Thanksgiving and NFL football, it’s as American as it gets. Football and Thanksgiving have gone hand in hand for about a century, as the Detroit Lions’ tradition of playing on this special Thursday began in 1934, while the Dallas Cowboys began their Thanksgiving tradition in 1966, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This year, we once again have a Turkey Day tripleheader, starting at 12:30 pm ET on Thursday, November 28 (with one game on CBS) and continuing all night with the final kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm Eastern Time. Below, we’ll break down the three Thanksgiving matchups happening in 2024.
12:30 pm ET on CBS, streaming on Paramount+
Spread: Lions -10.5, O/U 48.5 via BetMGM Sports Betting
The Lions have a division rival again on Thanksgiving Day, as they host Caleb Williams and the Bears. Chicago started the season 4-2, but has now lost four straight games. This led to the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but that in itself hasn’t been enough to spark the offense yet.
The Lions are arguably the best team in the NFL, averaging a league-leading 33.6 points per game and third-best 394.7 total yards per game. Detroit has weapons across the board with Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, which has made life easier for Jared Goff, who is completing a career-high 73% of his passes. of his career.
The Lions are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving and were actually upset by the rival Green Bay Packers last year when Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns.
Last time these two teams played: Bears 28, Lions 13, Week 14 (2023) – Justin Fields and the Bears stunned the Lions in Chicago, as Goff fumbled three times as the Lions failed to score a single point in the second half.
4:30 p.m. ET on Fox, streaming on fubo
Spread: Jeans -4, O/U 39 track DraftKings Sports Betting
Just like last year, “America’s Team” will host a division rival at 4:30 pm ET on Thanksgiving Day. However, instead of the Washington Commanders, this time it’s the New York Football Giants. It won’t be Dak Prescott vs. Daniel Jones, as the former suffered a season-ending hamstring injury earlier this month, while the latter was benched. This time, we have Cooper Rush against Tommy DeVito.
DeVito’s first NFL start was against Dallas. He threw for 86 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 49-17 Week 10 loss last year. The Cowboys outscored the Giants, 89-17, in 2023, and already have one win against them this season. Even if this matchup is missing a couple of the most notable players, it’s still a rivalry.
Last time these two teams played: Cowboys 20, Giants 15, Week 4 (2024) – A “Thursday Night Football” matchup where the Giants rushed for just 26 yards against one of the league’s worst run defenses. New York couldn’t find the end zone, as all 15 points came thanks to the leg of Greg Joseph.
8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming on fubo
Spread: Packers -3, O/U 47.5 via Caesars Sportsbook
Our Thanksgiving Cup will take place in Green Bay as the Packers host the Dolphins. This matchup features two young quarterbacks who were paid this offseason: Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa. Both are also looking to bounce back after missing time due to injury earlier in the season. Love missed two games after spraining his MCL in the season opener, while Tagovailoa missed four games after suffering a concussion in Week 2.
Miami has now won two straight games to get back into the playoff race, and even scored a season-high 34 points last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Packers’ 7-3 start is their best 10-game start to a season since 2021, but they still haven’t looked like the Super Bowl sleeper many imagined they would be. This is another national opportunity to build some momentum. Green Bay went 6-2 to finish the season last year. Can the Packers do something similar this season?
Last time these two teams played: Packers 26, Dolphins 20, Week 16 (Christmas Day 2022) – Miami blew a 20-13 halftime lead against Aaron Rodgers when Tagovailoa threw three interceptions on the Dolphins’ final three possessions. He entered concussion protocol the next day.
