NFL Picks – Week 12 Thanksgiving Special

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions – Pick Packers
Can the Detroit Lions hurry up and get better so we can watch a decent football game on Turkey Day?
The Lions give up the most points in the league, haven’t had a winning season in eight years, and have lost by double digits every Thanksgiving since 2004.  There is some promise for this franchise, but not this year, and not this Thursday.

Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys – Pick Cowboys
Thanksgiving has a football tradition in which both the Lions and the Cowboys host football games.  While we have been bored by the Lions losing, the Cowboys have done the same by beating teams down.
The NFL sucks at scheduling a good game on Thanksgiving and the Cowboys have won their last three Turkey-day games by a score of 106 – 22, clearly blowing out the lesser teams they have played — and this game shouldn’t be much different with the lowly Raiders coming to town.

New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos – Pick Giants
In 2006, the NFL added a third Thanksgiving Day game to try to capitalize and promote the NFL Network.
Both of these teams hit some speed bumps, and have fallen from the NFL elite this year.  The Giants started 5 – 0, only to drop four in a row, and the Broncos 6 – 0, dropping three straight with an embarrassing loss to the Redskins two weeks ago.
With Kyle Orton not at full health, I like the G-men in this one.

New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints – Pick Patriots
This will be one exciting Monday night match-up and, with this being such a big game, you have to go with the upset.
The Patriots had their chance two weeks ago to knock the Colts from the rank of the unbeaten and missed their opportunity, but with the Saints still unbeaten, the second time is the charm.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens – Pick Ravens
The only reason I’m picking the Ravens in this Sunday night game is because in recent years, the Steelers have played terribly in Baltimore, losing five out of their last six games there.
The Steelers have shown some vulnerability when Big Ben is pressured and you can be sure the Ravens’ defense will come after him, pressuring him into drive-killing sacks and mistakes.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans – Pick Texans
I told you to pick the Texans in week nine when these two divisional rivals first met, and I was wrong — the Colts hung on to win it by three points?  but things will be different.
The Texans are at home and are bound to beat the Colts this time.  They always play tough and I think this game will be their day.