Time is not quite running out on this 2025 season, but the NFL Picks need some momentum after back to back really poor weeks.
Once again there can be some complaints about the manner of some of the defeats- the Eagles blowing a 21-0 lead, or the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots missing a cover by a combined three points.
Those moments are more frustrating than completely misreading some of the selections, and combined it has led to some tough moments through the opening twelve weeks of the year.
Week 12 may not have been a good week for the NFL Picks, but it was an important one for teams to keep their season alive, most notably for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. Those teams meet in a big Thanksgiving Day game hosted by the latter, and there are also a couple of important Divisional games to be played on Thursday.
The schedules around the League means there are plenty of big Divisional games to be played between now and the end of the regular season and that is going to have a big impact on the final Playoff positions.
Games are set to be played from Thursday through Monday with an additional televised game in the 'Black Friday' slot that has become a new feature for the NFL.
Each outing feels much more important now with the regular season winding down.
That is also the case for the NFL Picks, which will be added to this thread, and it feels important to conclude this week with a winning return to just start moving the overall numbers back in the direction wanted.
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions Pick: All three games on Thanksgiving Day look hugely important, but the first of those looks the one with most on the line for both teams.
The Detroit Lions (7-4) are hosting as usual and they are playing Divisional rivals Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) who would be edging them out for a Playoff spot if the regular season was to end today. Both are trailing the surprising Chicago Bears in the NFC North, while the Detroit Lions are just 1-2 in the Division this season and have already suffered a defeat to the Green Bay Packers, who are 2-0 against NFC North rivals.
Both teams were able to pick up a win in Week 12, but the Lions had to dig much deeper than the Packers with an Overtime win over the struggling New York Giants. Green Bay were more comfortable in beating the Minnesota Vikings, but those games are now in the rearview mirror and both the Lions and Packers are completely focused on a big Thanksgiving Day game.
For the home team, the Line of Scrimmage is going to determine so much about the direction this game will end up travelling.
Detroit have to find a way to establish the run in this game against a Green Bay Defensive Line that have continued to be stout up front and who will be looking to put Jared Goff behind the chains. All season the Packers have been able to clamp down on the run, including in the Week 1 success against the Lions when they limited Detroit to just 46 yards on the ground.
Being able to do the same IN Detroit is the challenge, especially after recent games in which the Lions have been able to get things going on the ground in front of the home supporters and when not dealing with outdoor conditions. However, the Packers will take encouragement from the success that Philadelphia had against the Lions as they look to force Detroit to try and beat them from third and long spots.
This is far from an easy test for the Lions Offensive Line, who have perhaps not been as confident when facing some of the tougher teams on the schedule. It will feel like a 'prove it' moment for a team chasing a Super Bowl, while also being important to help Jared Goff at Quarter Back considering some of the struggles he has when the pocket begins to collapse around him.
Green Bay will bring the pass rush when they have the Lions in obvious passing situations and they have a Secondary that have been producing at a high level for the majority of the season. In recent games it has really been a tough team to throw against with any consistency and so it is imperative for the Lions to find a way to keep the team in third and manageable spots in order to sustain drives.
It is a game that will be a challenge for the Detroit Offensive unit, but the same can be said for the Packers when they have the ball.
Josh Jacobs is expected to miss out again, but it would have been a tough game for him and it will be a tough game for Emanuel Wilson in relief as the Packers try and establish the run against a Lions Defensive Line that have played that very well in recent games. Much like the Packers on the other side of the ball, Detroit are going to want to see if Jordan Love can beat them from third and long situations and see if he can do that over and over again when facing a Secondary that have plugged in players as injuries have piled up.
It has not stopped the Lions from being effective and they will note that Jordan Love has not been the same at Quarter Back as he continues to deal with a shoulder issue on the non-throwing side.
Jordan Love will feel he can make some plays against this Secondary, but that becomes tougher from third and long situations and Green Bay's recent passing numbers have been tough to read.
Everything is pointing to a competitive game between these two rivals and in front of a national audience.
Both teams will have some issues running the ball, which is going to put pressure on the two Quarter Backs.
The narrowest of edges has to be with the Lions who should find running the ball a bit more comfortable inside of their own Stadium- they are also playing the Packers with revenge and the Lions are 10-2 against the spread against Divisional opponents in that spot.
They have struggled as a small favourite/small underdog this season, which is a concern when laying the points with Detroit, but the Green Bay Packers are 1-4 against the spread on the road.
Green Bay are in an unfamiliar spot of being given points this season, but it should be noted that they have not covered in the last eight Divisional games when given points and having just cleared the spread by double digits, as the Packers did in the Week 12 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Most will expect this game to come down to the wire, but the Lions look capable of being the one left standing at the end of this opening Thanksgiving Day game.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys Pick: Non-Conference games may not be as significant in the first half of the season, but by Week 13, every game on the schedule matters.
For the Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-5), it is vital that they build on Week 12 wins that have kept Playoff hopes alive.
This second Thanksgiving Day game sees both the Cowboys and Chiefs sitting in tenth place in their respective Conferences, but also noting that teams currently occupying the last of the Wild Card spots have only been beaten four times. Chasing down Divisional leaders will be difficult as games are running down, but both teams have just kept Playoff hopes alive with battling wins and that will give them some confidence.
The Kansas City Chiefs looked to be on course for another defeat that would have dropped them below 0.500 when trailing by double digits against the AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts. However, they rallied for an Overtime win to just keep themselves in a position to attack the Wild Card spots.
Dallas were in a bigger hole having fallen 21-0 behind against Divisional rivals and NFC East leaders Philadelphia Eagles, but the road team made enough errors to allow the Cowboys to rally for the upset.
Building on that is key and the Dallas Offensive unit are playing with enough confidence to believe they can do that, as long as they can clear up some of the drops that have been affecting recent performance.
It will feel important for Dallas to find a way to at least make the Kansas City Chiefs respect the run- the Chiefs have been pretty stout up front in recent games and they will feel like the real winners if they can force the Cowboys to become one-dimensional.
However, any impact that can be made by the Offensive Line will then strengthen Dak Prescott and a passing game that has been very explosive. George Pickens and Jason Ferguson have given the Quarter Back more options outside of CeeDee Lamb and Prescott will have enough time in the pocket if the team is in third and manageable spots to expose the Chiefs Secondary.
The expectation is that Dallas are going to be able to have enough Offensive success to put the pressure on a banged up Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to have to keep up on the scoreboard.
Where the Cowboys will still be confident they can have an impact with the running game, the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to establish the run in recent games. Making it tougher is the clear improvements made by the Dallas Defensive Line after trades made and placing all of the burden on Patrick Mahomes and the passing game will feel like a big win for the Cowboys.
The Quarter Back is clearly not looking as comfortable as usual and that has meant he has been restricting his use of his legs, which has perhaps made it a little easier to face the Kansas City Chiefs. If Patrick Mahomes is not looking to put pressure on the Linebackers and Defensive Backs by pushing himself down the field, the Kansas City Offensive Line could be challenged by this Dallas pass rush when in the obvious passing situations.
Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Receivers are still very capable of linking up with the Quarter Back through the air, but any one-dimensional approach is something that NFL level Defensive units will be comfortable facing. The Quarter Back can still have success considering some of the issues that remain in the Dallas Secondary, but turnovers could be an issue and that will make it all the tougher for the Kansas City Chiefs to back up the Week 12 win with another.
Of course Kansas City can win, but they are 1-4 against the spread on the road and facing a Dallas team that have thrived when set as the underdog.
Taking the hook to cross over the key number 3 is going to be important for the Dallas Cowboys who can then cover even in a narrow defeat. However, this feels like a game where the Cowboys can produce enough Offensive output to perhaps earn the outright upset and to keep the Playoff hopes on track.
Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles Pick: They remain the NFC East leaders, but the Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) will want to flush the Week 12 loss at the Dallas Cowboys as soon as possible. They led 21-0 on the day, but the Offensive inconsistency came back to haunt them as the Cowboys fought back for the upset, although the Eagles are still a couple of games ahead of Dallas.
They are hosting another Divisional leader in this 'Black Friday' game on Friday- not many would have predicted that to be the case when the schedule came out, but the Chicago Bears (8-3) are the surprising team leading the way in the NFC North, although the likes of the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions will still believe they can chase the Bears down.
There is a lot to like about a Bears team that have won four in a row, although they have been on the right end of some of the tight margins. While this is unlikely to be sustainable, the Chicago players will be playing with a real sense of belief and that makes them dangerous against this Philadelphia team who are 8-13 against the spread after a defeat under Head Coach Nick Sirianni.
Injuries on both sides of the ball are also just holding the Eagles back, and first year Head Coach Ben Johnson has given Caleb Williams and the Bears a spark on the Offensive side of the ball.
The Bears will be looking to establish the run and they will use Quarter Back Caleb Williams to try and pick up some yards on the ground when the protection does break down. Credit has to be given to the way the Philadelphia Defensive Line have been playing of late, but all the Bears will want to do is to try and keep themselves in front of the chains and then see if the relatively young Quarter Back can then attack this banged up Secondary.
Caleb Williams has been getting the ball out of his hands pretty well and he should be able to connect with some of the Receivers to push the ball down the field.
Offensive problems have been a huge part of the Philadelphia season, even if they have still found a way to win more often than not. The defending Super Bowl Champions will feel they can find the right solutions if they can get a little healthier, but they could be without Lane Johnson on this short week and Saquon Barkley is also banged up.
Being without both of those players could make it tough for the Eagles to expose what has continued to be a vulnerable Chicago Defensive Line.
However, Jalen Hurts is capable of moving the ball with his legs out of the Quarter Back position and the Eagles will just be looking to keep ahead of the chains while still trying to find solutions to some of the passing problems. Adding to that is that the Bears have signed CJ Gardner-Johnson to improve the Secondary and Chicago could have Jaylon Johnson back from injury, which is going to make passing the ball against the Bears more challenging going forward.
They do not get a lot of pressure up front, but that has not stopped the Secondary from showing improvement during this winning run.
On paper you still have to believe the Eagles will be a little too good for the Bears, but this spread looks a bit too wide considering Philadelphia's struggles to blowout opponents this season.
With the battling that Chicago have continued to display, they could easily secure a backdoor cover in this one at the worst and the Bears can show the rest of the NFC that they more than just a surprising regular season team.
Atlanta Falcons @ New York Jets Pick: They are still only a couple of games out of the NFC South lead, but time is running out for the Atlanta Falcons (4-7) to chase down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moving in the last weekend of November means Atlanta can ill-afford to lose games that they are expected to win and that will be the situation they are dealing with in Week 13 as the Falcons have been set as road favourites.
At this stage of the season and with games running out, even non-Conference games have added importance and the Falcons need to build on the win over the New Orleans Saints, which also ended the five game losing run.
Next up is a game at the New York Jets (2-9) who remain on course for a top five NFL Draft Pick and who will continue with Tyrod Taylor at Quarter Back in place of Justin Fields.
The decision to hand the keys to the veteran has stalled the Jets as far as an Offensive unit goes, but Tyrod Taylor is capable of moving the ball with his legs and Breece Hall should also be able to find more room to operate when the ball is handed to him. This is an Atlanta Defensive Line that has been struggling to stop the run, but there is also a game plan that could be put together to try and dare Taylor to beat them with his arm.
If they can put the Jets in obvious passing situations, the Falcons should be able to get to Tyrod Taylor and rush the throw, especially for a team that is missing some experience at the Wide Receiver position. This has led to some really poor numbers in recent games as far as the Jets passing game is concerned, although Tyrod Taylor may feel there are more opportunities against this vulnerable Falcons Secondary.
Kirk Cousins will be the veteran taking to the field for the Atlanta Falcons at Quarter Back and he should be able to use the confidence from last week to attack a Jets team that have traded away so many key players on this side of the ball.
He will be without Drake London again, but the Falcons had Darnell Mooney show some life and Bijan Robinson should also have a big impact on the game.
The Falcons are not easy to trust on recent form, although you have to keep pointing out the importance of winning against the New Orleans Saints.
Credit has to be given to the Jets for continuing to play hard on the Defensive side of the ball, despite the trades they have made, but the lack of Offensive output means the field position is against them. The Jets could have better chances to move the ball against this Falcons team, but ultimately they have looked like a team that is out of confidence and struggling to maintain any consistency within games, which should give Atlanta the edge in the game.
MY PICKS: Detroit Lions - 2.5 Points @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Dallas Cowboys + 3.5 Points @ 1.84 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Chicago Bears + 7.5 Points @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Atlanta Falcons - 2.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Los Angeles Rams - 10.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Buffalo Bills - 3 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Denver Broncos - 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Week 12: 1-5, - 4.17 Units (6 Units Staked, - 69.50% Yield)
Week 11: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)
Week 10: 3-3, - 0.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.67% Yield)
Week 9: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (4 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Week 8: 4-3, + 0.52 Units (7 Units Staked, + 7.43% Yield)
Week 7: 3-2, + 0.69 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.80% Yield)
Week 6: 3-4, - 1.09 Units (7 Units Staked, - 15.57% Yield)
Week 5: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)
Week 4: 2-3, - 1.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 22.80% Yield)
Week 3: 5-3, + 1.56 Units (8 Units Staked, + 19.50% Yield)
Week 2: 3-2, + 0.67 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.40% Yield)
Week 1: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
2025 Season: 31-36, - 8.04 Units (67 Units Staked, - 12% Yield)