Trent Reinsmith
- Three Thanksgiving Day NFL Games scheduled for 2021: Bears vs. Lions, Raiders vs. Cowboys and Bills vs Saints
- 2021 marks the 82nd Thanksgiving Day game for Detroit. The team has a record of 37-42-2
- Dallas has a Thanksgiving Day record of 31-21-1
Week 12 of the 2021 NFL season features three Thanksgiving day games and it is the 16th year in a row where three games have been scheduled on the US Holiday. The Lions started the Thanksgiving Day game tradition in 1934. The Cowboys first played on the holiday in 1966. Chicago has the third most Thanksgiving day appearances with 36. Buffalo has nine holiday games and New Orleans has played three times on Thanksgiving.
The Bears and Lions play in Detroit. The Raiders and Cowboys face off in Dallas and the Bills and Saints matchup takes place in New Orleans.
Before we look at the three games on the schedule for Week 12’s Thursday NFL games, be sure to check out the top betting sites for NFL football in 2021, as well as NFL MVP betting resources.
Thanksgiving Day 2021 NFL Odds
Bears vs. Lions
The Bears are coming off a 16-13 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. The setback was the fifth straight defeat for the club. Chicago is now 3-7 on the season.
The Lions are winless in 2021 with a 0-9-1 record. Detroit is coming off a Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The final score of the away game for the Lions was 13-10.
Chicago and Detroit could both be without their starting quarterbacks in this game. The Bears lost Justin Fields to a rib injury during the Ravens game and Detroit was without Jared Goff in Week 11 due to an oblique injury. Andy Dalton took the reins for the Chicago defense and went 11-for-23 for 201 passing yards. Dalton threw for two touchdowns and did not have an interception. Tim Boyle played behind center for Detroit against the Browns. He went 15-for-23 for 77 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
.@andydalton14 ➡️ @marquisegoodwin
SO CLUTCH#BALvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/hj8w6AYCOI
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 21, 2021
The Lions would be the pick in this game event if Chicago had their starting QB. Pick Detroit to win and to cover the spread against Chicago.
Raiders vs. Cowboys
The Las Vegas Raiders began the 2021 NFL season with a 5-2 record. Today the team stands at .500 after losing its past three games. The club is coming off a Week 11 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dallas has fared much better than their Thanksgiving Day opponent. The Cowboys are 7-3 on the season and sitting in first place in the NFC East. Despite their record, Dallas has lost two of its past three games and the team is coming off a 19-9 setback to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott did not fare well against the Chiefs. He went 28-for-43 in passing for 216 yards. Prescott threw for zero touchdowns, but had two interceptions. The Cowboys could be without top receivers Amari Cooper, who is out after testing positive for COVID-19, and CeeDee Lamb, who suffered a concussion on Sunday.
.@Dak is the 9️⃣th in @NFL history
to reach 20,000 yards in his first 78 games. 🙌#DALvsKC | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/5S8kOrLGnj— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 21, 2021
Las Vegas quarterback, Derek Carr, went 19-for-27 against the Bengals for 215 yards. Carr threw for one touchdown and was intercepted once. The team has relied on Carr a great deal this season thanks to an inability to get anything going with its rushing game.
Pick the Cowboys to win this one and also go with the under as the Cowboys have only put up more than 20 points once in their past four games and the Raiders high in their past three outings was 16 points.
Bills vs. Saints
Buffalo had a very strong start to the 2021 season, going 4-1. However, the team is 2-2 over its past four games and coming off a 41-15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. The Bills are in the second spot in the AFC East.
New Orleans also began the season on a high note. The team was 5-2 through its first seven games, but the Saints have lost their past three games and are coming off a 40-29 setback to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
Injuries have hobbled both these teams, but it’s the Saints who feel the losses more severely. New Orleans’ offense on Thursday could feature a backup quarterback, a backup running back and two backup offensive tackles. That’s not a recipe for success against a team as hungry for a win as Buffalo.
Second touchdown of the day for Diggs!
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/BroGLFKZKi
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 21, 2021
Pick the Bills to win and go with the over in the late Thanksgiving matchup.
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