It’s the time of the year that all Football fans look forward to – Thanksgiving Day Football. As with every year, there are three huge games on Thursday night, plus a game on Black Friday.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe early game this Thursday, at 5:30pm UK time, sees the Chicago Bears travel to face the best team in Football, the Detroit Lions in this all-NFC North clash. The Bears have a 4-7 record and are on a five-game losing streak, having not won since their bye week. Rookie QB Caleb Williams began the season well, but has started to struggle behind an Offensive line which have allowed 44 sacks, the most of any QB this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Lions, on the other hand, are destroying teams week in, week out, are on a 9-game winning streak, and are ranked 1st in Offense and 2nd on Defense. QB Jared Goff is in MVP mode, with 20 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions with a 72.9% completion rate.
Prediction – The Lions juggernaut continues to rumble towards the NFC North title after they give the Bears a mauling – Detroit by at least 10.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe second game of the day kicks off at 9:30pm and sees the 2-9 New York Giants with QB Tommy DeVito at the helm travel down to face Cooper Rush and the 4-7 Dallas Cowboys. Both teams are struggling in the NFC East this season, and nothing on this game towards the playoffs for either team. The only thing that is up for grabs in this game is who gets the John Madden TurDucken…a thanksgiving tradition of a duck, stuffed into a chicken, which is then stuffed into a turkey and the winner gets the legs…
Embed from Getty ImagesPrediction – There really is not much else to say about this one, other than Dallas win by a touchdown, at least.
The final game of the bumper three-game Thanksgiving day slate, with a 1:20am KO, sees the best game of the night (yes, I am biased). Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins (5-6) travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to face up against Jordan Love and his Green Bay Packers (8-3).
Embed from Getty ImagesTua mentioned after their win on Sunday against the Patriots that he wants to ‘kill narratives’ regarding Miami’s inability to win in cold weather. The Dolphins are 0-11 since 2017, but they need to start winning in the cold if they want to get past the likes of Buffalo and Kansas City deep in the playoffs. They also need to win to keep this season alive. The Dolphins have been in good form over the last five games since Tua’s return and must continue if they want to progress to the playoffs.
Embed from Getty ImagesJordan Love has also been good as well this season. Love is 173-280 for 2244 yards so far this season through nine games, with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Green Bay are also on a roll, having lost once in the last seven games (24-14 defeat to the Lions). The Packers need to win as well to cement their own playoff hopes. The weather will play a part in this game – the temperature at kick off will be 27°F (-3°C) so very cold indeed.
Prediction – As much as I want the Dolphins to win and continue their march to the playoffs, I think the weather will be too much to overcome for them – Green Bay to win by 3.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Black Friday special (8pm ko) sees the Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) travel to Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1). Their QB Gardner Minshew suffered a broken Collarbone on Sunday so is out for the rest of the season, so are starting Aiden O’Connell against the Chiefs. The Raiders have struggled this season, as their record suggests, but they currently hold the 3rd pick overall in the 2025 draft.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Chiefs seem to be unstoppable this season, have won 4 of their last five – their loss coming at the hands of Buffalo in week 11, and always seem to find a way to win. Their highest win this season came in week 5 when the beat the New Orleans Saints 26-13. The Chiefs have also already beat the Raiders in week 8, winning 27-20 at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.
Prediction – Yet again, the Chiefs find a way to win against a battered Las Vegas Raiders team – Kansas City win by a touchdown.
