If you live in the United States, this is arguably the best week of the NFL’s regular season because there are three games on the Thanksgiving holiday. Football, turkey and naps! It’s pure heaven. With that said, here’s a preview of three NFL picks on this week’s holiday games with the latest NFL Week 12 odds.
The Chargers played their best game in a long time Sunday in crushing the Bills 54-24. The Bolts picked off Bills rookie QB Nathan Peterman five times in the first half to lead 37-7 at intermission. Overall, it was the team’s highest-scoring performance in Rivers’ 195 consecutive starts since 2006. Los Angeles set a franchise record for points in a first half during the Bills’ worst defensive half since 1977. Rivers passed for 250 yards and Keenan Allen had 12 receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Top NFL Picks & Predictions for Week 12
UPDATED NFL POWER RANKINGS. The Eagles fly high, the Redskins drop again and the Browns keep on chillin’ in the No. 32 spot: https://t.co/ilSJ4tAcSN pic.twitter.com/I4VwTi3zy4
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) November 21, 2017
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (+2)
When: Thursday, 12:30 PM ET (Fox TV) The Detroit Lions have the longest drought in the NFC in terms of winning a division title, last doing so in 1993. They are two games behind first-place Minnesota in the NFC North, but would win the tiebreaker by completing the season sweep on Thursday in the first game – the Lions started hosting Thanksgiving games way back on 1935. Detroit is 37-38-2 all-time on Thanksgiving Day and has won its four. (The franchise has won five straight on the holiday just once before in the Super Bowl era; the other time coming from 1997-2000.) That includes a 16-13 victory over these Vikings last year. Sam Bradford threw an awful late interception for the Vikings and Detroit turned it into the winning Matt Prater 40-yard field goal as time expired. Bradford is out for this season as Case Keenum has the Vikings on a six-game winning streak. Their last loss was 14-7 at home vs. Detroit in Week 4. The Lions turned two fumbles lost by the Vikings in the third quarter into 11 points, taking the lead on Ameer Abdullah’s 1-yard touchdown run five plays after rookie Dalvin Cook fumbled at the Minnesota 29. Cook, Minnesota’s good-looking rookie, would suffer a season-ending injury in that game. The Lions defeated the Bears 27–24 on Sunday and now have road wins at Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago. The only other season in which Detroit had road victories against the Vikings, Packers and Bears was 1961.Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys (Pick’em)
When: Thursday, 4:30 PM ET (CBS) This marks the Chargers’ first time playing on Thanksgiving since 1969, one year before the NFL-AFL merger. “To play Thanksgiving in Dallas is awesome,” said Bolts QB Philip Rivers. “Every year I always wonder if that will ever be us playing in that game. That’s a game the whole country watches, and now we get to play in it so that’s awesome. Dallas on Thanksgiving is as big as it gets.” The Cowboys started their Thanksgiving Day tradition in 1966. General manager Tex Schramm used the game to generate national appeal for the team. It worked as 80,259 fans packed the Cotton Bowl and set a new attendance record. The Cowboys beat the Browns 26-14. Dallas also won on Thanksgiving last year, beating Washington. But the Cowboys are on a two-game skid since losing star running back Ezekiel Elliott to his six-game suspension. They have totaled just 16 points in those losses. Dallas also has missed Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith in the past two as Dak Prescott has been under siege. It is looking good for Smith to return from injury, however.
The Chargers played their best game in a long time Sunday in crushing the Bills 54-24. The Bolts picked off Bills rookie QB Nathan Peterman five times in the first half to lead 37-7 at intermission. Overall, it was the team’s highest-scoring performance in Rivers’ 195 consecutive starts since 2006. Los Angeles set a franchise record for points in a first half during the Bills’ worst defensive half since 1977. Rivers passed for 250 yards and Keenan Allen had 12 receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
