NFL Predictions Week 12: Vegas Odds, Spreads and Picks for All Games

Thanksgiving is upon those of us who live in the United States in Week 12, and that means that we get treated to a full day of NFL action on Thursday. 

Those games include an NFC North showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, a mid-afternoon matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys and a nightcap consisting of the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. 

Early odds put the point spread between Minnesota and Detroit as even, making that this week's must-watch game, so make sure to plan your Thanksgiving meal accordingly.

We also have multiple teams favored by double digits this week, which should make for some lopsided scores.

Let's take a closer look at all the games on the slate for Week 12 and break down the odds and picks for each one. Projected winners are indicated in italics. All game times are ET. 

Note that, beginning in Week 12 and beyond, we've reached the end of NFL bye weeks. Fantasy players contending for the playoffs, rejoice!

NFL Week 12 Odds and Picks

Thursday, Nov. 23

Minnesota at Detroit (Ev): 12:30 p.m., Fox 

L.A. Chargers at Dallas (-4): 4:30 p.m., CBS 

N.Y. Giants at Washington (-7): 8:30 p.m., NBC 

Sunday, Nov. 26

Buffalo at Kansas City (-9.5): 1 p.m., CBS 

Carolina (-4.5) at N.Y. Jets: 1 p.m., Fox 

Chicago at Philadelphia (-11): 1 p.m., Fox 

Cleveland at Cincinnati (-8): 1 p.m., CBS 

Miami at New England (-15.5): 1 p.m., CBS 

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-8.5): 1 p.m., Fox 

Tennessee (-4.5) at Indianapolis: 1 p.m., Fox 

Seattle (-7) at San Francisco: 4:05 p.m., Fox 

Denver at Oakland (-5.5): 4:25 p.m., CBS 

Jacksonville (-4) at Arizona: 4:25 p.m., CBS 

New Orleans at L.A. Rams (-2): 4:25 p.m., CBS 

Green Bay at Pittsburgh (-14): 8:30 p.m., NBC 

Monday, Nov. 27

Houston at Baltimore (-7.5): 8:30 p.m., ESPN 

Biggest Week 12 Favorites

New England Patriots 

ALFREDO ESTRELLA/Getty Images

Another week, another giant point spread for the Patriots.

This time, 8-2 New England is heavily favored against the 4-6 Miami Dolphins.

No surprise there; the Patriots are riding a six-game win streak, while the Dolphins haven't had a win since Week 7. 

Miami could also be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler in Week 12. Cutler suffered a concussion in the Dolphins' Week 11 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is in the concussion protocol, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday:

Backup quarterback Matt Moore came into the game Sunday in relief of Cutler and completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. 

Maybe the Dolphins have a better chance to win with Moore under center. 

With six games left to play, the Patriots are in control of the AFC East.

This division matchup, which New England should win handily, will only increase their hold on the division and speed up their eventual clinching of it.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

It's no surprise that the Steelers are favored by two touchdowns over the Packers, as much as the shock of seeing the Packers regarded so low by Vegas may still be new. 

The Baltimore Ravens shut out the Packers in Week 11 to the tune of 23-0.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have come into their own in 2017, winning five games in a row to sit at 8-2 heading into Week 12 with the AFC North lead. 

In fact, Pittsburgh is still in position to challenge the Patriots for the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, so this game comes at an opportune time.

The Steelers offense isn't as high-scoring as it has been in the recent past, putting up 22.7 points per game on average, which sits in the middle of the pack in the NFL.

Then again, the Packers have scored only 14.3 points per game since Rodgers went down.

Never say never, but it's unlikely the Packers, behind struggling quarterback Brett Hundley and a backfield decimated by injuries, will find a way to win this game. 

Green Bay and Pittsburgh will face off on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.

Though the Packers have been putting an awful product on the field since starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in Week 6, the game won't be flexed out of the prime-time spot, per the NFL's Randall Liu.

Philadelphia Eagles

Thanks in large part to the heroics of second-year quarterback Carson Wentz, the Eagles own the best record in football at 9-1 and are already close to clinching the NFC East. 

Philly's eight-game win streak shouldn't be interrupted by the likes of the Chicago Bears in Week 12.

Chicago has only scored 174 points this season, tied for 27th in the league. The Bears are also only averaging 302.2 yards per game. 

Philadelphia blows those numbers out of the water.

As far as scoring points goes, no one is doing it better than the Eagles right now; Wentz and Co. average 32 points per outing.

The Eagles also put up 377.6 yards per game, the third-most in the league.

But one interesting wrinkle for the Eagles heading into this game is the status of their placekicker Jake Elliott. 

Elliott left the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night with a possible concussion and remains in the protocol this week, as Zach Berman of The Inquirer confirmed.

Per Berman, "[head coach Doug] Pederson confirmed the Eagles don’t want to make a change at kicker. They don’t want to cut a player from a different position for a one-week fix at kicker, either." 

Losing Elliott affected Philly's game plan against Dallas significantly; the Eagles went for two after every score thereafter.

Of course, they were also successful on almost every attempt, so perhaps the Eagles will put up even more points than expected on the Bears if kicking remains limited.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark and current as of Nov. 21.