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NFL Betting Week 12: Remember the Titans

Yahoo fantasy football analyst Scott Pianowski reveals his weekly NFL betting ticket in his Throwing Darts column. Check out where he's putting his jelly beans for Week 12. All lines courtesy of our friends at BetMGM.

Titans +2.5 vs. Bengals

The line shows little respect for the Titans, but I’m ready to follow Mike Vrabel into a burning building. The Bengals might get Ja’Marr Chase back, they might not. Joe Mixon is out, not that he’s been much this year (one game excepted). The under-the-hood metrics show Cincinnati to be the slightly better team, but those numbers don't account for the starts Ryan Tannehill missed. Accounting for home field, I see no reason not to favor the Titans, who come in rested off the mini-bye.

Seahawks -3.5 vs. Raiders

I understand DVOA isn’t for everybody (personally, I'm a fan), but their power rankings have the Seahawks ranked eighth and the Raiders slotted 26th. Those positions feel correct to me. Seattle also has better coaching, is more rested off its bye and has a legitimate home-field advantage. Don’t overthink this one.

Geno Smith of Seattle Seahawks controls the ball during the NFL match

Broncos/Panthers Under 36

The totals keep shrinking on Denver games, not that it’s helped much — the over has cashed just once. The angle is the same as last week; so long as the teams don’t turn the ball over like crazy, both teams will play conservatively on offense and fiercely on defense. Look for a short game, where 17 points are probably enough to win. In that scenario, we land well under the 36.

Jets -6 vs. Bears

Mike White might play well and he might not, but the Jets had to get Zach Wilson out of the pilot’s chair. The savage Jets defense either gets to tee off on an injured Justin Fields or a backup quarterback. This game could be over at halftime; there should be an intensity bounce for New York now that Wilson is out of the way. There are no other excuses.

Steelers +2.5 at Colts

Mike Tomlin will get the Steelers to show up, we know that. Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris were improved last week, and George Pickens looks ready to have that second-half rookie bump (you might see the same from Treylon Burks, and Christian Watson is already taking off). The underdog can hang around.

Last Week: 3-1-1

Season: 34-18-3

Pianow's historical Throwing Darts record (only two losing seasons in 13 years) and 2022 weekly results are listed here.

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