Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
The NFC North title is on the line as the Lions, who quietly sit atop the division, welcome the Vikings, who arrested a 4 game skid, with a resounding home win in Week 11. Five of the last six games between these teams has seen the game total finish under the market line, while Lions games have finished under the market line in four of the last five games in which they are favourite.
Line bet – Vikings +2.5
Best bet – Total game score under 46.5 points @ $1.59
Feeling lucky – Lions to score under 19 points @ $3.00
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys
Thanksgiving Day delivers a cracker contest as the in-form Redskins travel to Dallas to face the red-hot Cowboys. Kirk Cousins has recovered after a slow start to his season and will go head to head with rookie phenom Dak Prescott, who has Ezekiel Elliott riding shotgun. Each of the last six meetings between the Redskins and Cowboys have been won by the road team.
Line bet – Redskins +7.5
Best bet – Total game score over 48.5 points @ $1.59
Feeling lucky – Cowboys to win by 1-6 points @ $3.70
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis are facing a trip to Pittsburgh without star quarterback Andrew Luck, who is in the league’s concussion protocol. Pittsburgh secured a much needed away win at Cleveland, arresting a 4-game slide and come into this game confident as they have won 13 of their last 15 encounters with the Colts. Each of the last four contests between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis have resulted in the game total finishing over the market line, and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has scored five touchdowns in his last two appearances against the Colts.
Line bet – Steelers -10.0
Best bet – Total game score over 48.0 @ $1.91
Feeling lucky – Steelers by 14 points or more @ $2.46
Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears
The Titans missed a chance to sneak into second place in their division as they lost to the Colts last weekend and now enter this Week 12 clash knowing that their slim playoff hopes go on the line in Chicago against the Bears. The road team have won each of the last four meetings between the Titans and Bears, and four of the last five games in the series have resulted in the game total finishing over the market line.
Line bet – Titans -3.0
Best bet – Titans to win head to head @ $1.80
Feeling lucky – Titans -3.0 and total game score under 43.5 points @ $3.50
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills
Blake Bortles is setting all kinds of ineffectiveness records as a quarterback, falling behind while throwing interceptions and then padding his statistics in garbage time. He heads to Buffalo to take on a Bills team dreaming of a wildcard spot, and certain to pounce on this opportunity. All four games in Buffalo this season have resulted in the game total being over the market line while in each of the last three meetings between the Jaguars and Bills, the highest scoring quarter has been the second – call it the Anti-Bortles Effect!
Line bet – Titans -3.0
Best bet – Titans to win head to head @ $1.80
Feeling lucky – Titans -3.0 and total game score under 43.5 points @ $3.50
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
The Bengals head into this game having lost two of their best three skill offensive players, a bad result when toy are facing one of the league’s better defences. The Ravens are fighting for top spot in the AFC North and will be looking to control the game defensively. The trends are in their favour;
eight of the last 10 games at the venue have resulted in the game score finishing under the market line.
Line bet – Ravens -4.0
Best bet – Total game score under 43.5 points @ $1.59
Feeling lucky – Bengals to score 14-16 points @ $6.40
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
The Cardinals were the choice of many to go one better than last season and make the SuperBowl this season. However they have stumbled from one mediocre performance to another and face the offensive dominance that is the Atlanta Falcons, who are coming off their worst performance of the season against Philadelphia before going on bye. The Falcons rank first in the league in scoring at 32.0 a game, and average 33.7 under the roof at home in the Georgia Dome.
Line bet – Falcons -4.0
Best bet – Falcons to win @ $1.47
Feeling lucky – Falcons -4.0 and game total over 50.5 @ $3.55
New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns
The Giants are owners of perhaps the luckiest five game winning streak in the league, and will push it to six as they take on the winless Cleveland Browns. Cleveland are hurtling towards an 0-16 record, and the Ginats have won all five of their games in the current streak by less than a touchdown, with not one of those teams being against a team with a winning record.
Line bet – Browns +7.0
Best bet – Browns +13.5 @ $1.39
Feeling lucky – Giants to win by 1-6 points @ $3.45
Los Angeles Rams @ New Orleans Saints
The Los Angeles Rams have made poor spectacles an art form; they rank sixth in the league in points conceded but are far and away the worst offence in the NFL. Their dour defence will be challenged by one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks – Drew Brees, who leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns and has thrown a touchdown in every game.
Line bet – Saints -7.0
Best bet – Saints to win @ $1.28
Feeling lucky – Rams to score under 14 points @ $3.60
San Francisco 49ers @ Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins come home sporting a five-game winning streak to take on a 49ers team that has lost nine straight games after winning way back in Week 1. The last four of Miami’s wins have come by a touchdown or less against teams with losing records, and their favourable fixture continues here. The 49ers have lost all but two of their games by more than 12 points.
Line bet – Dolphins -7.5
Best bet – Dolphins to win @ $1.25
Feeling lucky – Dolphins to win by more than 12 points @ $2.54
San Diego Chargers @ Houston Texans
The Texans blew an ideal opportunity to take pole position in their division as they lost to Oakland in Mexico on Monday Night Football, while the Chargers are coming off their bye. Quarterback Philip Rivers threw four interceptions in the final quarter of their imploding home loss to Miami in Week 10, and Houston will be targeting the veteran Charger. A loss here could see the Texans lose a grip on a playoff berth – they will need to improve offensively, having failed to pass 27 points in any game this season.
Line bet – Chargers -3.0
Best bet – game total over the market line
Feeling lucky – Chargers to win head to head
Seattle Seahawks @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Seahawks are flying high atop of the NFC West and take on a Bucs outfit that continues to exceed expectations and is coming off a hard fought victory over Kansas City. Russell Wilson is returning to rare form and has the Seahawks as SuperBowl favourites, although they are likely to have to settle for the second seed in the NFC.
Line bet – Buccaneers +5.0
Best bet – Buccaneers + 10.5 @ $1.38
Feeling lucky – Seahawks to win by 1-6 points @ $3.40
Carolina Panthers @ Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are flying, sitting atop the AFC West at 8-2 and currently sitting in second position overall in the AFC. They host the reigning NFC champion Carolina Panthers who are barely staying afloat at 4-6 and will be confident of extinguishing Cam Newton’s faint playoff hopes. The Panthers have conceded more than 40 points in two of their last three road games and face an Oakland offence that has passed 30 points in four of its last six games and ranks fifth in yards per game.
Line bet – Raiders -3.0
Best bet – Raiders to win @ $1.64
Feeling lucky – Raiders to win by 7-12 points @ $5.50
Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
Second place in the highly competitive AFC West is up for grabs when the Kansas City Chiefs face the Denver Broncos. With matching 7-3 records both sides are in prime position to snatch a wildcard spot but the winner of this game will give themselves some much needed breathing space. No team has been able to post more than 23 points on the Broncos defence in Denver, so the Chiefs will need to be on their game.
Line bet – Chiefs +3.5
Best bet – Chiefs +8.5 @ $1.38
Feeling lucky – Chiefs to win @ $2.50
New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Tom Brady keeps on keeping on and while his Patriots are far from their best, they have the best record in the AFC and seem headed for another deep playoff run. Ryan Fitzpatrick will return to the helm for the Jets, but it is unlikely to make a difference as New England always like making a statement against a divisional rival.
Line bet – Patriots -7.5
Best bet – Patriots to win @ $1.23
Feeling lucky – Patriots to win by over 12 points @ $2.54
Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Green Bay Packers have been as disappointing as any team in the NFL this season and are in danger of falling out of playoff contention as they head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. For the first time since 1953, the Packers have given up 30 points in 4 straight games. Conversely the Eagles are undefeated at home and defeated three likely playoff teams.
Line bet – Eagles -3.5
Best bet – Eagles to win @ $1.52
Feeling lucky – Eagles to score 31-33 points @ $7.00
