One of the most exciting days of the 2021 NFL season’s calendar is here. Thursday marks Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which means there are three matchups on today’s slate of games.
The Chicago Bears will take on the Detroit Lions in the first game at 12:30 p.m. EST. Then, the Las Vegas Raiders will visit AT&T Stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. EST. Finally, the day will conclude with an inter-conference matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills at 8:20 p.m. EST.
With some much football action set for Thanksgiving, it can be tough to digest everything (pun intended). Fortunately, BetOnline has the latest betting odds heading into each contest to help make sense of things.
Here’s a look at the odds for each of Thursday’s NFL games.
NFL Thanksgiving Game: Bears vs Lions Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, November 25
- Chicago Bears (3-7) vs Detroit Lions (0-9-1)
- Time: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Bears (-145) vs Lions (+125)
- Spread: Bears -3.0 (+100) vs Lions +3.0 (-120)
- Total: 41.0 — Over (-115), Under (-105)
- Head-to-Head: Bears are 6-4 against the Lions in their last 10 games.
A pair of underperforming teams will meet in the first Thanksgiving matchup of the year. For the Bears, it’s been an interesting week. Just a few days ago some experts reported that head coach Matt Nagy was set to be fired after Thursday’s matchup. Nagy himself has since refuted those claims, however, you have to figure any coach losing to the winless Lions could be in trouble. Regardless, veteran QB Andy Dalton will once again be under center as Justin Fields deals with cracked ribs.
The Lions will be getting a Thanksgiving gift with Jared Goff returning as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. Tim Boyle looked far from adequate last week, so getting the veteran signal-caller back in the fold should provide a boost. Even though there hasn’t been much to cheer about for Lions fans this season, the Bears are an extremely beatable team after losing each of their last five games. If there was ever a time for Detroit to give its fanbase something to be thankful for, it could happen this afternoon.
NFL Odds: Raiders vs Cowboys
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, November 25
- Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) vs Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
- Time: 4:30 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Raiders (+280) vs Cowboys (-350)
- Spread: Raiders +7.5 (-107) vs Cowboys -7.5 (-113)
- Total: 51.5 — Over (-105), Under (-115)
- Head-to-Head: Cowboys are 4-3 against the Raiders in their last seven games.
After an impressive 5-2 start to the 2021 NFL season, the Raiders have lost three straight ahead of Thursday's second Thanksgiving matchup. The team’s offense has already struggled during that stretch, scoring just 14.3 points per game — the fourth-worst average during that span. Las Vegas’ biggest issues as of late have been its turnover issues. The Raiders had just five turnovers in the first seven weeks of the season, however, they have seven in their last three games alone. That won’t cut it in Dallas today.
The Cowboys will be looking for revenge after putting up just nine points against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. They should have a better time today with both starting tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins on the field together for the first time since the season opener. There’s also a chance that sophomore wide receiver CeeDee Lamb plays today after spending the week in concussion protocol. Considering that Amari Cooper will miss his second straight game due to him being an unvaccinated player who caught COVID-19, the Cowboys will need Lamb out there to make life easier.
NFL Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football: Bills vs Saints Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, November 25
- Buffalo Bills (6-4) vs New Orleans Saints (5-5)
- Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Bills (-258) vs Saints (+218)
- Spread: Bills -6.0 (-123) vs Saints +6.0 (+103)
- Total: 41.0 — Over (-115), Under (-105)
- Head-to-Head: Saints are 5-1 against the Bills in their last six games.
Week 11 was a time to forget for the Bills, who lost 41-15 to the Indianapolis Colts while allowing running back Jonathan Taylor to have a historical day. Fortunately, Buffalo won’t have to deal with him again. Instead, the team needs to focus on becoming an offensive juggernaut once again. The Bills averaged 32.7 PPG through their first seven games this season, however, that number has dropped to 22.0 over their last three. There’s no doubt that Josh Allen’s performance under center has been disappointing as of late and he needs to get back on track with a big primetime showing against the Saints.
Trevor Siemian will once again be starting for the Saints tonight. The organization has not faired well since he became their starting QB, going 0-3 since that happened. Two of those losses were by single digits, however, it’s clear that New Orleans doesn’t have the same confidence with him in the lineup. It also doesn’t help that Alvin Kamara will miss another game and Mark Ingram is questionable to play as his replacement. Regardless, it’s shaping up to be a long day for the Saints.
