NFL Super Pick ‘Em: Week 12 Locks Include Panthers, Buccaneers, Chiefs
It’s time for turkey and football. Followed by more turkey and more football. Followed yet again by cold turkey and cold football. (The last NFL game of Thanksgiving Day is in Green Bay.)
The start of the NFL’s Week 12 slate coincides with the first day of the holiday season, featuring three games to go along with your stuffing and mashed potatoes. An inopportune 1-3-1 week severely damaged the title hopes of Tom Brady’s Emails, NESN.com’s entrant into the Westgate SuperContest as a member of Team OddsShark, but Mike Cole, Ricky Doyle and Ben Watanabe are simply thankful to still be taking part.
Here’s who Tom Brady’s Emails is locking up this week:
Carolina Panthers (EV) vs. Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Tony Romo completed 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards while throwing for two touchdowns and two picks in his return. That’s pretty solid — especially compared to what they’d been getting at quarterback — but probably not enough to beat a very good Panthers defense or outduel Cam Newton balling his eyes out. The Panthers are 4-0 ATS on the road and, yes, that run has to end eventually, but it hasn’t yet, and betting that it will would only amount to a guess.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
The Colts are coming off wins over Atlanta and Denver (plus a close loss to Carolina), are 5-1 ATS since Oct. 8 and have covered in their last four matchups with Tampa. We get that. But Jameis Winston, Doug Martin and Mike Evans have the Bucs offense rolling, while Indy’s offense is currently held together with twine. Also, five of the Colts’ 10 games this season have been decided by three points or less.
New York Jets (-3.5) vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m.
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Miami has lost its last half-dozen games within the AFC East, which helps explain why the Fins haven’t won a division title since the Matt Cassel era in New England. The Jets haven’t won ATS in more than a month, but they’re 4-1 ATS in their last five against the Dolphins, whose rush defense is porous.
New York Giants (-2.5) vs. Washington Redskins, Sunday, 1 p.m.
FedExField, Great Landover, Md.
Bettors dove all over the Giants when this one opened at minus-1. As long as it stays at less than a field goal, bank on Eli Manning guiding the high-powered Big Blue offense to plenty of points to cover. Have you watched a Big 12 football game lately? That’s a decent approximation of what this one might look like.
Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City quietly is on a roll, winning four in a row SU and ATS. After a brutal start to the season, the Chiefs might have the most favorable remaining schedule in all of football and it begins at home against a Buffalo squad on a short week. The Bills are 6-1 ATS in their last seven in K.C., but the Chiefs are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 at Arrowhead, which is the more pertinent stat.
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
