NFL Week 12 Picks: Predictions for Thanksgiving's Clashes

Headed into Thanksgiving's games, there are three intriguing matchups ahead of us.

The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions kick off the action, the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys follow and a big game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens has the two Harbaugh brothers facing off.

Who will come out on top?

Read on for predictions of each game.

 

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

The defending champion Packers have started the season right where they left off, going 10-0 and threatening for an undefeated season.

Their two biggest wins have come at the expense of the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and they're coming off a 35-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Lions, on the other hand, are set to make things difficult for the Packers, scoring a season-high 49 points against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11 despite not having starting running back Jahvid Best.

This figures to be the Packers' toughest test of the season in Detroit, but in the end the Packers are a better team on both sides of the ball and I expect them to take care of the Lions.

 

Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys

The Dolphins may be 3-7, but they've actually played a lot of opponents closely and are on a three-game winning streak behind the surprising Matt Moore.

However, the Dolphins haven't played a team of the Cowboys' caliber yet (they beat the Bills when they were struggling), and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been on fire, while rookie running back DeMarco Murray has been impressive.

Expect the Cowboys to continue their winning streak vs. the Dolphins.

 

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens

The 49ers and Ravens may just have the top two defenses in the NFL.

The 49ers are giving up a league-best 14.5 points per game, while the Ravens are giving up 17.6 points per game.

The determining factor in this game will be Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who has been off and on all season long. He faces a complete defense in the 49ers that can make life tough in all facets (pass-rush, running game and secondary).

In the end, I expect Flacco to perform better against the 49ers than 49ers quarterback Alex Smith does against the Ravens in Baltimore, but this could be the Game of the Week.