Thanksgiving NFL Picks | This special day schedule has featured the Detroit Lions since Franklin D. Roosevelt (the guy on the dime) was President of the United States.
That’s right – the tradition predates television. Back in 1934, team owner George A. Richards, well known for his marketing skills, decided to play on a Thursday to bring in more fans.
The Lions weren’t drawing in many fans in those days – it might be hard to believe, but MLB’s Detroit Tigers were the big sports scene in the Motor City.
Richards owned a radio station that was part of the NBC Blue Network, and the Lions’ game was broadcast on 94 stations across the United States that day.
Annual tradition of Lions on TV during Thanksgiving sparks curiosity among those familiar with team’s perpetual struggles, before Dan Campbell’s era, during holiday meal preparations.
In 1978, the Dallas Cowboys joined the day as general manager Tex Schramm, himself a marketing guru, quickly volunteered when the NFL was looking for a second volunteer to host a game. At the time, the Cowboys were regular contenders in the NFL.
In 2006, the NFL added a third prime-time showdown that would rotate among the teams. This year, Detroit plays Chicago in the early time slot.
The Cowboys play the Giants in the afternoon, followed by Miami playing Green Bay in prime time. If the first game disappoints, there will be a good night game to make up for it.
Thanksgiving NFL Picks, Week 13 lines | NFL 2024/25 Season
Read on to get our sports betting picks for each of these three matchups.
Thanksgiving NFL Picks Chicago Bears (+10.5) at Detroit Lions
When: Thursday, November 28, 12:30 pm ET, CBS
Thanksgiving NFL Pick: Lions to win and cover
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery scored three combined rushing touchdowns in the win over Indianapolis on Sunday. That made them the first tailback duo in league history with at least 10 rushing touchdowns apiece in consecutive campaigns. That’s also the 11th time both of them have scored in the same contest, including the postseason, which sets a record for any tailback pair in league history.
Tim Patrick
They’re clearly the top tandem in the NFL right now – so how far can they take the Lions? Wide receiver Tim Patrick emerged against the Colts with four catches for 55 yards, including a 27-yard reception to close the first quarter. Having another option in the offense makes Jared Goff’s life even easier. The only problem for Detroit came on pass defense. Cornerback Terrion Arnold (groin) stayed in Detroit, and the Lions missed him. Anthony Richardson found Michael Pittman Jr for a 30-yard completion and Alec Pierce for a 39-yarder. The Bears can be dangerous in the passing game as well.
Chicago scored 11 points in the last 22 seconds of regulation to send their game with Minnesota to overtime. Part of this was the fault of the Minnesota defense, which inexplicably let Bears quarterback Caleb Williams spend the fourth quarter running wild. Part of it was the fault of tight end Johnny Mundt, who let the onside kick clank off his foot, so the Bears could jump on it well before it had traveled ten yards. The switch to Thomas Brown as OC seems to have helped Williams as well – particularly against the blitz.
Against Minnesota, Williams was 9 of 12 for 128 yards and two scores against the blitz. Keenan Allen had a season-best nine receptions for 86 yards and a score, getting a team-best 15 targets. Special teams are an area of concern for the Bears (even after they recovered their onside kick) as Cairos Santos has had three field goal attempts blocked, the most in the NFL and the most for any Bears team since 2012.
^Thanksgiving NFL Picks N.Y. Giants (+4) at Dallas Cowboys
When: Thursday, November 28, 4:30 pm ET, FOX
Thanksgiving NFL Pick: Cowboys to win and cover
Should the Giants have benched and then waived quarterback Daniel Jones? Team captain Dexter Lawrence, and other players, said they thought Jones was still the top option at quarterback. Tommy DeVito had the unenviable assignment of starting – and he didn’t bring much energy as the Giants trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-0, at halftime of an eventual 30-7 loss. The fact that Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had all kinds of frustration to work out after a four-game losing streak (leading to a lot of trash-talking on Sunday) didn’t help, but DeVito was just 3 of 5 for 31 yards in the first half, taking three sacks.
Jermaine Eluemunor
Things got better as he ended up 21 of 31 for 189 yards, but the Buccaneers’ pass rush energy waned once the game got out of hand. Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor went down on the opening drive, leaving third-stringer Chris Hubbard tasked with stopping Evan Neal. Expect the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons to line up across from him a lot on Thursday if Eluemunor isn’t back. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the lack of energy from the New York defense coming out of a bye week. They allowed more than 400 yards of offense and didn’t sack Baker Mayfield once.
In 2022, Cooper Rush went 4-1 as the starter in relief of Dak Prescott. He beat the Giants that year, completing 67.7% of his passes. He looked solid once again this past week up in Washington, completing 78.5% of his passes and had two touchdown passes in the second half. The Cowboys-Giants game in New York earlier this season saw the Giants driving down the field with a chance to tie in the late minutes, but that had a lot to do with defensive energy from the G-men. If the defense doesn’t have any more motivation this week, that will be a sign that Giants coach Brian Daboll has lost the room – and he may see his job evaporate with another rout. Both of these teams usually get up for their meetings, but a duel between Tommy DeVito and Cooper Rush should easily go Rush’s way.
^Thanksgiving NFL Picks TNF Miami Dolphins (+3) at Green Bay Packers
When: Thursday, November 28, 8:00 pm ET, NBC
Thanksgiving NFL Pick: Packers to win and cover
Tua Tagovailoa
Here’s an interesting stat: Tagovailoa is 0-7 in games where the temperature is 40 degrees or below. That’s not surprising – the Dolphins tend to get shredded when they head north and play outdoors in the cold. Tagovailoa also threw three picks the last time he faced Green Bay. The Dolphins do have a stout run defense, but will it stay stout in the cold?
Or will Josh Jacobs run wild after the heated benches no longer keep the Dolphins warm past the fifth play of a Green Bay drive? Watch out for tight end Jonnu Smith, who has cold-weather cred from his time with New England. He has three scores in his last two games, and Green Bay allows the 13th most yards to tight ends with their passing defense.
Here are a few things to consider on the Green Bay side. Jacobs did run the ball 26 times for 103 yards and three scores against a surprisingly brittle San Francisco defense. However, he had to leave to get treatment for cramps. Romeo Doubs caught three balls for 54 yards but is now in the concussion protocol, which is extremely hard to clear in three days. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) and cornerback Jaire Alexander (hamstring) are also likely to stay on the shelf.
^Where the divisions stand after 12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/B14Yb5qxX0
— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2024
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