NFL Predictions Week 12: Picks Guide, Odds Advice and Schedule Info

Week 12 got underway Thursday night with three exciting Thanksgiving contests. Thirteen games remain on this week's slate, though, which means a lot more action lies ahead.

There are a few intriguing rivalry matchups such as the Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens tilt or the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos on Sunday night. Plenty of games also come with potential playoff implications since all 32 teams are in action this week.

We're going to take an in-depth look at the remaining Week 12 schedule. We'll review the games and the latest lines—courtesy of Odds Shark—and make our predictions against the latest spreads. We will also examine some of the top matchups.

NFL Week 12 

Day, Time (ET)	Game	Line	National TV	Prediction
Sun. 1 p.m.	Tennessee at Chicago	TEN -6	CBS	TEN
Sun. 1 p.m.	Jacksonville at Buffalo	BUF -7.5	CBS	JAX
Sun. 1 p.m.	Cincinnati at Baltimore	BAL -4	CBS	BAL
Sun. 1 p.m.	Arizona at Atlanta	ATL -6	Fox	ARI
Sun. 1 p.m.	NY Giants at Cleveland	NYG -7	Fox	NYG
Sun. 1 p.m.	Los Angeles at New Orleans	NO -7	Fox	NO
Sun. 1 p.m.	San Francisco at Miami	MIA -7	Fox	MIA
Sun. 1 p.m.	San Diego at Houston	SD -2.5	CBS	HOU
Sun. 4:05 p.m.	Seattle at Tampa Bay	SEA -6	Fox	SEA
Sun. 4:25 p.m.	New England at NY Jets	NE -7.5	CBS	NE
Sun. 4:25 p.m.	Carolina at Oakland	OAK -3	CBS	OAK
Sun. 8:30 p.m.	Kansas City at Denver	DEN -3.5	NBC	KC
Mon. 8:30 p.m.	Green Bay at Philadelphia	PHI -4	ESPN	PHI

Matchups to Watch

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens may not have the punch of either team's rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but this should still be a classic physical AFC North matchup.

What makes this edition of the rivalry game different than in years past is that the Bengals are essentially playing for little more than pride. After making the postseason for five straight years, Cincinnati is sitting at 3-6-1 and looking like a long shot to make a sixth appearance.

The Ravens, on the other hand, are 5-5 and firmly in the hunt for the AFC North title. Baltimore is playing well on defense—the team is rated eighth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus—and is doing enough offensively to beat the teams it should beat.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the Bengals look like one of those teams that the Ravens should beat. Not only have the Bengals been playing poor football lately, but they recently lost both running back Giovani Bernard and receiver A.J. Green to injury.

Green may return this season, but it won't be against Baltimore.

Without Green and Bernard, Cincinnati lacks the firepower to cut through the Ravens defense. The Cincinnati defense, meanwhile, is soft enough that the Ravens should walk away with the victory.

Pro Football Focus rates the Bengals just 25th in overall defense.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

While the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals isn't a rivalry game, it should be one of the more interesting contests of the weekend. The Falcons lead the NFL with an average of 32 points per game. The Cardinals, meanwhile, possess a stout defense that is ranked first overall by Pro Football Focus.

Both teams are technically still in the playoff hunt, although the 6-4 Falcons are in better position than the 4-5-1 Cardinals.

Of course, the intensity will be high for both teams. The Falcons need to stay ahead of the 5-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, while the Cardinals need a win to remain in the NFC postseason picture.

“Desperate,” Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter said of his team's mindset, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “If we don’t want to be on the couch in January, we have to play better. Our back’s to the wall right now."

A loss for either team would hurt in a big way, while a win would provide a jolt of momentum to carry into a stretch run. While we believe the Falcons can hold serve at home, the Cardinals should be fighting hard enough to make this one closer than the oddsmakers seem to think.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Another game that could be closer than expected is the Sunday night matchup between the Chiefs and Broncos. This is not only a rivalry matchup but a duel between two of the better teams in the AFC.

The Broncos seem to have a sizable advantage in this game. Not only are they playing at home, but they are doing so with a defense that is still championship-caliber. Denver is rated second in overall defense by Pro Football Focus.

It's not like the Chiefs have an especially explosive offense, either. Kansas City is averaging just 22.2 points per game (19th in the NFL) and has scored 20 points or fewer in each of its last three games.

Here's the thing, though: The Chiefs also have a strong defense, and the Broncos aren't an offensive powerhouse. The Chiefs are allowing just 18.7 points per game, while Denver is rated 26th in overall offense by Pro Football Focus.

This game could turn into a defensive struggle. The intensity should be high in this contest too, as both teams are sitting at 7-3 and in the race for the AFC West. In this type of game, especially when rivals are concerned, we'd expect a close one.

"This defense thinks they're a bully," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of the Broncos, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. "The only way you can stand up to a bully is to be a bully back."

Winning by a field goal should be doable for the Broncos. Winning by more than that, though, will be easier said than done.