NFL Week 12 Top Matchups: Odds for Saints-Rams, Jaguars-Cardinals
The New Orleans Saints (8-2) were underdogs in each of their first three games of the season and lost the first two before reeling off eight consecutive wins. In Week 12, the Saints will visit the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) on Sunday in what could be an early playoff preview if both teams end up winning their divisions and making the postseason.
The Rams are coming off a loss to another division leader last week and are hoping to bounce back as 2.5-point home favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Los Angeles was stymied offensively in a 24-7 road loss to the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, getting blanked 24-0 after Todd Gurley scored the first touchdown of the game with 10:42 left in the first quarter to end the team’s four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, New Orleans had to battle back from a 31-16 deficit with 5:58 remaining to defeat the Washington Redskins 34-31 in overtime at home.
The Rams will be playing the Saints for the first time since moving to Los Angeles last year and won three of the past four meetings straight up in St. Louis, going 4-0 against the spread.
Overall, New Orleans has failed to cover five of the previous seven matchups, according to the OddsShark NFL Database. However, the Saints have gone 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 road games, and the Rams have dropped eight of 10 at home SU.
Another intriguing matchup will take place in Arizona on Sunday when the struggling Cardinals (4-6) host the streaking Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3) as 4.5-point home underdogs on the NFL Week 12 odds.
Arizona is coming off a 31-21 road loss to the Houston Texans last week despite former Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s three touchdowns. Gabbert is expected to get the start again versus his old team, which has won four in a row and will be playing back-to-back road games for the second time this season.
The last time the Jaguars played two straight games away from home, they lost to the New York Jets 23-20 in overtime in Week 3 as four-point favorites and then upset the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-9 as 7.5-point dogs in Week 4.
The visitor in this series against the Cardinals has won the past three meetings both SU and ATS, although Arizona has covered 10 of 11 after suffering consecutive losses. Jacksonville is also 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games against NFC West teams, including a 27-17 home loss to Los Angeles in Week 6, the team’s last setback. The Jaguars have dropped 44 of 55 SU on the road as well.
