NFL picks and score predictions for Week 12 as the season nears the final stretch.
The 2020 NFL season is creeping closer to its dramatic finish. The playoff picture is coming into focus as the final few weeks of the season loom just around the corner. For now, though, we’re ready to deliver our weekly NFL picks!
As always, we’ve got you covered with the Week 10 edition of NFL picks and score predictions. Now I’ll never claim that these are going to be 100 percent on point. In fact, there’s a very good chance at least a few of my picks will go completely awry. I will, however, make my selections based on research, experience, and careful consideration.
This season has truly put my sleuthing skills to the test. After a strong performance in Week 10, I dropped the ball in Week 11. By the time Monday night’s game was over, I had managed an underwhelming 7-7 record with my Week 11 NFL picks. That moves me to 97-64-1 on the season, which is certainly not where I wanted to be at this point.
Just remember that making picks is not a science. As much research goes into it, anything can happen on any given Sunday. Isn’t that part of why we watch football in the first place?
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, here are my NFL picks and score predictions for Week 12. Just keep in mind that I assume no responsibility if you choose to place wagers based on my picks — that’s your decision, not mine.
Week 12 Byes: None
Houston Texans (3-7) at Detroit Lions (4-6)
Thursday, November 26, 12:30PM ET
Man, was I wrong about the Detroit Lions or what? I picked them to take down the Carolina Panthers this past weekend, and they responded by getting shut out. I doubt they suddenly turn things around against a competent Houston Texans squad.
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Deshaun Watson is coming on strong for Houston after a slow start to the season. He picked apart the New England defense in Week 11, and now turns his attention to a Detroit Lions secondary that has been awful at stopping the pass this season. Look for Watson to feast on Thanksgiving.
More importantly, though, is the likelihood that the Detroit offense stalls again in Week 12. They failed to put a single point on the board against the Panthers, and will similarly struggle against the Houston defense. Although I don’t foresee another zero on the scoreboard, Matthew Stafford will fail to get things going.
The Texans are probably out of the hunt at this point, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do their best to return to relevance. Watson needs the defense to step up and shut down Stafford and Co., which seems probable in Week 12 as Houston gets a huge win to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.
Prediction: Texans win 26-18
Washington Football Team (3-7) at Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
Thursday, November 26, 4:30PM ET
Oddly enough, the NFC East lead could potentially be up for grabs in this one. If the Philadelphia Eagles lose later in the week, the winner of this Thanksgiving showdown take over the top spot in the worst division in the NFL.
So who has the edge on this special Thursday game? Right now, the odds seem to ever-so-slightly lean towards the Dallas Cowboys, who are coming off a hard-fought win in Week 11. They’re clearly the more talented team on paper, but need a strong game from Andy Dalton to put another notch in the win column.
As for the Washington Football Team, it’s been a tough slog in recent weeks. Yes, they’re also coming off a win, but it wasn’t nearly as impressive, as the offense struggled to get much going and the defense got bailed out by a devastating injury to Joe Burrow. Things aren’t going to be as easy this time around.
The Cowboys surge back from near irrelevance to potentially take the lead in the division, while Washington’s offense lays another egg. I know these are two classic teams meeting on Thanksgiving, but you may want to find something else to do during this possible snoozer.
Prediction: Cowboys win 20-16
Baltimore Ravens (6-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0)
Thursday, November 26, 8:20PM ET
Right now, the Baltimore Ravens are reeling. Despite having the reigning MVP under center and plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball, they continue to fall short on Sundays. Can they change their fortunes on a Thursday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Probably not. The Steelers are rolling right now, coming off a dominant win against a miserable Jaguars team. While blowing out a 1-9 club isn’t all that impressive, it gives Pittsburgh more confidence as they inch closer to securing the AFC North crown and the only first-round bye in the conference.
There’s just too much leaning in the Steelers’ favor right now. Not only do they have a dominant offense at times, but they possess one of the best defenses in the NFL. Between their stout D and the Pittsburgh passing game that features Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool, it’s hard to imagine Baltimore being up to the task.
More than likely, this one will be close because it’s the AFC North and that’s just how these games go. When push comes to shove, though, the Steelers take the lead heading into the fourth quarter and never relinquish it, maintaining their hold on the AFC’s top spot.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-21
Miami Dolphins (6-4) at New York Jets (0-10)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
The Miami Dolphins have been outstanding over the last few weeks (minus the Week 11 loss, of course), but that doesn’t mean they’ve been perfect. The defense has been sensational, while the offense under Tua Tagovailoa has been inconsistent at best.
That’s why the rookie was benched in Week 11 — it wasn’t just because of injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick gave the offense a spark when he was under center, while Tagovailoa has been more of a game manager in his four starts. Even then, the Miami offense often stalled with the rookie at the controls, which is why Fitzpatrick should get the start against the New York Jets.
Realistically, it’ll be an easy outing for the veteran. The Jets have been downright awful this season, which is why they currently sit at 0-10. The defense can’t get many stops, and the offense isn’t doing nearly enough to produce yards and points. Joe Flacco clearly isn’t the answer, and it’s not like he’s got much of a supporting cast.
Look for the Dolphins to bounce back in a big way in Week 12, handing Gang Green their 11th loss of the season. Miami isn’t ready to duck out of the postseason push and find themselves back in the hunt with an easy win against their divisional foes.
Prediction: Dolphins win 31-10
Arizona Cardinals (6-4) at New England Patriots (4-6)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
At this point in the season, you can never count out the New England Patriots. They were starting to look like a cohesive group until they stumbled against the Texans this past weekend. With that said, they certainly aren’t the Patriots we’re used to seeing for the last two decades.
While Bill Belichick is more than capable of leading his team to victory on any given Sunday, I don’t see that happening against the Arizona Cardinals. As great as Cam Newton can occasionally be, the New England defense isn’t playing well enough to corral Kyler Murray and this explosive Arizona offense.
Newton and Co. will do their best to keep pace, but even in Week 11, we saw that slowing a smart, athletic quarterback is not a strength of the New England defense. They were shredded by Watson, and will likely face a similar fate with Murray coming to town.
This Cardinals club is doing everything in its power to stay in the race for the NFC West title as well as postseason berth. While the Patriots would like to keep their own playoff dreams alive while playing spoiler, Arizona is going to bounce back after a long week off and get the win as they restart their late-season surge.
Prediction: Cardinals win 32-27
Carolina Panthers (4-6) at Minnesota Vikings (4-6)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
At this point in the season, it’s do-or-die for both of these clubs. The Minnesota Vikings were heating up until they choked against the Cowboys last weekend, while the Carolina Panthers were on a five-game losing streak until they snapped it last weekend.
So who keeps their playoff hopes alive in Week 12, and who draws that much closer to preparing for an early offseason? Right now, I’m leaning towards the Vikings being the former and the Panthers being the latter.
The Vikings might have lost to Dallas, but they’ve still got a dynamic offensive attack led by Dalvin Cook. He’ll be going up against a middle-of-the-road Carolina run defense that’s given up 14 rushing touchdowns this season. If the Vikings can get him going early, he can feed on their defense while also opening the play-action game for Kirk Cousins.
Chances are P.J. Walker gets the start under center for the Panthers, which will be only his second. We’d love to see Teddy Bridgewater up against his former team, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Either way, the Vikings should get just enough effort from their defense to help them get a desperation win in Week 12.
Prediction: Vikings win 24-23
Cleveland Browns (7-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
The Cleveland Browns have been inconsistent at times this season but, as their record would indicate, they’ve done more than enough to avoid losing on a regular basis. Now they face off with the Jacksonville Jaguars in what should be one of the Browns’ easiest matchups of 2020.
With that said, Cleveland can’t come into this expecting a cakewalk. The Jaguars may have one of the worst records in the NFL, but they’ve made things interesting for quality clubs at least a couple of times this season. They won’t roll over and die, which means the Browns are going to have to work for everything they get on Sunday.
Look for Cleveland to focus on the ground game, putting the ball in the hands of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt often. Baker Mayfield may also contribute a touchdown or two, which will put this game out of reach for the Jake Luton and the Jaguars.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacksonville pulled off an upset or two in the coming weeks as they simply look to occupy the spoiler role. However, when the Browns come to town, they won’t get the opportunity as Cleveland puts on an offensive show and earns a much-needed win.
Prediction: Browns win 34-20
Tennessee Titans (7-3) at Indianapolis Colts (7-3)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
I seriously cannot seem to figure out either of these teams. I think they’re going to lose, they win. They’re definitely losing now, but they pull out the W. No matter what I do, it doesn’t seem to go in my favor when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.
Well here’s to hoping this pick goes well. I’m rolling with the Colts to be victorious in Week 12, getting the best of their AFC South rivals due in large part to their outstanding defense and a strong performance by Philip Rivers.
Yes, the Titans have the beastly Derrick Henry in the backfield. He’s capable of changing a game singlehandedly as he did this past weekend with his big-time overtime touchdown. However, if you’ve watched any Colts games this season, then you know this defense is up to the task of slowing him down.
Indianapolis’ defenses make more than enough plays, sacking Ryan Tannehill a few times and clogging up Henry’s running lanes. Despite some scoring from Tennessee, Rivers has an outstanding game and manages to put the Colts all alone atop the division.
Prediction: Colts win 27-24
New York Giants (3-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-7-1)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
Honestly, I’m bummed. Although I’ve never been too fond of the Cincinnati Bengals, I had high hopes for Joe Burrow as the new face of the franchise. He’d already impressed as a rookie, but it’s all over after Week 11’s injury that includes a torn ACL and potentially more knee damage.
That means Ryan Finley should step in as the new starter for the Bengals. If you know much about him, you know he hasn’t done much to incite confidence. He’s started three games in his brief NFL career, in which he’s amassed an 0-3 record, completed 47.1 percent of his passes, and compiled a quarterback rating of 62.1. When he stepped in for Burrow, he wasn’t any better.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants have actually looked like a solid squad in recent weeks. They’ve won their last two games and are coming off a bye week that should have them fresh and ready to rumble. Daniel Jones is still turnover prone, but he’s going up against an ugly Cincinnati defense.
This won’t be a pretty one for the Giants, but they’ll still get the W. Jones does just enough to keep the offense moving, while the New York defense gives Finley fits, forcing a few turnovers along the way. The Giants surprising stay in the mix for the NFC East crown.
Prediction: Giants win 23-13
Los Angeles Chargers (3-7) at Buffalo Bills (7-3)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
I’m glad the Los Angeles Chargers finally broke their three-game losing streak, pulling off a dramatic win against the Jets. Unfortunately, I don’t foresee a win streak beginning in the immediate future with a tussle against the Buffalo Bills just around the corner.
As great as the Chargers have been at times this season, they can’t seem to earn Ws against quality competition. Their three victories in 2020 have come against clubs with three combined wins. While most of their losses have come in close games against quality competition, the fact remains that they can’t step up in the clutch.
Moving on to the Buffalo Bills, who have been outstanding so far in 2020. They’re coming off a frustrating loss to the Cardinals during which they fell victim to a Hail Mary touchdown. While that was a bummer, the Bills have a clear edge in the talent department against the Chargers. Plus, Josh Allen has a knack for landing Buffalo in the win column.
Between the Allen-Stefon Diggs connection and Buffalo’s opportunistic defense, this one should end in the Bills’ favor. The Chargers will keep it close as rookie Justin Herbert puts together another impressive performance, but Los Angeles falls short yet again.
Prediction: Bills win 29-24
Las Vegas Raiders (6-4) at Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
Sunday, November 29, 1PM ET
Apart from their early-season loss to the Patriots, the Las Vegas Raiders have only lost to top contenders this season — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Bills. They’ve also been much better on the road than at home, which is a bit odd.
That’s part of why I’m confident the Raiders will come away from Week 12 with their seventh win of the 2020 campaign. While the Atlanta Falcons have been a better team down the stretch than they were to start the season, they don’t have enough defensive talent to keep Derek Carr from lighting them up on Sunday.
With that said, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense isn’t simply going to roll over and give them the win. The Falcons boast one of the top passing attacks in the league this year, which has allowed them to stay in games and get some wins in recent weeks. Unfortunately, their offensive line has struggled as of late, which could be quite the hindrance against Las Vegas.
Ultimately, the Raiders should walk away from this one with the win. They’ve got the better defense, and more than enough offensive firepower to survive a shootout with the Falcons. As long as Ryan doesn’t have a career day, Las Vegas can head home with a 7-4 record.
Prediction: Raiders win 38-27
San Francisco 49ers (4-6) at Los Angeles Rams (7-3)
Sunday, November 29, 4:05PM ET
Right now, the San Francisco 49ers have a solid offense despite the injuries. The Los Angeles Rams’ is better though. The 49ers also have a quality defense that isn’t having too much trouble slowing opponents. That’s great, but the Rams have the league’s top defense at this moment.
Put simply, the Rams are the better team right now. In fact, they may be one of the best teams in the NFL and are wildly underrated among everyday football fans outside of Southern California. Especially when the good Jared Goff shows up, Los Angeles is one of the most unstoppable franchises in the league.
As for the 49ers, you can’t say the same. Yes, they’re the bottom of the barrel in the best division in football, but they haven’t exactly proven themselves to be better than their record indicates. Sure, you can blame it on injuries if you’d like. In the end, though, that’s part of the game, and making adjustments is part of the equation.
San Francisco won’t be an easy team to trample for the Rams, as their offense is still playing well and the defense can put the clamps on when needed. However, they’re turning the ball over too often and don’t have enough firepower to stick with the red-hot Rams as we near the final stretch of the 2020 season.
Prediction: Rams win 27-16
New Orleans Saints (8-2) at Denver Broncos (4-6)
Sunday, November 29, 4:05PM ET
Despite the various setbacks they’ve suffered this season, the Denver Broncos continue to do their best to stay aggressive in 2020. They’re coming off a surprising upset of the Dolphins during which they relied on their defense to get the job done.
Unfortunately, their defense isn’t ready to do what needs to be done against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12. Even without Drew Brees, they’re facing a dynamic attack led by Taysom Hill (presumably), who did work against the Falcons in Week 11. While Denver has a better defense, the Saints will come ready to exploit any and every weakness.
As for the Broncos offense, Drew Lock doesn’t stand a chance. He’s been extremely turnover prone this season, and Melvin Gordon’s fumbling hasn’t helped either. While the Denver defense has a tough time keeping Hill and Alvin Kamara in check, Lock and Co. will be handing it back to the Saints far too often.
Despite the Broncos’ win this past weekend, they get blown out by the far superior Saints. Hill has another outstanding game, leading New Orleans to believe they’ve got their quarterback of the future once Brees decides to call it a career.
Prediction: Saints win 33-13
Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4)
Sunday, November 29, 4:25PM ET
I’m sorry, but this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team is way too inconsistent to get behind. You never know which Tom Brady you’re going to get on a weekly basis, and the defense either shows out or fails to show up. That’s not going to cut it against the surging Kansas City Chiefs.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have been nearly unstoppable this season. Apart from an early-season hiccup against the Raiders, they’ve been rolling as Patrick Mahomes continues to wow opponents and fans alike with his ability to sling the pigskin. And even then, the Chiefs avenged that prior defeat in Week 11 by taking down the Raiders.
They’ll do the same to the Buccaneers on Sunday. Brady will spend much of the day throwing off his heels, which will lead to at least a couple of turnovers. Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and the rest of the Kansas City offense will capitalize, putting up big numbers despite the talent Tampa Bay possesses on defense.
The Chiefs get the win and continue to stay just a step behind the Steelers in the race for the only first-round bye in the AFC. Believe it or not, the abilities of the aging Brady continue to come more and more into question.
Prediction: Chiefs win 34-23
Chicago Bears (5-5) at Green Bay Packers (7-3)
Sunday, November 29, 8:20PM ET
The Chicago Bears started the season so strong, winning five of their first six games. Since then, they’ve dropped four in a row and are looking like a flat soda heading into Week 12. That should work out nicely for the Green Bay Packers, who are coming off their own disappointing defeat.
Luckily for the Packers, this is the ideal opportunity for them to get moving back in the right direction. Sure, they still face a quality Chicago defense that is more than capable of keeping Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable for 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the Bears’ competencies end there, as they currently own one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
Even if Nick Foles is good to go (unlikely), the Bears simply do not have enough going on the offensive end to be competitive against top competition. If they couldn’t outscore Cousins and the Vikings in Week 10, how do they plan on slowing down Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones in Week 12? The bye won’t be enough for them to overcome that hurdle.
I know Bears fans were excited at the start of the year, but this team isn’t what we once thought it was capable of becoming. The Packers get the win at home and send Chicago packing with their fifth-straight loss, moving them towards the brink of irrelevance.
Prediction: Packers win 26-10
Seattle Seahawks (7-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1)
Monday, November 30, 8:15PM ET
Right now, both of these teams are slotted into a playoff spot. However, if you’ve watched any bit of either in 2020, you know that they’re very different in terms of their competitiveness. We’ll get another example of that on Monday night when the Seattle Seahawks crush the Eagles.
That’s not to say Philadelphia won’t score some points or move the ball effectively. The Seattle defense has been a mess this season, and will certainly surrender some scores to Carson Wentz and the Eagles. With that said, Wentz is too mistake-prone right now to keep up with Russell Wilson in the scoring department.
Look for Wilson to unload on the Philadelphia defense, getting himself back on track in the MVP race after some underwhelming performances in recent weeks. Chances are he scores at least four touchdowns, and gives MVP votes a reason to remember how outstanding he was to start the 2020 campaign.
This could finally be the week in which the Eagles relinquish the lead in the NFC East. They’ve held a flimsy grasp in the last few weeks, but have been unable to build on their lead. With the Giants surging and one of the Football Team and Cowboys set to get a win, don’t be surprised if they quickly tumble in the standings.
Prediction: Seahawks win 37-24