NFL Week 12 Picks w/Concert Review

November 22, 2024

NFL Week 12 Picks w/Concert Review

This is a week of mismatches with seven betting lines at six or more points. Basically, all of the early games look like potential blow outs. The good football won’t start until the late games on Sunday.

Week 12 Picks

Kansas City Chiefs (-11) at Carolina Panthers: No questions here, right? – CHIEFS

Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) at Chicago Bears: Chicago played Green Bay close last week but lost by one point after their last second field goal attempt was blocked. It was the Bears fourth straight loss overall and their 11th in a row versus their division rival. Minnesota has beat Chicago in five of their last six meetings and I expect the Bears intra-division woes to continue. – VIKINGS

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (-8): Tennessee was only able to run for 33 yards in their 23-13 loss to Minnesota last week. Houston brings the 4th-ranked overall defense and has the 9th-best run defense. That will put a lot of pressure on the Titans QB Will Levis, who just isn’t that good. – HOUSTON

Detroit Lions (-7.5) at Indianapolis Colts: Detroit has scored 52 points (twice), 47 points and 42 points this year. They have compiled a 159-point point differential – way ahead of the second-best team, Buffalo at 106. Indianapolis has the 28th-ranked defense, meaning this could be blowout in Indy. – LIONS

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (-7.5): As long as Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa keeps his head on straight – literally and figuratively – the Dolphins should win this game. – DOLPHINS

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) at New York Giants: Tampa Bay is coming off a much-needed bye week that temporarily stopped their four-game losing streak. New York is also coming off a much-needed bye week that temporarily halted their five-game losing streak. The Giants have benched (and later released) QB Danny Jones and will start QB Tommy DeVito, but all of the experts in Jordan Mendoza’s USA Today article still see the Buccaneers easily winning this one. – BUCCANEERS

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commander (-10.5): Washington has lost two straight games against tough competition and Dallas has not been competitive for weeks, having lost five straight with three of them by 24 points or more. This is a lost year for the Cowboys. – COMMANDERS

Denver Broncos (-6) at Las Vegas Raiders: Here we have another supposedly lopsided contest with Denver in the playoff hunt and Las Vegas on a six-game losing skid. The Raiders have lost four of the six by 15 or more points. The staff at BVM Sports believes the Broncos get this one as long as they establish the run, contain Raider TE Brock Bowers and pressure the quarterback – all doable. – BRONCOS

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (-2): Green Bay got a little lucky last week by securing a victory on a late blocked field goal attempt in Chicago. Casey Hibbard of Sports Illustrated believes the Packers run defense could struggle containing the 49ers running game with RB Christian McCaffrey back from injury. Hubbard also points out San Francisco is dealing with nagging injuries to DE Nick Bosa, TE George Kittle and QB Brock Purdy. – PACKERS

Arizona Cardinals (-1) at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle has been an inconsistent team this year with a 2-4 record at home in Lumen Field. The Seahawks have the top-ranked passing offense and the Cardinals the 5th-best rushing offense. Arizona has a slight statistical advantage defensively and are coming off a bye week. – CARDINALS

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Los Angeles Rams: Los Angeles will be at home and should be playing with a sense of desperation as they are currently the first team “out” of the playoffs in the NFC. While Philadelphia is on a six-game winning streak, a critic might say that string of victories was littered with bad opponents. Ryan O’Leary of the Sporting News believes the Eagles have the defensive backs to stop the Rams passing offense and the Eagles rushing offense is averaging more than 200 yard per game in their six-game run. – EAGLES

Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Los Angeles Chargers: To close out the week we have the Harbaugh Bowl! Los Angeles has a good enough defense to compete with Baltimore’s top-rated offense. The Chargers are also better at protecting and taking away the ball, ranking 5th in turnover margin. – CHARGERS

Houndmouth at the 9:30 Club

Houndmouth has been one of those alternative blues-rock fusion bands you might hear on weekend at the HOTPO headquarters. The 9:30 Club is also a favorite venue of the HOTPO staff. Finally, Houndmouth is from New Albany, Ind. – perfect for HOTPO coverage.

While I was aware of this band, I had only apparently scratched the surface. Lead vocalist Matt Myers is a stunningly good blues guitarist. For them, their four-piece structure – guitar, bass, drums, keyboard – allows for a full sound with no excess.

Houndmouth put on an energetic 14-song set and a 3-song encore for a sold out 9:30 Club crowd. I am still surprised at how much I enjoyed this band and that concert. I have to do some research and download much more of their catalog.