One part of the Detroit Lions’ history that this core of players hasn’t been able to overcome is Thanksgiving.
The Lions, currently 10-1 and the best team in the NFL, have not won on Thanksgiving since 2016. That includes an upset loss to the Green Bay Packers last season, during a season in which the Lions won their first division title since 1993.
It shouldn’t be a big surprise that the Lions haven’t been great on Thanksgiving. Their record is 37-45-2. The other team that is a permanent host on Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys, has a 33-22-1 record on Thanksgiving.
Here’s a look at Week 13 of the NFL season, including all three Thanksgiving games, from a betting perspective with all odds from BetMGM:
Thanksgiving opener: Lions are big favorites
For the first time, the Lions go into their Thanksgiving game as the favorite to win the Super Bowl. And as such, this is the first time in a long time the Lions have been a big favorite on Thanksgiving. Detroit is a 9.5-point favorite over the Chicago Bears. The Lions haven’t been that big of a favorite on Thanksgiving since 1968, when they were favored by 12 against the Eagles, according to Action Network. The Bears have played well since firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, barely losing to the Packers and Vikings the last two weeks, but the Lions have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games.
Thanksgiving in Dallas: A bad Giants-Cowboys matchup
Maybe the middle game will at least be competitive. The Cowboys are 3.5-point favorites over the New York Giants in a game between teams with a combined 6-16 record. The Giants would go with Tommy DeVito at quarterback, but he’s questionable with a forearm injury. That might mean they turn to Drew Lock. That actually could make the Giants more competitive, since Lock is the better quarterback even though the Giants bypassed him for DeVito after cutting Daniel Jones. If DeVito plays, Cowboys -3.5 becomes more enticing. Dallas did play well last week in a win over the Washington Commanders, with Cooper Rush having a second straight solid start. It has been a long time since the Giants looked good, and DeVito wouldn’t help much.
Thanksgiving nightcap: Dolphins-Packers should be fun
By Green Bay standards, the weather for Thanksgiving won’t be too bad. The forecast is a high of 33 degrees with a low of 22 and 0% chance of precipitation. But for the Miami Dolphins, that will be pretty cold. The Dolphins’ issues in cold weather are well documented, but they can’t afford to get frozen out at Lambeau Field. The Dolphins are 5-6 and still in the playoff hunt, but they can’t afford many more losses. They have been playing well, with Tua Tagovailoa on a hot streak. The Dolphins are a 3.5-point favorite, and they can keep it close.
Black Friday: Chiefs favored big over Raiders
Everyone who pays attention to the NFL knows by now that the Chiefs win just about every game, and the games are always close. That will be tested on Friday. The Las Vegas Raiders are a poor football team with a quarterback conundrum. They should be getting Aidan O’Connell back, but if he can’t go then Desmond Ridder will fill in for the injured Gardner Minshew II. The Chiefs are a huge 13-point favorite. The Raiders won at Kansas City straight up last Christmas, but the Chiefs have lost just once since. The Chiefs have been a dominant team in this era but not against the spread; with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, Kansas City is just 11-15-2 against the spread as a double-digit favorite. The Chiefs have won just two games by double digits all season and haven’t won by more than 13 points all season. But it’s scary to take this Raiders team, which has lost seven straight.
Interesting underdog: Eagles are getting points?
There’s an argument to be made that the Philadelphia Eagles are currently the best team in the NFL, even better than the Lions. At worst, they’re in the top three or four. Yet, they’re a 3-point underdog at the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are a very good team as well with Lamar Jackson again playing at an MVP level. But the Eagles have won seven in a row and four of those wins have been by double digits. It’s hard to give points to the Eagles, even with a team as good as the Ravens.
Sunday night: 49ers try to stay alive
If you’re taking the San Francisco 49ers, you’re buying them at their lowest point. There’s not a lot of faith in the 49ers after they got blown out last week by the Packers. And San Francisco is still dealing with injuries, though perhaps quarterback Brock Purdy will return. That would be big, and makes the 49ers a little more palatable as a 7-point underdog at the Buffalo Bills. It is shocking the 49ers are a 7-point underdog to anyone this season, but nobody expected them to be 5-6 heading into December. If there’s any life left in the 49ers, we should see it on Sunday night.
Monday night: Broncos push toward the playoffs
The Denver Broncos have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. They’re 7-5 and looking good for a playoff spot. They don’t want teams like the Bengals or Dolphins gaining hope in the race, so games like Monday night are big. The Broncos are a 5.5-point favorite. The Browns have a little extra rest after winning last Thursday, but haven’t been a good road team this season. Denver clearly is the team that needs this game more.