There was a time when the only TNF games were the ones that took place on Thanksgiving Day.
The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys were the traditional hosts, but in 2006, the league decided to add a third game in prime time as part of an eight-game schedule on Thursday nights.
That expanded to 10 games in 2016 and 2017, and now week except for Week 18 has a Thursday night tilt, with each team participating in at least one.
NFL Betting Rundown on the 2024 Thursday Night Football Games | All TNF games at 8:15 pm ET
Having a midweek game adds challenges as far as preparing for another game four days after a Sunday showdown, but it also allows for a mini-bye week in the 10 days afterward.
Currently, Amazon Prime Video has the broadcast rights to Thursday contests, except for the one that starts the NFL regular season.
Let’s look at the 2024 schedule as you consider your NFL betting for the season.
Baltimore Ravens (+3) at Kansas City Chiefs (O/U 46.5) Week 1
This rematch of last season’s AFC Championship brings a new tailback to Baltimore, as Derrick Henry joined the Ravens in the off season.
The Chiefs added rookie Xavier Worthy to their wide receiver room, a wise choice given the suspension likely facing Rashee Rice.
The Chiefs lost the Thursday night opener at home to Detroit last year, and I expect the Ravens to come in with all the hunger and motivation here.
Ravens to cover.
^Buffalo Bills (+1) at Miami Dolphins (O/U 51) Week 2
The Dolphins still have their high-flying wide receiver duo in Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
The Bills still have dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen running the offense, but the departure of several key defensive starts, including Tre’Davious White, and the loss of their top two wide receivers mean that the Bills have some adjusting to do.
Dolphins to win and cover.
^New England Patriots (+7) at N.Y. Jets (O/U 42.5) Week 3
A quarterback duel between Drake Maye and Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to bode that well for Patriots fans.
The Jets also have the better defense, the better tailback (Breece Hall) and the more experienced head coach (Robert Saleh).
Jets to win and cover.
^Dallas Cowboys (-5) at N.Y. Giants (O/U 45.5) Week 4
While the Cowboys have two dangerous divisional opponents in Philadelphia and Washington, the never-ending rebuild in New York means that this should be a manageable game for the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott should be motivated to get things done in his contract year, and he’ll have plenty of chances since the Cowboys have a pair of retreads at tailback in Ezekiel Elliott and Royce Freeman.
Even so, the talent differential still favors Dallas here.
Cowboys to win and cover.
^Thursday Night Football Betting Guide NFL Lines to Win
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) at Atlanta Falcons (O/U 44) Week 5
Baker Mayfield vs Kirk Cousins makes for an interesting quarterback matchup. The Falcons have the better running game thanks to Bijan Robinson, but the Buccaneers have the better defense overall.
Buccaneers to cover.
^San Francisco 49ers (-5) at Seattle Seahawks (O/U 46.5) Week 6
Seattle is a tough road environment, particularly in prime time.
The 49ers will be traveling on a short week, which usually means a simpler offense and can lead to fewer points.
The 49ers’ defense should be able to deal with Geno Smith as the Seattle quarterback, but this will be more of a fight than the 49ers likely expected.
Seahawks to cover.
^Denver Broncos (+4) at New Orleans Saints (O/U 41.5) Week 7
There are several Thursday night games that don’t promise a lot of scintillating action, and this is one of them.
If you’re interested in Bo Nix’s progress as an NFL starter or in watching Derek Carr find ways to turn the ball over late, this game should provide at least one of them.
On the road, I don’t see Nix navigating a tricky Saints D.
Saints to win and cover.
^Minnesota Vikings (+4.5) at L.A. Rams (O/U 45.5) Week 8
Justin Jefferson is still with the Vikings.
By the midpoint of the season, I would imagine that J.J. McCarthy will have taken over the reins of the Minnesota offense and built some chemistry with his elite wideout.
Going on the road will be a challenge against a Rams defense that will still have a lot of fight despite losing Aaron Donald.
Also, the Vikings secondary will have a hard time stopping Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
Rams to win and cover.
^Thursday Night Football Betting Guide NFL Lines to Win
Houston Texans (+3) at N.Y. Jets (O/U 45) Week 9
This might be one of the best matchups on Thursday night this year (and is part of the Jets’ six-game prime-time tour in the first 11 weeks of the season).
C.J. Stroud had Stefon Diggs added to an already exciting wide receiver room, and I see this game going down to the wire.
Texans to cover.
^Cincinnati Bengals (+3.5) at Baltimore Ravens (O/U 46) Week 10
The AFC North should be one of the most interesting divisions in the league again.
Joe Burrow has been cleared for full contact, and along with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, Deshaun Watson (or Jameis Winston) in Cleveland, and Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, the quarterbacks in this division all bring intrigue.
The Bengals should push the Ravens hard for the division title this year, but winning at M&T Bank Stadium might be a tall order on a short week.
Ravens to win and cover.
^Washington Commanders (+7) at Philadelphia Eagles (O/U 45.5) Week 11
Under Ron Rivera, the Commanders pushed the Eagles hard several times over the last two seasons.
Will that trend continue under new head coach Dan Quinn?
The opportunistic Washington pass rush has lost some of its key contributors, but this rivalry game should still end up close.
Commanders to cover.
^Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) at Cleveland Browns (O/U 43.5) Week 12
It will be interesting to see what happens with Browns tailback Nick Chubb. He went down in Week 2 of last year, suffering an ugly knee injury in Pittsburgh.
It will also be interesting to see if Deshaun Watson can finally show the elite form he had in Houston.
We know that the Cleveland defense will be ironclad, which might be enough, depending on how much Russell Wilson still has in the tank.
Take the under.
^Thursday Night Football Betting Guide NFL Lines to Win
N.Y. Giants (+9.5) at Dallas Cowboys (O/U 45) Week 13
The Cowboys routed Washington last year on Thanksgiving Day, but that game was still very close late in the third quarter.
This is a fairly large point spread, but as we mentioned earlier (both Cowboys-Giants games are Thursday night specials), the talent differential here is considerable.
Expect the Cowboys’ offense to take charge.
Take the over.
^Green Bay Packers (+3) at Detroit Lions (O/U 48) Week 14
Jordan Love is making headlines right now because he seems to be holding out for an extension, but the Packers will pay him, and this will be old news by Week 14.
The Lions upgraded their secondary, so the only real question is whether Jared Goff has another strong season in him.
Lions to win and cover.
^L.A. Rams (+7) at San Francisco 49ers (O/U 47) Week 15
The Rams don’t have Aaron Donald harassing passers anymore, and while they do have both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua running routes, they also have a fairly immobile quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who will be facing a strong 49ers pass rush.
49ers to win and cover.
^Cleveland Browns (+4) at Cincinnati Bengals (O/U 44.5) Week 16
The Browns have both the offense and the defense to keep the point total low and force a grinding pace to this game.
The Bengals still have both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at receiver, so expect some fireworks from the passing game, but I’m not sure if there will be enough fireworks for the Bengals to cover.
Take the under.
^Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) at Chicago Bears (O/U 44) Week 17
I’m expecting a lot of apathy from the Seahawks by this point, while the Bears should be an exciting team with Caleb Williams running a high-octane offense.
Despite the fact that he’s just a rookie, I see Williams growing into the offense by this point of the season.
Bears to win and cover.
^Only 7 more Sundays until football. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/EYiM0Nels5
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 21, 2024
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