Richard Graves makes his week 12 predictions against UK Steelers fan

Image: NFL Predictions week 12 sees Richard Graves go up against our Pittsburgh Steelers fan

Richard Graves made it two in a row when he successfully picked 10 winners from the week 11 fixtures.

Our Sky Sports News reporter, currently out in Dallas for the Cowboys' Thanksgiving match-up with the Washington Redskins, produced a 10-4 record which was enough to edge out @NFLGirlUK, who managed 9-5. Her bold prediction of the 49ers to beat the Patriots cost her the win, but propels Richard further towards a play-off berth.

For week 12, we have seven live games on Sky Sports, including Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions which is free to air on Pick TV. Trying to stop Richard getting to an even record in this bumper week is Pittsburgh Steelers fan Sam Rhodes. 

Richard's 2016 Results

Richard UK Fan Base Season Record
v Jaguars 10-6 11-5 0-1
v Bengals 10-6 7-9 1-1
v Redskins 5-11 9-7 1-2
v Raiders 8-7 8-7 1-2-1
v Vikings 9-5 10-4 1-3-1
v Eagles 9-6 9-6 1-3-2
v Patriots 8-7 7-8 2-3-2
v Bills 8-5 (OT loss) 8-5 (OT win) 2-4-2
v Giants 8-5 10-3 2-5-2
v Panthers 9-5 8-6 3-5-2
v Seahawks 10-4 9-5 4-5-2

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions, Thursday 5pm, Sky Sports 1 & Pick TV

Richard: A massive NFC North clash to kick off Thanksgiving Day and the winners will hold the outright lead in the division. 

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The Lions already have one win over the Vikings this season so this represents an opportunity to sweep their nearest rivals. The fact is, their record at home is a lot stronger than on the road this year - albeit including outlasting the beleaguered Jaguars last Sunday. 

The Vikings finally snapped a four-game losing streak with a win against the Arizona Cardinals, surprising many - including myself - and proving they've still got plenty of fight. No one doubts this team's strength lies in their defence and they will have to be at their stingy and opportunistic best to win in Detroit. In a tight, close encounter, the team with the best defence prevails. Vikings

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Sam: It felt like Minnesota turned a corner, after an incredibly rough patch saw them lose grip on the division. They are built on a good defence, and as Shaun Gayle always says, defence wins championships. Detroit have won a lot of close games this season but this one will go against them. Vikings

Image: Detroit Lions scored an overtime touchdown to win in week nine, can the Vikings level the record on Thanksgiving day?

Thanksgiving Day NFL on Sky

NFL is a key part of Thanksgiving and we have a triple header on Sky Sports this Thursday.

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys, Thursday 9pm, Sky Sports 1

Richard: This is the game of the week! Between them these teams have combined for 14 wins and just one defeat since their last meeting in week 2 - a game Dallas won but should have been Washington's!

The key to this one sounds simple but is proving much harder to achieve for NFL teams - stop Zeke Elliott running the ball! The Redskins run defence goes into this game ranked 22nd and although Rob Kelly has emerged as the Redskins' own running threat, the Cowboys defence is rated third against the run.

All time, the Cowboys lead this Thanksgiving day match-up 6-1, but it's worth remembering Washington got their only victory in last meeting, 38-31 back in 2012. Still, Dallas are on a nine-game winning streak and they'll make that 10 on Thursday. Cowboys

Image: Ezekiel Elliott broke the Cowboys' rookie rushing record on Sunday and shows no sign of slowing down

Sam: I'm going for Dallas all day long, unfortunately. Ezekiel Elliott is playing lights out, and the Redskins are still too inconsistent. I don't think this one will be close, the Cowboys proved they are the real deal when they held their nerve against Pittsburgh in week 10. Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts, Friday 1am, Sky Sports 1

Richard: If quarterback Andrew Luck doesn't clear the concussion protocol then this one's an obvious call. The Colts' fortunes go as Luck goes, and against this Steelers offence, if there's no Luck then there simply isn't enough fire power to live with Ben Roethlisberger and co. 

Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell had 201 scrimmage yards in last weekend's win over Cleveland - 146 on the ground. The Colts are 24th against the run, allowing 113.1 yards per game, and they could struggle with the power of Bell. 

Memories of last season's encounter will still be fresh in the mind, when the Steelers trounced Indianapolis 45-10 as Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes. The Steelers have now won three of the last four meetings between these two, and I expect them to add to that in the last of our Thanksgiving games. Steelers

Sam: The Steelers lead the AFC North again, albeit a weak division this year. Pittsburgh can take charge on Thursday night, and Luck's absence from the game means any chance they had is now gone. You could say Indianapolis are out of Luck... Steelers

Image: Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is unlikely to play on Thursday against the Steelers

Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons, Sunday 6pm, Sky Sports 2 

Richard: A huge game for these teams, with both coming off the back of defeats. The Cardinals are now in 'must-win' mode to keep pace with the wild card contenders - never mind the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks! The Falcons have had a bye week to reflect on a defeat, which has left the door ajar to their NFC South rivals. 

Arizona's highly-rated defence will relish the chance to go up against Atlanta's high-powered offence, pitting their wits against Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and co. Meanwhile the Cardinals' misfiring offence has got a point to prove with some now questioning if QB Carson Palmer has taken the team as far as he can go. 

Coming off the back of a morale crushing defeat to Minnesota - a game Arizona we're in a position to win - this is a tall order. Atlanta have had two weeks to prepare for this challenge and they just love playing at home in the dome. 

To win this game, the Cardinals have to put points on the board and force the Falcons to play from behind. On the evidence of what we've seen so far this season, that seems unlikely. Falcons

Sam: The Cardinals have been surprisingly poor this season, and no one seems able to put their finger on exactly why that is. If Ryan comes off the bye refreshed and playing like he did in the early part of the season, he should lead Atlanta to victory. Falcons 

Image: The Falcons come off their bye week, hoping to continue their push for the play-offs

Carolina Panthers @ Oakland Raiders, Sunday 9pm, Sky Sports 2

Richard: The Raiders enjoyed their foray into Mexico, returning in possession of the No 1 seed in the AFC, but it was more difficult than some may have anticipated against the Houston Texans and that raises questions about how they might handle the Carolina Panthers defence.

No QB has thrown more game tying or go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter since 2015 than Derek Carr but that raises question marks about how good this Oakland team really is. No one questions their offence but, despite improved play, there are still some concerns over the consistency of their defence.

In contrast, the Carolina Panthers have found this entire season a struggle. Despite winning against New Orleans, they still nearly contrived to blow a double digit lead last week, just days after squandering a 17-point lead to the Chiefs.

Image: Michael Crabtree #15 and Amari Cooper have led the Raiders' offence all season and the team now leads the AFC

Whichever way you dress this up, the 2016 Panthers are not the team which went all the way to Super Bowl 50 a season ago. Now they face the challenge of keeping wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper quiet on the road. 

The Raiders most disappointing performances have come at home this season but it's also where they took care of the defending Super Bowl champions in arguably their best performance of the year. They should have too much for the Panthers to handle. Raiders

Sam: The Raiders have been an entertaining team all season, and it feels as though Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack have really stepped up as leaders of the franchise. I think that the Panthers were a flash in the pan last year, and have been found out this campaign. Teams are being physical with Cam Newton, and he is clearly struggling to deal with it. Raiders

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos, Monday 1am, Sky Sports 1

Richard: A massive AFC West battle closes out Sunday's action as the Chiefs and the Broncos both find themselves playing catch up behind the Raiders. 

Kansas City suffered a shock defeat at home to the Buccaneers on Sunday, now they have to shrug that off and bounce back at Mile High. Meanwhile Denver have had a well-timed bye week to prepare for this challenge and that should mean cornerback Aqib Talib is fit to return to action, bolstering an already hugely impressive defence.

Kansas City's defence has been playing pretty week this season as well. Boosted by the return of linebacker Justin Houston, cornerback Marcus Peters is tied for the NFL lead with five interceptions and will be hunting for more against Trevor Siemian.

Image: Chiefs' corner Marcus Peters has five interceptions so far this season

Denver have won seven of their last eight games against the Chiefs but the Chiefs go into this match-up seeking their eighth win in a row against an AFC West rival. That being said, it's tough to play in the rarefied air at Mike High and in front of a national television audience on Sunday Night Football.....home advantage may well be the key. Broncos

Sam: Despite losing to the Bucs in week 11, Kansas City are tough to beat and have been consistently good for the last two years. The AFC West is so tight, this game could have huge play-off implications. Chiefs

Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles, Tuesday 1:15am, Sky Sports 1

Richard: All is not well in Green Bay. They've lost four in a row and conceded at least 31 points in each of those games. Last weekend they were thrashed by the Washington Redskins, now they are on the road again against another NFC East opponent. Factor into the equation that the Eagles defence is a different beast at home and this has all the makings of another tough night for the Packers. 

Philadelphia have already enjoyed impressive wins over the Steelers and Falcons at home this season - games in which their defence shut down Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan. The misfiring Packers would appear primed to become another scalp. 

On paper, Green Bay has the firepower to win this contest but their recent record is telling and their defence has proved incapable of stopping anyone. The Eagles are still in the play-off hunt and on home soil the odds appear to be in favour of them maintaining their challenge. Eagles

Sam: The Eagles should count themselves unlucky for currently ranking fourth in their division, despite some great performances and narrow defeats. The Packers have struggled to find form, but an upset here gives them one last attempt at a run for the post-season. Packers

Image: Richard believes the Eagles have enough to beat the out of form Packers, but Sam is hoping for an upset

Join us for all the Thanksgiving day action on Thursday November 24, live from 5pm, including the Vikings @ Lions on Pick TV. 

NFL Predictions - Week 12

Richard Sam
Vikings @ Lions Vikings Vikings
Redskins @ Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys
Steelers @ Colts Steelers Steelers
Cardinals @ Falcons Falcons Falcons
Rams @ Saints Saints Saints
Titans @ Bears Titans Titans
Giants @ Browns Giants Giants
Chargers @ Texans Chargers Chargers
Jaguars @ Bills Bills Bills
Bengals @ Ravens Ravens Ravens
49ers @ Dolphins Dolphins Dolphins
Seahawks @ Buccaneers Seahawks Seahawks
Patriots @ Jets Patriots Patriots
Panthers @ Raiders Raiders Raiders
Chiefs @ Broncos Broncos Chiefs
Packers @ Eagles Eagles Packers
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