Bing Predicts NFL Week 12

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions

Game time: Thursday, Nov. 22, 12:30 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Chicago Bears lead series 98-74-5

The Chicago Bears look like the team to beat in the NFC North, especially after their convincing 25-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, which was not as close as the score suggests. The Bears were lifted by the dominant play of their defense. Khalil Mack has been unstoppable since the Bears acquired him from the Raiders before the start of the season—the All Pro pass rusher was responsible for a sack, two tackles for losses, and a fumble recovery in the game.

They are on especially short rest after their Sunday night game when they’ll travel to Detroit to take on the Lions for the early Thanksgiving showdown. The Lions, with a few exceptions, have hosted a Thanksgiving Day matchup every year since 1934. They’ll have their hands full this time around as the Bears are one of the hottest teams in football. Chicago has won four straight, and is in the NFC North driver’s seat.

Detroit had a big 20-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers last week after preventing a two-point try. They could be without their young running back Kerryon Johnson, though, who burst onto the scene this season. Johnson left Sunday’s game with a knee injury and was not able to return.

These two met in Week 9, and Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky had a career day with three touchdowns and 355 yards through the air in a 34-22 victory.

Bing Predicts Winner: Chicago Bears (67% chance)

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Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys

Game time: Thursday, Nov. 22, 4:30 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Dallas Cowboys lead series 70-45-2

The Dallas Cowboys have a chance to make a serious move in the NFC East on Thursday when they battle the division-leading Washington Redskins. Dallas can move into a first-place tie with the Redskins with a Thanksgiving victory, and they’ll be favored to do so after Washington lost their starting quarterback to a broken leg.

Alex Smith’s season is over after the veteran quarterback had his fibula and tibia broken, and the team will now turn to Colt McCoy as their signal caller. Washington was scrambling to find a backup quarterback, as McCoy and Smith were the only two QBs on the roster entering Sunday, and eventually signed Mark Sanchez.

The Cowboys may have been favored in this game regardless—they’ve won two-straight games and are playing well despite rumors of head coach Jason Garrett’s job security being called into question. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was marvelous Sunday, he finished with 201 yards from scrimmage.

This game is paramount for both teams in a fight to keep their seasons alive—Dallas hopes to stay hot while Washington tries to find its identity without Smith.

Bing Predicts Winner: Dallas Cowboys (74% chance)

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Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

Game time: Thursday, Nov. 22, 8:20 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Atlanta Falcons lead series 52-47

The Atlanta Falcons' season is hanging on by a thread. Their last-second loss to the Cowboys on Sunday means that Atlanta is now 4-6 and could need to win out if they want a chance at the playoffs. Only 12 of the 163 teams that have started 4-6 since 1990 have earned a postseason berth.

One major problem for the faltering Falcons ... they travel to New Orleans on short rest to play the team, which appears to be the best in football. The Saints have won nine-consecutive games and are dominating everyone in their path. Their 37.8 points-per-game ranks #1 in the league, they've scored over 40 points six different times this season (tying an NFL record), and are the fourth team in NFL history with 45-plus points in three-straight games.

Atlanta has the firepower to keep up with the Saints on offense—quarterback Matt Ryan is third in the league in passing yards, and wide receiver Julio Jones leads the league in receiving yards. No defense has come close to stopping the Saints, though, especially over the last three weeks, and the Falcons are fourth worst in yards surrendered per game. The Falcons lost a Week 3 overtime thriller in Atlanta 43-37.

Bing Predicts Winner: New Orleans Saints (77% chance)

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New England Patriots @ New York Jets

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: New England Patriots lead series 63-54-1

The Patriots are coming off of a bye week and some reflection time after a 34-10 Week 10 loss to the Titans. The bye came at a good time for New England, who has gotten banged up over the last several weeks. The team hopes for the return of star tight end Rob Gronkowski this week—he has been battling a lingering back injury.

The Pats look to bounce back against the New York Jets who have proven to be one of the worst teams in football this season. The Jets also enter Week 12 off of a bye week, and could use anything positive after their embarrassing 41-10 loss to Buffalo and Matt Barkley, who had been out of football mere weeks ago. Head coach Todd Bowles will be coaching to save his job the rest of the season, and it may already be too late for the fourth-year coach.

This AFC East rivalry has been lopsided for a while—New England has won the last four matchups, and 12 of the last 14. Expect a healthier Patriots team to add another to their win column.

Bing Predicts Winner: New England Patriots (69% chance)

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Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Series tied 8-8

Good luck pinpointing a team (maybe the Eagles) that has fallen further below expectations than the Jacksonville Jaguars this season. The Jags have lost six-consecutive games and are out of the playoff hunt a year removed from their near trip to the Super Bowl. Their loss to the Steelers on Sunday came in particularly heartbreaking fashion—the Jaguars held the Steelers scoreless in the first half, and led by 16 in the second half before surrendering 20 unanswered points capped by a Ben Roethlisberger touchdown run.

Buffalo is a good team to face if you’re looking to end a losing streak, but the Bills are coming off of a big 41-10 victory last week over the reeling Jets. After struggling to find a serviceable backup, in comes Matt Barkley—the journeyman QB was out of football a few weeks ago, but showed little rust in his 15-of-25, 232-yard, and two-touchdown performance.

Rookie starting quarterback Josh Allen may return from injury this week, but whoever is under center will have to deal with All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who had two interceptions against the Steelers.    

Miraculously, both of these teams made the playoffs last season. It’s safe to say that will not be the case in in 2018.

Bing Predicts Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars (53% chance)

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New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: New York Giants lead series 85-84-2

It has been tough sledding for the defending Super Bowl champs this year. Ravaged by injury, the Eagles are two games below .500 with just six games left in the season. Philadelphia was completely dismantled by the Saints last week 48-7—the 41 point margin is the largest loss for a defending Super Bowl champion in league history.

The NFC East remains anyone’s race as only three games separate all four teams. That means that, although unlikely, the New York Giants still have a chance to win the division. They’ve strung together two straight wins, but would need a win against the Eagles to keep realistic hopes alive. The team rode rookie running back Saquon Barkley and his career-high 142 yards rushing and three total touchdowns last week in their 38-35 victory over the Buccaneers.

The Eagles won easily when these two faced off in October and desperately need another victory over their division rivals. Philadelphia is looking up at the Redskins and the Cowboys in the NFC East, and has a rough schedule down the stretch that includes the Rams and the Texans.

Bing Predicts Winner: Philadelphia Eagles (70% chance)

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San Francisco 49ers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: San Francisco 49ers lead series 17-6

There is nothing at stake in this game for either of these two underperforming squads other than next year’s draft position. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have swapped starting quarterbacks more times than any team should throughout the course of the season. It will be Jameis Winston who gets the start this week after Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched in Week 11 after throwing three interceptions. Winston helped bring the game within three points after the Bucs trailed by 17, but would go on to lose 38-35. This will be Winston’s fourth start of the season.

The San Francisco 49ers will go with Nick Mullens over C.J. Beathard again this week despite the young QB looking much more human in his second start after his historic debut the week prior. Mullens was 27-of-39 with 250 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in a 27-23 loss to the Giants. The Niners are coming off of a bye week, but it’s an early wake up for the California team who will kickoff in Tampa Bay at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST).

Bing Predicts Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (57% chance)

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Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Baltimore Ravens lead series 8-3

Could the Lamar Jackson era be upon us in Baltimore? The rookie quarterback started in place of the injured Joe Flacco and rushed the ball an astounding 27 times for 117 yards. He is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to record 100 or more rushing yards in his first career start. Baltimore is back to .500 after a 24-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and right in the mix of the AFC playoff race. Whether or not the team remains with Jackson as the starter will be more clear in the coming weeks, but Flacco is unlikely to go next week, so Jackson should get the nod again.

The Raiders may be one of the worst teams in football, but they were better than the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Jon Gruden earned his second victory of the season in his second stint as head coach of the Raiders. It has been tumultuous in Oakland so far, and that showed on the sideline in a heated discussion between Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr. Both insist that 'everything's good' between the two, but that is certainly not the case for the team as a whole, even after Sunday's 23-21 victory.

Baltimore is the heavy favorite when they welcome in the Raiders making the trip from the West Coast.

Bing Predicts Winner: Baltimore Ravens (80% chance)

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Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Cincinnati Bengals lead series 50-39

After a strong start to the season, Cincinnati has lost four of its last five games, and dropped a crucial divisional matchup with Baltimore last week, 24-21. The Bengals have really missed All Pro receiver A.J. Green, who has been sidelined with a toe injury since he left the game late in a Week 8 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to reports that surfaced after Sunday’s game, Green has a ‘good chance’ of taking the field when the Browns make the cross-state trip to Cincinnati.

Cleveland was victorious its last time out, and is off a bye this week. After firing former head coach Hue Jackson, who earned only three victories in his two-plus years at the helm, the Bengals hired Jackson as a special assistant to the head coach. This is Jackson’s third stint with the Bengals.

Cincinnati won the last seven games in this AFC North rivalry, and a victory on Sunday would go a long way in bolstering the Bengals’ playoff chances—five teams, the Bengals included, sit tied for the sixth Wild Card spot.

Bing Predicts Winner: Cincinnati Bengals (45% chance)

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Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Seattle Seahawks lead series 8-4

These two teams are both in the midst of Wild Card pushes. Carolina currently holds the top Wild Card position while Seattle improved its chances of sneaking in after an important 27-24 victory over Green Bay last Thursday night. Russell Wilson threw for 225 yards including a fourth quarter touchdown pass to Ed Dickson to take the lead over the Packers and secure the victory.

The Panthers could have tied last week’s game with a converted PAT, but head coach Riverboat Ron Rivera took a huge gamble and elected to go for two and the win. A Cam Newton pass to Jarius Wright was overthrown, and the Panthers would go on to lose 20-19. While the NFC South is firmly controlled by the New Orleans Saints, Carolina does play the Saints two times in the final three weeks of the season. A win this week could keep hopes of a division title alive while a loss could mean a tough road to the playoffs.

This game is more important for the livelihood of the Seahawks, who are currently outside of the playoff picture. Bad news for Seattle is that Carolina is 5-0 at home.

Bing Predicts Winner: Carolina Panthers (53% chance)

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Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Chargers

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 4:05 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Los Angeles Chargers lead series 9-4

The Los Angeles Chargers saw their six-game winning streak snapped last week against the Denver Broncos. Case Keenum led a seven-play, 76-yard drive with under two minutes in the game to set up a 34-yard field goal that kicker Brandon McManus converted. The Chargers had costly miscues in the game: 14 penalties, two interceptions, and a missed extra point from Mike Badgley, which ended up being the difference in the game.

There is not much good to say about the Cardinals this season. Their only two wins of the season came against the struggling 49ers, they rank last in the NFL in yards-per-game, and second-last in points-per-game.

The Chargers remain in great shape to make the playoffs, but a win over the hapless Cardinals would give them a little breathing room. Expect L.A. to move to eight wins and strengthen their position in the top Wild Card Spot. After the Chiefs’ loss to the Rams on Monday night, the AFC West title isn’t out of the question, either.

Bing Predicts Winner: Los Angeles Chargers (77% chance)

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Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 4:25 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Miami Dolphins lead series 47-26

The winner of this contest will help clear up the current AFC playoff logjam. Five teams are tied for the sixth Wild Card spot, and the Dolphins and Colts are two of those teams.

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts are as hot as any offense in the league over the last four games. Last week, they dismantled the Tennessee Titans and their top-ranked scoring defense in a 38-10 victory. During their four-game winning streak, the Colts are averaging 36.5 points-per-game; Luck has thrown 13 touchdowns and only one interception, and is completing 74% of his passes. The offensive line has been brilliant—Luck hasn’t been sacked once in the last five games and has been sacked only 10 times this season (#2 in the NFL).

It’s possible Miami could get starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill back as early as this week versus the Colts. He’s missed the last five games with a right shoulder injury—Brock Osweiler is 2-3 as a starter in his absence. The Dolphins enter Sunday’s matchup off of their much-needed bye week—injuries have plagued the team all season long.

Miami will need production from its offense, which hasn’t scored since October 25, in order to keep up with the Colts who are heavily favored.

Bing Predicts Winner: Indianapolis Colts (72% chance)

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Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 4:25 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Denver Broncos lead the series 19-11-1

It took 20 unanswered points and a Ben Roethlisberger rushing touchdown in the final seconds, but the Steelers extended their winning streak to six games and strengthened their hold of the AFC North after a 20-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger and the offense were "terrible" in his own words—the veteran QB threw three interceptions. The victory showed Pittsburgh can find ugly ways to win, which is a good sign for a team with aspirations of a deep run in January.

The Broncos entered Sunday's game against the Chargers having lost six of their last seven and with a bleak look at the postseason. The 23-22 victory over L.A. keeps their slim playoff hopes alive. Case Keenum orchestrated a game-winning two-minute drive that went 76 yards and resulted in a 34-yard game-winning field goal by Brandon McManus.

The Broncos have another incredibly tough task in Week 12 when they'll try to end a six-game winning streak for the second week in a row. These teams haven't played one another since the Broncos defeated the Steelers in the playoffs in 2016, the same season Denver won Super Bowl 50.

Bing Predicts Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers (64% chance)

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Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

Game time: Sunday, Nov. 25, 8:20 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Green Bay Packers lead series 60-53-3

This game has major playoff implications as both teams fight to keep their seasons alive. The Vikings and the Packers suffered tough losses last week, dropping Green Bay further out of the playoff picture, and Minnesota to a half-game lead over the Cowboys and the Seahawks for the sixth Wild Card spot.

Seattle’s come-from-behind victory was a huge blow for the Packers, who now sit below .500. Playing in Seattle has been bizarre more than anything else over the past several years, so it’s no surprise that a game that looked to be dominated by the Packers ended up resulting in a loss. Four different players left and did not return on Thursday night, but the Packers hope the extra rest between games will be enough to get back a few members of their injured roster.

A win over the Bears on Sunday night would have meant first place in the NFC North for the Vikings. Now, a loss to the Packers could drop them out of the playoffs altogether with five games to make up ground. When these two played in Week 2, the end result was a tie, meaning the winner on Sunday night will hold what could be a significant tiebreaker as the regular seasons plays out.

Bing Predicts Winner: Minnesota Vikings (66% chance)

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Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans

Game time: Monday, Nov. 26, 8:15 p.m. EST

Historical matchup: Tennessee Titans lead series 18-15

Many were ready to write the Houston Texans off after their 0-3 start to the season, but a victory at home against the Titans would be the longest winning streak in NFL history for a team who lost its first three games of the season. Houston found a way to win, albeit in ugly fashion, over the Redskins on Sunday, 23-21. The Texans continue to fly under the radar, but are a serious playoff threat in the AFC. They currently hold a two-game lead in the AFC South, and are contenders for a top-two seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Their divisional foe, Tennessee, has looked brilliant some weeks—like the Week 11 beatdown of the Patriots, 34-10. Other times, like last week in a 38-10 blowout delivered by the Colts, not so much. This inconsistency is not a good sign for the playoff-hopefuls, and a loss to Houston would drop them out of a tie for the sixth Wild Card spot in the AFC.

Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota left Sunday’s game against the Colts with a stinger in his throwing elbow, but was cleared to leave the hospital and is hopeful to start on Monday night. If he can go, he should expect to see pressure from all over the field—Houston had five different players record sacks last week.  

Bing Predicts Winner: Houston Texans (64% chance)

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