss of the season. Quarterback Jay Cutler has been playing much more effectively than he has in the past. Cutler is completing 63.4 percent of his passes, and he has a 13-6 touchdown-interception ratio.

The Packers are nine-point favorites, and that seems high considering that that the Packers had been struggling prior to their win over the Vikings, while the Bears have been playing 60-minute games and staying competitive.

The Bears may not come out of Green Bay with a win—they almost never do—but they will stay within the nine-point spread.