Thanksgiving offers up the perfect trio of family, food, and football. The NFL’s longstanding tradition of Turkey Day football goes back to 1920, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys routinely hosting a game on the annual holiday.
These matchups are some of the most wagered-on games of the year and BetUS shares a betting guide with Thanksgiving NFL odds:
November 24, 1994 was the last Thanksgiving matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions. For this game, the odds will largely depend on the health of Buffalo QB Josh Allen, but as it stands the Bills are a big favorite.
The Dallas Cowboys have played every Thanksgiving since 1966. This year the Cowboys will play host to the New York Giants. It will be just the second time these teams have met on Thanksgiving day, the last time being on Thanksgiving of 1992, when the Cowboys won 30 – 3.
The last time the New England Patriots played on Thanksgiving was 10 years ago, in 2012 when the Patriots defeated the New York Jets. This time we will see if the Patriots have the same luck against the Minnesota Vikings.
If you want to put some money on Week 12 NFL odds, BetUS has some advice. The holiday contest is a long-entrenched tradition in Detroit and Dallas, where the Turkey Day game is a sell-out each season.
One thing to consider is that home-field advantage undeniably carries the most weight so long as the host is a quality, healthy team.
“That said, injuries are an important factor. The absence of key players will have an impact on the game,” says Barry Barger, a senior betting analyst at BetUS.
Analyzing the performance of the team during the season and its game history during the past Thanksgivings are also factors that must be considered.
“There are several angles popular with bettors when making their Thanksgiving picks, but one of the easiest is betting favorites playing at home. Since 2009, favorites playing at home have gone 21-17 against the spread,” adds Barger.
