NFL Week 12 odds: ‘Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda’ parlay; five bets that would’ve won big

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

NFL Week 12 odds are a memory, but the typical Monday morning quarterback conversations continue. So we at FOX Sports will offer some Tuesday morning quarterbacking for the sports betting crowd.

Throughout the season, the public betting masses love wagering on parlays. And we get it. Betting a little to win a lot is appealing, like the lottery, or in this instance, perhaps a mini-lottery.

However, remember this, too: Parlays are a bookmaker’s best friend. That’s how they really make their money.

That being said, what if I told you that betting $10 on: the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and a former Heisman winner to score first, a first round pick who once finished third in the country in receiving yards to score first, a favorite to cover a three-point spread at home, an 8-2 team to win straight up against a 4-6 team, and a game involving Christian McCaffrey and Josh Jacobs to go over 44.5 points would profit you almost $4,300?

In Week 12, it would have. With that in mind, here’s this week’s edition of …

Woulda Coulda Shoulda

The following five-leg parlay in DraftKings Sportsbook’s Week 12 NFL odds would’ve done just that:

Jayden Daniels +600 to score the first touchdown in the Commanders–Cowboys game
Jaxon Smith-Njigba +950 to score first TD in the Seahawks–Cardinals game
Eagles -3 (-110) vs. Rams
Vikings moneyline -162 vs. Bears
49ers–Packers Over 44.5 total points

It took until well into the second quarter for the Dallas-Washington game to see a touchdown. But it was indeed Commanders rookie quarterback Daniels who scored it, on a 17-yard run.

Seahawks wideout Smith-Njigba found paydirt late in the first quarter, for the first touchdown of the Seahawks-Cards game.

Eagles vs. Rams was a very well-bet Sunday night showdown, with the public betting masses high on Philadelphia to cover as 3-point road favorites. The Eagles rolled to a 37-20 victory.

Minnesota moneyline was the biggest sweat of this hypothetical five-leg parlay. The Vikings led 27-16 after a field goal with just 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Chicago stunningly scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick and got a field goal as time expired to tie it at 27 and force overtime.

Minnesota won 30-27 on a field goal late in OT.

The San Francisco-Green Bay total pushed the limit a bit. The Packers got a touchdown with 4:14 remaining, which accounted for the final score, 38-10, and hit the Over.

Add it all up, and you’ve got lengthy odds of +42855 – almost 429/1. So that 10-dollar bill turns in a healthy profit of $4,285.54.

To reiterate, there’s a reason odds are so long on these types of bets. And bookmakers want nothing more than for you to add more and more legs to your parlay tickets.

So buyer beware, and wager accordingly. If you’re just taking a weekly flier with 10 or 20 bucks of disposable income, then that’s all well and good. If you’re looking for a parlay winner to pay the rent, well, that’s not good. Keep it reasonable!

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.