There are three National Football League games scheduled for Thanksgiving Day beginning with the contest in Detroit when the Lions host the Chicago Bears. The afternoon game is the traditional Dallas Cowboys playing host with this year’s opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders. Tonight, the Buffalo Bills visit the New Orleans Saints.
Ten years ago, there was a move afloat in the NFL to take the Thanksgiving game away from the Lions because they were so bad for so long. Now, ten years later, they are still really bad but it seems the public is used to turkey’s on this day and the Lions are most often the first feast of the day for the visiting opponents.
Maybe not today.
Their opponent, the Chicago Bears, come to town banged up and with rumors that they are going to fire head coach Matt Nagy after the game. These events have inspired the public to wager on the winless Lions today and the point spread, which opened with the Bears favored by 3½ points, has inched down in response to the public action.
I have no desire to bet on the Lions when the public is backing a winless team, nor do I see value with a Chicago team that is missing too many of the elements they hope will provide a better future, among the missing is injured rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
The Las Vegas Raiders won their first three games of the season and with Kansas City stumbling and the Chargers and Broncos not seemingly solid teams yet, it appeared opportunities were abound for the Silver and Black.
Now, after three consecutive losses following their bye week, and the resurgence of the Chiefs in the AFC West, the Raiders appear to be dropping faster than a weight in water. Today, when they meet the Cowboys, they are challenged by a Dallas team that has rebounded from their off year in 2020, Mike McCarthy’s first season at the helm, with a campaign that has them among the favorites to win the NFC.
Dallas is also coming off a loss, suffered last Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs.
Want the Raiders in this one?
Not me.
Want the Cowboys?
Not laying more than a touchdown on the point spread.
Which leaves only one possible game for a Thanksgiving wager … and that is the Bills visit to the Superdome.
Buffalo lost on opening day to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and after they won their next four games in convincing fashion, one wondered how they could have lost that home opener. Recent results tell us how.
The Bills have lost three of their prior five games, with their only two wins registered against a couple AFC East Division weaklings, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Among their three losses was a setback a lot harder to explain than their defeat to the Steelers, that being a 9-6 loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars three weeks ago.
Tonight, they meet a New Orleans Saints squad that is missing two of their season starters in the offensive backfield. Quarterback Jameis Winston is lost for the season with a knee injury and offensive juggernaut Alvin Kamara is listed week-to-week on an ongoing basis but is still not ready to compete on game day.
The Saints defense is rock solid, and while the Bills appear to have an edge in this contest backing a team sputtering as badly as Buffalo on the road giving points is just bad form.
Still, not interested in taking a Saints team with a depleted roster.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, while we have no picks to offer that we are confident would add to your celebration.