We’ve reached Week 12 of the NFL season and there’s a six-pack of home dogs on the schedule, including two teams playing on Thanksgiving with the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints hosting Turkey Day games as underdogs. Other home dogs in Week 12 include the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Denver Broncos.
The Lions always host a home game in Detroit on Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday broadcast schedule. The Lions (0-9-1) have yet to win a game this season and could only muster up a tie to avoid an 0-17 record. So, can the Lions deliver a Turkey Day miracle with the first W of the season against the Chicago Bears?
| NFL Week 12 Home Dogs |
- Detroit Lions +3
- New Orleans Saints +6.5
- New York Giants +3.5
- Indianapolis Colts +3
- Miami Dolphins +2
- Denver Broncos +3
The New Orleans Saints are desperate to snap their three-game losing streak when they host the late game on Thanksgiving when the Buffalo Bills visit the Big Easy for a Thursday Night Football showdown.
Detroit Lions +3
The Lions tied the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10 and narrowly lost to the Cleveland Browns 13-10 last week. That marked the third close loss for the Lions, who also dropped a couple of two-points losses against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings. Despite the winless season, the Lions are 6-4 ATS.
The Chicago Bears (3-7) will start Andy Dalton at quarterback on Turkey Day after Justin Fields exited last Sunday’s game with a rib injury. Fields doesn’t have any breaks or fractures, but they’ll keep him out of the lineup during the short week. It’s up to Dalton to avoid an embarrassing loss on Thanksgiving against the Lions, who are +3 home dogs at Ford Field.
New Orleans Saints +6.5
It’s not very often the Saints (5-5) are home dogs at the Superdome, but that’s the situation this week with the Buffalo Bills in town. The Bills (6-4) started the season 4-1, but went 2-3 since then with two losses in the last three games, including an ugly 9-6 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last week, the Colts stampeded the Bills 41-15. The Bills Mafia isn’t ready to freak out just yet. They have a chance to get back on track with a victory on Turkey Day against a team starting a backup quarterback and a dinged-up running back.
Saints All-Pro running back Alvin Kamara expects to play, but he missed the last two games with a knee injury. The Saints lost three games in a row, including both games without Kamara. With Kamara in the lineup, the Saints could backdoor a cover as home dogs. Without Kamara, things could get ugly in the Superdome.
New York Giants +3.5
The New York Giants (3-7) fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, but the entire coaching staff and front office needs a reboot. Garrett was a poor choice to organize the offense, so perhaps the Giants will come alive without him during a fierce NFC East battle against the Philadelphia Eagles (5-6). The Giants averaged 18.9 ppg this season, and really missed Saquon Barkley in the lineup for the past month. He’s barely touched the ball this season, with just six carries for 25 rushing yards in his return last week against the Tampa Bay Bucs on Monday Night Football.
Indianapolis Colts +3
The Colts (6-5) destroyed the Bills last week, and will face another big test when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs (7-3) come to Indianapolis this week. The Colts are one of the better betting teams in the NFL this season with a 7-3 ATS record. Jonathan Taylor is fresh off a monstrous performance with five touchdowns (including four rushing scores) in the blowout. Taylor took over the rushing lead with 1,122 yards, and he leads the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Miami Dolphins +2
The Miami Dolphins (4-7) host the Carolina Panthers (5-6), who currently have Cam Newton back under center. The Fins and their shaky offense (18.2 ppg) are +2 home dogs against a Panthers team that only allows 22 ppg. If you like wagering on NFL totals, both the Panthers and Dolphins are 7-4 when betting the under this season.
Denver Broncos +3
In an AFC West matchup, the LA Chargers (6-5) head to the thin air of Colorado for a divisional throwdown against the Denver Broncos (5-5). The Broncos are fresh off a bye and had extra time to prep for Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Chargers are 2-3 since starting the season 4-1. They’ve won a lot of close games this season, with five of their victories within a margin of one score. The streaky Broncos started the season 3-0 before losing four games in a row. The Broncos are the second-best team to fade in totals wagering. The Broncos are 8-2 in betting the under this season.