Week 11 in the NFL is nearly in the books with just the Bucs and Giants left on the schedule for "Monday Night Football." As we look back at the action from Sunday, the league once again was keeping us on our toes with a number of wild results including the Texans' win over the Titans, a Colts blowout against the Bills in Buffalo, and the Vikings edging out a victory over Green Bay. It's again a lesson that anything can happen once the games kick off.
While we wait for New York and Tampa Bay to wrap up Week 11 with their prime-time matchup, now seems like a good time to begin our research into Week 12 and see what the opening lines are for every game across the upcoming slate, which includes a triple-header on Thanksgiving!
Week 12 early odds
(All lines from Caesars Sportsbook, all games on Sunday unless noted)
Bears (3-7) at Lions (0-9-1), Thursday
Opening line: Bears -3
As is tradition, the Lions will play on the Thanksgiving holiday and will host their NFC North rival in the Chicago Bears. The quarterback play is going to be of central focus in this matchup as Detroit is unlikely to have Jared Goff once again this week as he continues to battle an oblique injury. If that's the case, Tim Boyle will likely get the start as he did against the Browns in Week 11. Meanwhile, Bears rookie sensation Justin Fields' status is also in question after he reportedly suffered bruised ribs in the loss to Baltimore. If he is unable to play, veteran Andy Dalton would get the nod. While the Lions may be winless on the season, they have been one of the better bets, owning a 6-4 ATS record coming into Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
Raiders (5-5) at Cowboys (7-3), Thursday
Opening line: Cowboys -7
Both the Cowboys and Raiders will be coming into Thanksgiving following a loss in Week 11. The Raiders where shelled by the Bengals at home 32-13, while Dallas managed only three field goals in a loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead. The Cowboys could be shorthanded at the skill positions with Amari Cooper already ruled out due to COVID and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb currently in concussion protocol. That would leave Michael Gallup as the club's top wideout. With all that in mind, Dallas has been steady at AT&T Stadium, owning a 6-1 ATS record over their last seven home games. Meanwhile, the Raiders are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road contests. Coming out of Sunday's action, this line did tick up over the touchdown threshold to Cowboys -7.5.
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Bills (6-4) at Saints (5-5), Thursday
Opening line: Bills -4.5
The Bills and Saints will put a bow on the Thanksgiving triple-header when they square off in New Orleans. Each of these teams are coming off blowout losses where they surrendered 40-plus points, so they'll be looking to rebound on the holiday. Historically, both clubs have responded well to losses. The Saints are 4-1 ATS following a straight-up loss, while the Bills are 3-0-1 ATS. Buffalo is getting the edge coming into this matchup with the 4.5-point spread holding even throughout Sunday's loss to Indianapolis. Over the last 10 road games, the Bills are 7-3 ATS.
Buccaneers (6-3) at Colts (6-5)
Opening line: Buccaneers -3
There may not be much movement on this line until Tampa Bay's Monday matchup with the Giants concludes, but they have opened as a field-goal favorite against the Colts on the road. It will be fascinating to see how one of the NFL's top-ranked run defenses tries to slow down Colts running back Jonathan Taylor after his franchise-record-setting performance on Sunday where he totaled five touchdowns in the win over Buffalo. In the last four games as an underdog, Indy has performed well, owning a 4-0 ATS record. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has not played well outside of Raymond James Stadium as they are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games and are 0-6 ATS in their last six as a road favorite.
Jets (2-8) at Texans (2-8)
Opening line: Texans -3
This game will mean more to the 2022 NFL Draft order than it will to the 2021 season. That said, it will be interesting to see what Houston can do for an encore after upsetting the Titans on the road where they picked off Ryan Tannehill four times en route to their second win of the year. As for the Jets, they are coming off a loss to the Dolphins. Despite the loss, backup Joe Flacco did play well, so the quarterback situation and whether or not New York will elect to start rookie Zach Wilson (knee) in this one will be worth monitoring. The Jets come into this game 1-5 ATS in their last six games, while Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games.
Eagles (5-6) at Giants (3-6)
Opening line: Eagles -3.5
Any significant movement will be reserved for after New York's matchup with the Bucs, but the Eagles have opened as a 3.5-point road favorite against their NFC East rival. Philly is coming off a dominating win over the Saints where Jalen Hurts rushed for three touchdowns. Despite sitting under .500 on the season, the Eagles are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games. That said, their poor ATS record against NFC East (2-5 in last seven games) will be put to the test here.
Panthers (5-6) at Dolphins (4-7)
Opening line: PICK
Welcome home, Cam Newton! Even in the loss to Washington on Sunday, Newton played well in his first start since returning to the Panthers, completing 77.7% of his passes and finding the end zone a total of three times. They'll now take on a Dolphins team that was able to earn its fourth win of the season after taking down the Jets on the road. Carolina has been superb on the road as of late as will head into Week 12 with a 10-2 ATS record in its last 12 road contests. That said, the Dolphins have played well at home as they boast an 11-4 ATS record in their last 15 home games.
Titans (8-3) at Patriots (7-4)
Opening line: Patriots -5.5
This is arguably the biggest game on the Week 12 slate for what it could mean for the playoff picture in the AFC. After New England's win on Thursday and the Bills' loss to the Colts on Sunday, the Patriots have now leaped into first place in the AFC East and are currently the No. 3 seed in the conference. Meanwhile, the Titans still sit as the No. 1 seed in the conference, despite the upset loss to Houston. If New England can extend its winning streak to six games, however, it would be in a position to move even higher in the playoff bracket. The Patriots are 5-0 ATs over the last five weeks and are 4-0 in their last four games as a favorite. That said, Tennessee is 5-0 ATS in their last five as an underdog, so something will need to give on Sunday in Foxborough.
Steelers (5-3-1) at Bengals (6-4)
Opening line: Bengals -4.5
Cincy opens this matchup as a 4.5-point favorite against the Steelers following its road win against the Raiders. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh fell to the Chargers on Sunday night and is looking to stay within the playoff push as it sits just outside the current picture as the No. 8 seed. Big Ben and Co. could be in a position to stay in the race (or at least cover the spread) as the Bengals have not been a solid bet following a straight-up win, going 1-5 ATS in their last six. They are also 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
Falcons (4-6) at Jaguars (2-8)
Opening line: PICK
It was a week to forget for both of these clubs as they each lost by at least 20 points in Week 11. That sets up a pick'em for this Week 12 head-to-head in Jacksonville. Atlanta has performed well on the road against teams with a losing home record, owning a 5-1 ATS mark coming into Sunday. The Jags are also 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games.
Chargers (6-4) at Broncos (5-5)
Opening line: Chargers -1.5
L.A. is coming off a thrilling win over the Steelers where Justin Herbert put up Madden-like numbers to keep his team in the playoff picture in the AFC. The Chargers will now travel to Denver to take on the Broncos, who are also looking to jump back into the playoff race and jump above .500 on the season. The Chargers are a slim 1.5-point favorite coming into this game and are putting their 5-0 ATS winning streak against the AFC West on the line. Meanwhile, Denver is looking to turn things around after going 2-5 ATS over its last seven games.
Rams (7-3) at Packers (8-3)
Opening line: Packers -2
This spread has since moved to Packers -1.5 in what could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship Game. L.A is coming off a Week 11 bye and looking to rebound following back-to-back losses prior to going into the break. Meanwhile, the Packers are also trying to get back into the win column after falling to the Vikings in Week 11. Not only have the Rams struggled in their previous two games, but they also come into Sunday's matchup failing to cover in their last four contests. That'll be a tough hurdle to get across, especially as they roll into Lambeau Field where the Packers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games. Green Bay is also an NFL-best 9-2 ATS this season.
Vikings (5-5) at 49ers (5-5)
Opening line: 49ers -2.5
The Vikings have sneakily been one of the better bets in the NFL this season. They've covered in 60% of their games coming into Week 12 and are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games. They're also 6-2 ATS in their last eight games as a road dog. That may set them up nicely for this matchup against the 49ers, who have been playing better as of late, but are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games. They also haven't played well as a favorite, owning a 3-10 mark over their last 13 games in that situation.
Browns (6-5) at Ravens (7-3)
Opening line: Ravens -4.5
Lamar Jackson's status will be worth watching this week after he was unable to play in Week 11 due to a non-COVID illness. If he suits up, this number may jump higher than the 4.5 number it's currently at. Even without him under center, Baltimore was able to pull off a last-second win over the Bears on the road to push them to 7-3 on the season. As for the Browns, they narrowly escaped a matchup with the Lions, winning by just three points. Recent history doesn't point to a promising outcome for Cleveland as it gears up for this divisional matchup. In their last 11 games against the AFC North, the Browns are 2-9 ATS. That's essentially the exact opposite for the Ravens, who are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games in the division.
Seahawks (3-7) at Washington (4-6), Monday
Opening line: Seattle -2
Seattle and Washington will put a close to Week 12 when they square off on Monday night. Seattle originally was a 2-point favorite, but this game has since moved to a pick'em. The Seahawks -- who are coming off a loss to the Cardinals -- have played well on Mondays, owning a 4-1 ATS mark over their last five contests. However, they'll face some tough competition in Washington, which is fresh off a win against Carolina. Following its last eight straight-up wins, Washington is 6-2 ATS. Both of these clubs have also not played well against teams with a losing record, owning a combined 6-14 ATS record over their last 10 games in that setting, so something will need to give.
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