Week 12 Picks: Let’s Avoid a Thanksgiving Hangover

Hopefully by now you’ve managed to burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories – just in time to sit on your rear and watch football all day Sunday, of course. It’s Week 12 and we’re creeping up on December football, when we separate the men from the boys and the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian (props if you know that movie reference without looking it up). Without further ado, some picks:

Last week: 3-1-1

Season: 8-6-2 (57.1%)

Atlanta at Washington (-4)

The “I have a weird feeling for some reason” game of the day right here. The Commanders are surging in the NFC East while the Falcons are simply alive by default in the NFC South. Washington should beat up on Atlanta based on the way both teams are going, which is why I’m picking the Falcons to keep it close in this one. Pick: Falcons.

Baltimore (-3.5) at Jacksonville

Is this another “someone must know something” game, are the Jaguars better than people think, or are the Ravens just not up to snuff? I say none of the above, as Baltimore needs to prove it can finally clamp down on an inferior opponent. I thought last week was the week, but it wasn’t. This one must be, right? Pick: Ravens

Cincinnati (-3) at Tennessee

Let’s keep the Tennessee disrespect train moving here. The 7-3 Titans are a home underdog against a 6-4 Bengals team that should finally get JaMarr Chase back. But still, this could be a revenge game for the Titans are the Bengals rolled into town and ruined their top seed in last year’s postseason. Pick: Titans.

Denver (-1.5) at Carolina

It’s a good thing I didn’t publish my preseason predictions because, well, let’s just say I thought Denver would be just a smidge better than they are. That said, if ever there was a week to temporarily quell the “fire Nathaniel Hackett” talk, it would be against the Panthers (who know a thing or two about firing their coach mid-season). Pick: Broncos.

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Arizona

The Chargers finally run into an opponent that’s more of a mess than they are. The Cardinals straight up mailed it in Monday night in Mexico City, while the Chargers were business as usual in getting their guts ripped out at the end of yet another football game. Something has to give here, and I’ll say it’s the Cardinals giving up. Pick: Chargers.

Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City (-15.5)

We just finished Thanksgiving, but the Chiefs should never stop being thankful for the Chargers, a team so willing and able to roll over for their division rivals when it matters most. Now the Chiefs get a true breather in a season of key breaks against injured opponents, as the defending Super Bowl champs (yes, technically they are) come in starting rookie QB Bryce Perkins with no Cooper Kupp to throw to. This should get ugly in a hurry for LA. Pick: Chiefs.

Green Bay (buying to +7 at -130) at Philadelphia

That’s right, against all odds, I’m taking the Packers to cover. They could well be headed for 4-8, but are they really that bad? And the Eagles have been very human the past two weeks, leading me to believe this game could be closer than people think. Pick: Packers.