Tim Ajmani
The Corsair
Finally, its Thanksgiving week! The most wonderful time of the year! What do I mean by that? Great food, and of course, football! It’s Week 12 in the NFL season, and each team has six games left. It’s also that time of the year when picking games becomes trickier as the intensity and competition increases with the playoffs approaching.
For the remanding weeks, I will pick each game, and give a weekly upset, as well as the best game to watch. You don’t have to agree with me, but I usually tend to choose more rightly than wrongly. So without further ado, here are my picks for Thanksgiving Weekend’s NFL games…
Green Bay Packers (10-0) @ Detroit Lions (7-3) – Thursday 11:30 CT
The pick: Packers 28, Lions 24
Miami Dolphins (3-7) @ Dallas Cowboys (6-4) – Thursday 3:15 CT
The pick: Cowboys 24, Dolphins 14
Minnesota Vikings (2-8) @ Atlanta (6-4) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Falcons 31, Vikings 17
Buffalo Bills (5-5) @ New York Jets (5-5) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Jets 27, Bills 10
Cleveland Browns (4-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Bengals 28, Browns 14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) @ Tennessee Titans (5-5) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Buccaneers 20, Titans 13
Carolina Panthers (2-8) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-10) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Panthers 31, Colts 13
Arizona Cardinals (3-7) @ St. Louis Rams (2-8) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Rams 20, Cardinals 17
Houston Texans (7-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) – Sunday 12:00 CT
The pick: Texans 28, Jaguars 13
Chicago Bears (7-3) @ Oakland Raiders (6-4) – Sunday 3:05 CT
The pick: Raiders 27, Bears 20
Washington Redskins (3-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (4-6) – Sunday 3:05 CT
The pick: Seattle 24, Redskins 16
Denver Broncos (5-5) @ San Diego Chargers (4-6) – Sunday 3:15 CT
The pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 20
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-6) – Sunday 7:20 CT
The pick: Steelers 34, Chiefs 10
New York Giants (6-4) @ New Orleans Saints (7-3) – Monday 7:30 CT
The pick: Saints 31, Giants 23
My Upset Pick:
New England Patriots (7-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) – Sunday 3:15 CT
The Eagles defense seemed to finally come alive last week against the Giants. Tom Brady and the Patriots struggled for a half before putting away Kansas City. Regardless of whether or not Michael Vick starts, the Eagles’ season, like last week, is on the line. Win and the Eagles keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Lose, and their season is basically over. I expect to see Brady put up a bunch of passing yards, but throw a couple of interceptions. The Eagles will season will float for another week…
The pick: Eagles 28, Patriots 24
Game of the Week:
San Francisco 49ers (9-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (7-3) – Thursday 7:20 CT
Its Harbaugh Bowl I. The 49ers are the most physical team in the NFC, but critics have been skeptical because of their quarterback, Alex Smith. The Ravens can be the best team in the AFC one week, then fall flat on their face in the next. I expect a low-scoring, hard-hitting game, similar to some of the Ravens-Steelers games we’ve seen in the past. The Ravens defense will force a couple of turnovers, but the 49ers defense will as well. The 49ers send a profound message to the rest of the NFL on Thanksgiving Night…
The pick: 49ers 17, Ravens 14