NFL Week 12 By the Numbers
NFL Week 12 Was a Wild Ride
Week 12 of the NFL season was impacted by the effects of the coronavirus, and again, it affected the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their game with the Baltimore Ravens was postponed to Wednesday, practically moving it to Week 13.
The Denver Broncos also felt COVID-19’s wrath. They had to use a running back in place of the entire quarterback room. It’s actually a bit surprising there haven’t been more issues, given the strict virus-related protocols.
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Needless to say, the undefeated Steelers got through the weekend unscathed. But they now face two games in five days, with their Week 13 game moved to Monday.
The other unblemished record, the one belonging to the winless New York Jets, also remained intact. The Jets managed only a field goal in their 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
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Straight Shooters
Favorites fared pretty well straight up in Week 12, unless it was Dallas or Las Vegas. Both teams were three-point favorites but gave up over 40 points in embarrassing losses. Washington spoiled the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving with a 41-16 beat-down of its division rival.
The Raiders, after a tough loss to the Chiefs in Week 11, didn’t look ready to play in Atlanta. The Falcons hung 43 points on the Raiders, who managed just a pair of field goals in the loss. Coupled with Kansas City’s win over the Bucs, the AFC West all but belongs to the Chiefs.
Overall, the favorites came out on top in 10 of 15 games but had trouble covering the spread. Underdogs covered in nine games, with Seattle and Philadelphia pushing in the Seahawks’ 23-17 win. The two teams with the biggest spreads, New Orleans (-15.5) and Green Bay (-9.5), ended up covering.
The San Francisco 49ers overcame a 6.5-point spread, the largest of any winning underdog. With the Cardinals also losing, the Niners remained relevant in the race for the seventh NFC Wild Card spot.
We had all your betting numbers a few weeks back if you missed it. Here’s NFL Week 9 by the numbers.
Underwhelming
Continuing a midseason trend, the under bet paid out in nine games in Week 12. New Orleans and Denver combined for 34 points, coming up short of the lowest over/under of the season.
Without an active quarterback, the Broncos didn’t complete a pass in the first half, falling 31-3 to the Saints.
In Indianapolis, the Tennessee Titans put up 45 points on one of the stingiest defenses in the league. The combined 71 points blew past the 51.5 over/under total by 19.5 points.
The biggest miss of the week, however, belonged to the 23 points the Dolphins and the Jets managed against a line of 44 at America’s Bookie.
Tight Division Races
Half of the eight divisions still have two or more teams within a game of each other at the top. In the dismal NFC East, every team is within a game, with Washington and the Giants leading at 4-7. As bad as the Cowboys are playing, they’re still in contention at 3-8.
In the AFC South, the Titans took over first place by a game with their win over Indianapolis. The Bills and Dolphins are battling in the AFC East, with the Patriots looming three games off the pace.
With all of the drama and virus-related issues, Pittsburgh and Kansas City remain atop the Super Bowl futures. The Saints won their second consecutive game without Drew Brees, and the Packers rolled over the Bears. With five weeks left, there’s a good chance that will be your final four come January.
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