NFL Week 12 Betting – Schedule & Marquee Matchups

NFL Week 12 Betting Marquee Matchups:

Saints @ Cowboys (Thanksgiving Day)

The Saints wound up lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy on a February night in Miami, but two months earlier, their undefeated season came crashing to a halt when the Dallas Cowboys rolled into the Big Easy and throttled New Orleans. In what was a Saturday night prime-time pounding, DeMarcus Ware and the rest of the Cowboys’ pass rushers got to Drew Brees. Dallas used old-fashioned physicality from its front seven to disrupt the timing of the Saints’ vaunted passing attack. The loss began a three-game losing stretch for New Orleans, causing the team to limp into the postseason without any momentum whatsoever. It’s a credit to the Saints that they were able to get off the deck, but the loss to Dallas shook them and forced them to reassess just how good a team they really were. One year later, they’ll try to dish out some revenge in Texas, in a duel that could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship Game. FOX has to love the TV ratings it’s likely to generate for this Thanksgiving Day spectacular.

Bengals @ Jets (Thanksgiving Night)

Speaking of TV ratings, the NFL Network – not available in a full range of markets across America – should pull in a huge number for this contest. The Jets knocked back the Bengals in back-to-back weeks last season. The first win – achieved in the last game ever played at the old Meadowlands complex – put New York into the playoffs and finished off a remarkable surge for a team that looked dead in the water at the end of November. The second win came the following Saturday in Cincinnati, and that triumph over the bewildered Bengals allowed the Jets to advance to the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Can Cincinnati respond with a ballsy effort on the road? Can the Bengals – a likely playoff team – show that they have the ability to contend for the Lombardi Trophy? The Jets have established themselves as one of the top contenders in the AFC. This game will tell us if the Bengals are ready to join them.

Chargers @ Colts

They’ve staged many dramatic battles over the years, especially in the postseason. The Chargers don’t always get the Colts in the regular season, but they’ve been kryptonite for Indianapolis in the month of January. It’s worth noting that in the Colts’ one Super Bowl-winning season during the Peyton Manning era, the Chargers did not play them in the playoffs. Indy drew New England in the 2006 AFC Championship Game after the Patriots upset San Diego in the AFC Divisional Playoff round. Last season, the Colts and Chargers figured to lock horns for the AFC crown, but when the New York Jets rocked the Bolts in the divisional round, Indianapolis once again escaped its chief tormentor.

On this day, however, Indianapolis will have to stare down the defense expertly coached by San Diego coordinator Ron Rivera. The Chargers and Mr. Rivera regularly find ways to keep Manning’s passing game in check. The Colts will need to fend off San Diego’s pass rush and the constant pressure Rivera uses to throw off Manning’s timing. With good pass protection, Indianapolis can win, but that’s easier said and done against the sons of San Diego.