NFL 2025: Week 12 Picks

It feels like the 2025-26 NFL season just kicked off, but we’re already well over halfway through the regular season schedule.

Leaders are emerging in each conference, but there’s still plenty of time for change in the standings as well.

In Week 12, the 5-5 Kansas City Chiefs will be desperate for a win at home, while the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts will be looking to keep pace with the AFC’s best teams. This Patrick Mahomes vs. Daniel Jones matchup will have a lot on the line for AFC playoff implications, and is my Sakmann Sports Game of the Week with a combined 13 wins between the two teams.

The Sunday Night Football matchup actually features even more wins between the two teams: Matthew Stafford and the 8-2 Los Angeles Rams, tied for first place in the NFC, will host Baker Mayfield and the 6-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers schedule has been an absolute gauntlet for weeks now, and unfortunately as the offense still battles injuries, Tampa Bay is a clear underdog against the team that just claimed the top spot in this week’s Power Rankings.

The week kicks off on Thursday Night Football, with the 7-3 Buffalo Bills taking on the 5-5 Houston Texans. Houston has been a tough out as of late, and Buffalo has hardly been a juggernaut on the road. Week 12 concludes with the 7-3 San Francisco 49ers hosting a surprising 6-5 Carolina Panthers team.

Read on for my 2025-26 NFL Week 12 Picks, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any picks, join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter/X, on Facebook, or by commenting directly on this post!

Picks Record

Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 10-5-1

Week 5: 5-9

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 11-5

Week 8: 10-3

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 11-3

Week 11: 11-4

Overall Record: 109-55-1 (66%)

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Thursday Night Football

Buffalo Bills (7-3) at Houston Texans (5-5): Bills win 24-17

Sunday Games

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) at Chicago Bears (7-3): Steelers win 17-16

New England Patriots (9-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-7): Patriots win 27-17

New York Giants (2-9) at Detroit Lions (6-4): Lions win 31-16

Minnesota Vikings (4-6) at Green Bay Packers (6-3-1): Packers win 24-16

Seattle Seahawks (7-3) at Tennessee Titans (1-9): Seahawks win 33-17

Sakmann Sports Game of the Week Indianapolis Colts (8-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-5): The Kansas City Chiefs have their backs against the wall after losing to the Denver Broncos in Week 11 to fall to 5-5. The AFC is crowded, and time is running out for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to start rattling off a win streak. The 8-2 Indianapolis Colts have the chance to cement themselves as one of the AFC’s top contenders, alongside the Broncos and Patriots, with a win here. No discredit to the Colts and NFL MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor here, but the Chiefs have been way better at home this season (4-1 record). Chiefs win 23-20

New York Jets (2-8) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5): Ravens win 26-13

Cleveland Browns (2-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-8): Raiders win 16-13

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7): Jaguars win 40-23

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1): Eagles win 26-18

Atlanta Falcons (3-7) at New Orleans Saints (2-8): Falcons win 30-27 in Overtime