NFL betting tips: Best bets, predictions and picks for Week 12
Ross Williams looks ahead to week 12 of the NFL season, picking out a best bet in four of this Sunday’s match-ups.
NFL betting tips: Week 12
2pts Carolina Panthers (-2) to beat the Miami Dolphins at 10/11 (General)
2pts Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) to beat the Denver Broncos at 10/11 (General)
1.5pts Minnesota Vikings to beat the San Francisco 49ers at 6/4 (General)
1pt Jonathan Taylor & Michel Pittman Jr. (Colts) both to score a touchdown at 5/2 (Sky Bet)
Carolina Panthers @ Miami Dolphins
- When: Sunday at 18:00 GMT
- TV: NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix
The Panthers haven’t been the most consistent team in the NFL this season, but I fancy their chances this weekend against a team boasting the 29th-ranked defence in the league.
Miami are coming off a victory, but their form has been equally unpredictable this season and their defensive weaknesses could be exploited in a big way by Cam Newton and an increasingly healthier Christian McCaffrey.
Newton will naturally take up a lot of Brian Flores’ attention, but that makes for some risky business with McCaffrey returning to the form that makes him such an irresistible fantasy football option.
CMC was good for 119 all-purpose yards and a touchdown last week against the Washington Football Team and that came on just 17 touches. His production is only likely to increase as he picks up more fitness, so I anticipate a similar performance on Sunday, which will put the low-scoring Dolphins in a world of trouble.
Best Bet: Carolina Panthers (-2) to beat the Miami Dolphins at 10/11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Indianapolis Colts
- When: Sunday at 18:00 GMT
- TV: NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix
Tom Brady in Indianapolis. Every single time, it is blockbuster.
For the first time as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, the MVP frontrunner returns to face the Colts and, as expected, his side take favouritism into the clash.
However, I don’t anticipate plain sailing for the world champions against a team that’s won five of their last six games in the midst of a playoff push. The Colts are fresh off a demolition of the Buffalo Bills last week and, in Jonathan Taylor, Indy possess the most in-form player in the league.
Taylor is a near cert to score a touchdown in this game after going in for five last week, despite facing the top run defence in the league. However, his recent superiority has massively affected his price, so I recommend doubling him up with one of the Colts’ other major threats.
Much like Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. is having a breakout year in his second NFL season and he’s becoming no stranger to the end zone.
With Tampa likely to pile the points on in this game, the Colts will have to force a shootout with the arm of Carson Wentz, so I like the chances of Pittman who already has five touchdowns this season.
Tampa are good defensively but, if they have a weak link, it’s their middling secondary. With this in mind, expect Wentz to feed Pittman.
Best Bet: Jonathan Taylor & Michel Pittman Jr. (Colts) both to score a touchdown at 5/2
Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos
- When: Sunday at 21:05 GMT
- TV: NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix
The AFC West is shaping up to be the best division in football this season, putting even more emphasis on winning this huge game in the Mile High City.
Denver have picked up some impressive wins this season, but the Chargers carry the most form into this game and Justin Herbert is getting hot. The sophomore quarterback is relishing shootouts this year and two of his best performance of 2021 have come in the last three weeks.
Sheer volume may be the order of the day and a glance at the point-scoring charts this season tells a grim story for the Broncos.
Denver are averaging 20 points per game and are yet to truly prove themselves in a high-scoring thriller. The Chargers, meanwhile, are averaging six points per game more and their pass defence actually outranks Denver, who went into the season with one of the league’s most-hyped secondaries.
The handicap is kind in this one and too hard to ignore, with LA only having to win by a field goal to land the goods.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) to beat the Denver Broncos at 10/11
Minnesota Vikings @ San Francisco 49ers
- When: Sunday at 21:25 GMT
- TV: NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix
Speaking of handicaps, this is one I simply don’t understand.
Despite a big win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend, the Minnesota Vikings are currently 3.5 underdogs against the 49ers.
San Francisco have admittedly improved in recent weeks, but the Vikes continue to be criminally underrated. Kirk Cousins is playing exceptional football at times and the trio of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook is as potent as any offensive arsenal in the NFL.
Minnesota do have a depleted defensive front this week, so I’d expect plenty of 49er rushing success, but the Vikings have outscored their opponents so far this season and are battle-hardened in close dog-fights.
The 3.5 point spread is very tempting at 10/11 but, I’d be willing to wager that the NFC North side can win this one outright and put the Niners’ fleeting playoff hopes in the waste pile.
Best Bet: Minnesota Vikings to beat the San Francisco 49ers at 6/4
Odds correct as of 1600 GMT (26/11/21)
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