Anyone who comes from a big family knows timing is everything when enjoying your Thanksgiving.
Want hot mashed potatoes and gravy? You’d better act quick and beat the rush.
Eyeing that comfy armchair next to the fire? Get Uncle Leo another beer and wait it out until he has to go pee, then swoop in and usurp the throne.
Such skill and strategy are also needed to get the best of the NFL betting odds in Week 12. Here are our top NFL betting tips for the spreads and totals to bet now, and which ones you should bet later.
Houston Texans (-2.5) at Detroit Lions: Bet Now
The Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day is an NFL tradition, much like betting against Detroit is becoming a weekly tradition for football bettors. The Lions limp into the holiday off a 20-0 shutout loss to Carolina and a former XFL castoff second-string QB. They've failed to cover in three of their past four games, with the lone ATS win coming by a half a point versus Washington.
Houston, on the other hand, looked pretty good against the Patriots. We all knew QB Deshaun Watson could play, but the Texans defense made the big difference in Week 11 as well—something we haven’t seen much of this season.
Houston also covered the spread for the second straight week and if you’re buying a ticket on the Texans train this Thanksgiving, get it now because the price is going up. Houston is just under a field goal fave on the road in Detroit as of Sunday night and this line will likely swing to -3 by mid-Monday...if not sooner.
Baltimore Ravens (+3) at Pittsburgh Steelers: Bet Later
This AFC North rivalry has more drama than the debate over macaroni and cheese being a Thanksgiving dish (it is BTW, 100 percent). The Ravens have dropped two straight games and three of their last four, posting a 1-3 ATS mark in that span. In fact, Baltimore has only covered the spread once in its last five outings.
Pittsburgh was responsible for one of those losses, knocking off the Ravens 28-24 as a 4-point road underdog on November 1. The Steelers have still not tasted defeat this season, bringing a perfect 10-0 SU record and an 8-2 ATS count back to Heinz Field, where they have played just one time since October 25.
This spread opened Pittsburgh -2.5 Sunday night and quickly jumped to -3 with the field goal spread heavily juiced (there are some -3.5 popping up out there). If you’re siding with Baltimore to bounce back in this divisional dance, wait it out and see if that extra vig becomes an extra half-point or more.
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills (Over 52.5): Bet Now
Two of the NFL’s strongest arms square off in this Week 12 shootout at Orchard Park. This total opened at 51.5 and has quickly jumped to 52.5 with one-sided play on the Over. And with the way these teams can sling it: why not?
Justin Herbert passed for 366 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the New York Jets (OK, not that impressive) and outside of a bad day versus Miami in Week 10, has posted big-time numbers for a rookie passer. He’s pushed L.A. to 30 or more points in six of his last seven starts (the other game had 29 points) and the Chargers have gone Over the total in each of those seven outings.
Josh Allen and the Bills enjoyed a bye in Week 11. Buffalo hit a bit of an offensive skid between Weeks 5 and 8 but got its groove back with 30 and 44-point efforts in its last two outings. Granted, the Bills defense hasn’t pushed back much, allowing 30-plus in those last two games (both went Over), but neither has the Bolts’ stop unit—the Chargers just gave up 28 points to New York.
The extended forecast for Buffalo is calling for cold and rain on Sunday, so keep an eye on how that changes throughout the week. But if you’re calling for these sides to sizzle the scoreboard Sunday, take the Over now because it’s likely going to keep on climbing.
Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys (Over 48): Bet Later
America’s Team on America’s holiday is like ice cream on hot apple pie. Except this year, someone put raisins in the apple pie and that ice cream is soy-based. Yuck. That’s how most people view the Dallas Cowboys right about now, despite their upset win over Minnesota in Week 11.
The short week allows the Cowboys to hold that momentum, especially on offense where they showed flashes of brilliance and some bubbling chemistry with QB Andy Dalton under center this past Sunday. Dallas scored more than 20 points for the first time since Dak Prescott went down – a good sign for Over backers – and you know this defense is going to surrender points, no matter who they’re facing.
Washington is coming off a 20-9 win over Cincinnati, marred in part by the injury to Joe Burrow. However, the Football Team has put up respectable numbers on offense in the past four weeks, averaging 23 points per game, including a 25-3 victory over Dallas at home.
This Over/Under hit the board at 48 and we’re starting to see money on the Under shift the juice toward a dip in the total. If you like what you saw from the Red Rocket and the Cowboys weapons, put a pin in that Over bet and see how low this number goes before Turkey Day.
Where Can I Get the Best Odds on the NFL?
You can bet on NFL odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NFL moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals and a ton of NFL prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NFL odds in your area.
