All six NFL teams scheduled to play Thanksgiving lost on Sunday. Two games on Thursday will affect the playoff rankings, while the other game is surrounded by injuries.
The Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears and will start the game on Thursday in the NFC worst team game. Lions starting quarterback Jared Gove failed to play in Week 11 due to an oblique injury, and a rib bruise forced Justin Fields to leave the Bears game early.
The Dallas Cowboys have the best record in the Thanksgiving game, although they may miss the best receiver. Amari Cooper has been excluded from COVID-19. Due to a concussion on Sunday, CeeDee Lamb is expected to be absent.
The Buffalo Bulls and New Orleans Saints both fell to the No. 7 seed in their respective meetings. The loser of Thursday night’s game is likely to be eliminated from the latest playoffs. Alvin Camara missed the Saints game for two consecutive games due to a knee injury.
From @GMFB: this #cowboy May not have their top two weapons, and if Jared Gove is healthy enough, he will start on Thursday #Lion Club After his oblique muscle was injured in the pre-match game last week. pic.twitter.com/eCUVQRiF4m
— Ian Rapport (@RapSheet) November 22, 2021
Below are the predictions and the latest betting odds for this year’s Thanksgiving game.
Chicago Bears of the Detroit Lions (-3.5), 41.5
The state of these two quarterbacks is known to not start this week. Chicago has Andy Dalton’s better backup signal pager. Despite Tim Boyle’s two interceptions and a passing rating of 34.1, Detroit lost only one field goal in Cleveland. The Lions may be able to remain competitive in a low-scoring game, but if Gove can’t play, Detroit’s record of 14 unwinners is unlikely to end.
Matt Nagy said they are still trying to figure out the severity of Justin Fields. Injured ribs, he is not sure if the injury occurred in a game. #Bear
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) November 22, 2021
Forecast: Chicago 20-17 Detroit
Las Vegas Raiders (+7) vs. Dallas Cowboys, 51
Dak Prescott posted a season-low pass score of 57.9 in the 19-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday because his weapons were of little help. Without Cooper and Lamb, the quarterback faced a similar challenge on Thursday. Fortunately for Dallas, since Henry Lagos was released, the Las Vegas offense has not scored more than 16 points in three games.The Cowboys should find a way to win and further undermine the Raiders’ playoff hopes
Prediction: Dallas beats Las Vegas 26-20
Buffalo Bills (-4) at New Orleans Saints, 46.5
Buffalo defeated the team with more than four victories with a score of 1-3. Since Trevor Simian became the starting quarterback, New Orleans has lost three consecutive games. Which trend will end on Thursday? Injuries make the Bills offense more explosive, and Josh Allen may have a good rebounding performance in prime time.
Prediction: Buffalo beats New Orleans, 30-17
Photo: GETTY IMAGES North America/JAMIE SQUIRE