Thanksgiving and NFL football, it’s about as American as you can get. Football and Thanksgiving have gone hand-in-hand for about a century now, as the Detroit Lions‘ tradition of playing on this special Thursday started in 1934, while the Dallas Cowboys started 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 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 28 (with a game on CBS), and rolling through the night with the last kickoff scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. Below, we will break down the three Thanksgiving matchups that will come in 2024.
12:30 p.m. ET on CBS, stream on Paramount+
Spread: Lions -10.5, O/U 48.5 via BetMGM Sportsbook
The Lions once again get a division rival on Thanksgiving, as they will host Caleb Williams and the Bears. Chicago started off the season 4-2, but has now lost four straight games. It led to the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but that in itself hasn’t been enough to spark the offense just yet.
The Lions are arguably the best team in the NFL, as they average a league-leading 33.6 points per game, and a third-best 394.7 total yards per game. Detroit has weapons all 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.
The Lions are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving, and were actually upset by the rival Green Bay Packers last year, as Jordan Love threw three touchdowns.
Last time these two teams played: Bears 28, Lions 13, Week 14 (2023) – Justin Fields and the Bears upset the Lions in Chicago, as Goff turned the ball over three times while the Lions failed to score a single point in the second half.
4:30 p.m. ET on Fox, stream on fubo
Spread: Cowboys -4, O/U 39 via DraftKings Sportsbook
Just like last year, “America’s Team” will host a division rival at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving. However, instead of the Washington Commanders, it’s the New York Football Giants this time around. 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 get Cooper Rush vs. Tommy DeVito.
DeVito’s first NFL start actually came against Dallas. He threw for 86 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Week 10 49-17 loss last year. The Cowboys out-scored the Giants, 89-17, in 2023, and already have a win against them this season. Even if this matchup is missing a couple of the more notable players, it’s still a rivalry nonetheless.
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 worst rushing defenses in the league. New York failed to find the end zone, as all 15 points came via the leg of Greg Joseph.
8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, stream on fubo
Spread: Packers -3, O/U 47.5 via Caesars Sportsbook
Our Thanksgiving nightcap takes place in Green Bay, as the Packers will host the Dolphins. This matchup features two young quarterbacks who got paid this offseason in Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa. Both are also looking to rebound 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 in the playoff race, and even scored a season-high 34 points this past week against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Packers’ 7-3 start is their best 10-game start to a season since 2021, but they haven’t yet looked like the Super Bowl sleeper many envisioned they would be. This is another opportunity on a national stage to create some momentum. Green Bay went 6-2 to finish out 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 to Aaron Rodgers, as Tagovailoa threw three interceptions on the Dolphins’ final three possessions. He entered concussion protocol the next day.
