Since 1920, the NFL has played games on America’s Thanksgiving.  And, for generations, it has become an annual holiday tradition. Some say this tradition was born out of a duel between the Chicago Tigers and Decatur Staleys with the loser having to fold their franchise and leave the league.

As tragic and captivating as this legend is, NFL historians have debunked the tale of two teams playing for a pink slip. The general consensus is that the NFL was really just emulating College Football, who had a great deal of success holding games around the holiday.

Regardless of how it started, over a century later, the NFL has become synonymous with Thanksgiving. In fact, it’s hard to imagine one without the other. This is especially true for fans of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys who play annual games on the holiday.

The Detroit Lions were the first NFL team to play annually on Thanksgiving as they began this tradition in 1934. Three decades later, in 1966, the Dallas Cowboys would become the second team to join this holiday tradition.

For over 40 years, football fans would fall into food comas to two holiday matchups each year. However, that would change in 2006, when the NFL added a third game to the Turkey Day slate as a primetime matchup. Instead of making a third team play annually like the Lions and Cowboys, this game features rotating teams each year.

The 2025 NFL Thanksgiving slate features three exciting matchups. And with the opening Turkey-Day odds recently dropping, I thought this would be the perfect time to investigate the Thanksgiving football odds and see how we should bet on NFL games for this holiday slate.

A lot can and will change between now and then, but there’s nothing like maximizing your betting value with wagers well before week 13 in the NFL ever rolls around.

While everyone is finalizing their Super Bowl wagers, you can zig and bet on who will win during Turkey Day. Just make sure you lean on my advice and preferred picks before placing your bets on the Thanksgiving matchups or the Black Friday Game.

What NFL Teams Play on Thanksgiving?

This year’s NFL Thanksgiving Day game slate will feature two division rivalries and one interesting cross-conference clash. 

The Green Bay Packers will travel to Michigan to battle the Detroit Lions on Turkey Day for the 23rd time. Their 22 previous meetings on Thanksgiving are good for the most ever, while this will be the 85th such game for Detroit. Green Bay has played in 38 Thanksgiving Day games and this will be number 39.

The second Thanksgiving Day game will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. KC is not a regular during Turkey Day (10 games), but their opponent (56) play this game virtually every season.

Finally, the last game of Thanksgiving Day has AFC North rivals squaring off. Joe Burrow will lead his Cincinnati Bengals up against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. This will be just Cincy’s second ever Turkey Day contest, while Baltimore will be playing their third said game.

It’s a mixture of legacy matchups and fresh exposure, making the 2025 NFL Thanksgiving schedule an interesting one. And, of course, we can’t forget about the great John Madden who helped make NFL Thanksgiving football games feel like holiday tradition along with family and food.

Thanksgiving Day Football Schedule

Here’s the official 2025 Thanksgiving NFL schedule. The games are spread out, per usual, with the Packers and Lions facing off in game one. That should surprise nobody, as both of these teams are staples of Thanksgiving NFL action.

KC visits Big D for the afternoon game, which is only a shock from the KC side. Dallas often hosts Turkey Day games, and are a primetime draw in general. The fact that they were also featured on the NFL Christmas Day schedule last year is evidence of that.

The night game features a possible shootout between the Bengals and Ravens. The two sides engaged in some intense battles last season and will likely surpass expectations again in 2025.

All of these games have reasonably tight point spreads, suggesting close games that could go down to the wire.

What Channel Is Thanksgiving Football on?

The Thanksgiving football games will air on the following major networks:

• Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions on CBS
• New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys on FOX
• Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers on NBC

Thanksgiving Football Games Odds

Keep an eye on the latest NFL odds for Thanksgiving and monitor how the lines change throughout the next few months:

• Green Bay Packers (+3) -115 vs. Detroit Lions (-3) -105
• Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5) -105 vs. Dallas Cowboys (+5.5) -115
• Cincinnati Bengals (+5) -115 vs. Baltimore Ravens (-5) -105

The early Thanksgiving Day betting lines shouldn’t shock anyone. Green Bay got swept by the Lions last year, the Ravens swept the Bengals last year, and the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs. Kansas City, meanwhile, reached the Super Bowl for the third straight season.

The nice thing is all of these NFL teams are likely playoff contenders, and the pricing is super tight, so bettors and fans alike can expect close games.

If you want to bet on Thanksgiving NFL games early at your favorite sports betting site, you can read this guide to catch my top picks and predictions. For more advice, be sure to check out the top handicappers available online.

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Thanksgiving Day Football Predictions

Let’s take a closer look at the three NFL Thanksgiving games and make our NFL picks for the holiday:

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions Odds

The Green Bay Packers will hope to upset the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. They won in Detroit two years ago, and last year they fell in a wild shootout, 34-31.

Detroit has been the better team, but after several big changes during the off-season, it’s fair to wonder if the Packers should be the underdogs in this game.

Historically, these two teams have faced off on Turkey Day 22 times already, with Detroit holding a 12-9-1 advantage in the Turkey Day series. Green Bay has won the last four meetings on Thanksgiving Day, however, while Detroit has lost nine in a row on Turkey Day.

Overall, Green Bay has dominated this series, holding a commanding 106-78-7 record against their rivals. 

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions Betting Trends

Want to get a leg up on how to bet on the Packers vs. Lions Thanksgiving game? Check out some helpful Packers vs. Lions trends:

Green Bay Packers Trends

• 4-0 in the last four Thanksgiving games vs. Lions
• 3-3 ATS as underdog in 2024
• 2-1 ATS as away underdog in 2024
• 1-3 against the Lions straight up since 2023

Detroit Lions Trends

• 0-9 in last nine Thanksgiving appearances
• 4-2 ATS in division games in 2024
• 11-6 ATS as the favorite in 2024
• 5-5 ATS as home team in 2024

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions Predictions

The reality is that both of these teams have question marks heading into the 2025 NFL regular season. Detroit admittedly has more, however, as they lost both of their top coordinators and star center Frank Ragnow recently retired.

This is undeniably a team with it’s sights set on reaching the NFC Championship game for the second time in three years, but first they need to get past these Packers.

Detroit did sweep the Packers last year, but the meeting in Detroit went down to the wire. With Green Bay clearly taking big steps on defense, they really just need their offense to follow suit to potentially level the playing field.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love saw mild regression in an injury-marred campaign, but Green Bay added a new toy in first round rookie, Matthew Golden. These rivalry series tend to be unpredictable and no team dominates forever, either.

On top of all of this, the Lions need to answer back after coming up very short in the playoffs last year. Does this team have the mental resolve to get over that and side-step coaching departures, as well as the loss of a key offensive lineman?

That remains to be seen. As things stand, I like the value with the green and gold. The Packers proved in the most recent meeting that they can hang with the Lions, and after failing to get key wins inside the NFC North last year, I expect them to come out focused for a game of this magnitude.

Bet: Green Bay Packers (+125), Packers (+3) -110, O 48.5 (-110)

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys Odds

The early Chiefs vs. Cowboys Thanksgiving game odds are also not surprising, as KC is coming off a stellar season that ended in the Super Bowl. They lost in embarrassing fashion, but they’re still the superior team across the board.

The spread might be wider if this game wasn’t in Dallas, too. This game could be one featuring plenty of offense, though, so once the total drops, I’d be very interested in hammering the Over, regardless of where it starts.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys Betting Trends

Want to get a leg up on how to bet on this Chiefs vs. Cowboys showdown? Check out some helpful Cowboys vs. Chiefs betting trends:

Kansas City Chiefs Trends

• 8-9 ATS as the favorite in 2024
• 5-4 ATS on the road in 2024
• 5-7 straight up against the Cowboys, lifetime

Dallas Cowboys Trends

• 7-10 ATS in 2024
• 4-7 ATS in non-division games in 2024
• 2-5 ATS as home underdog in 2024
• 33-22-1 straight up on Thanksgiving Day

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys Predictions

The Kansas City Chiefs got exposed in the biggest game of the season last year, getting completely embarrassed in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s worth wondering if easily working their way through the AFC West didn’t get them ready for the jump in competition.

Even so, Andy Reid seems to always have this team ready, and they figure to be in contention for a deep playoff run once again. Part of that stems from taking care of business in games they’re favored in, while we know Patrick Mahomes and co. come alive under the bright lights.

Seriously, Mahomes has a staggering 26-10 record during primetime games. This contest is only in the late afternoon, but a game on Thanksgiving Day still qualifies.

No stage is too big for the Chiefs, as we know, and I’m not so sure we can say the same about a team like the Cowboys.

The wheels fully came off of Dallas once quarterback Dak Prescott got hurt last year, which coincided with the NFC East getting tougher. They did make a splash trade for wide receiver George Pickens, but this team still has serious questions at head coach, running back, and on defense.

Maybe Big D will have it all figured out and they’ll stage the upset. The fact that they’re at home and accustomed to Turkey Day schedules gives them a chance. I just know that betting against the Chiefs in general tends to be a bad idea.

Bet: Kansas City Chiefs (-245), Chiefs -6 (-110), O 47.5 (-110)

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Odds

If we’re looking only at how these two fared in last year’s meetings, this spread isn’t tight enough. The Bengals lost the first game by one point, while the second game went into OT.

These two teams know each other extremely well, and Cincy’s defensive issues give way for potential shootouts. I really like the Bengals side of the point spread given the recent matchup history, while the Over will be in play if the initial total isn’t egregious.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Betting Trends

Want to get a leg up on how to bet on the Bengals vs. Ravens Thanksgiving game? Check out some helpful Ravens vs. Bengals betting trends:

Cincinnati Bengals Trends

• 0-4 straight up vs. Ravens in last four meetings
• 10-7 ATS in 2024
• 2-2 ATS as the underdog in 2024
• 3-3 ATS in divisional games in 2024

Baltimore Ravens Trends

• 32-27 straight up vs. Bengals, lifetime
• 4-3 ATS in divisional games in 2024
• 11-6-1 ATS as favorite in 2024
• 5-3-1 ATS as the home team in 2024

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Predictions

Could this be a preview of a future AFC Championship battle? It’s probably unlikely the way seeding works in the NFL, but due to the talent involved, it’s also not totally impossible.

All we know for sure is these two sides came together for some major fireworks in 2024, with Baltimore prevailing 35-34 in one tense outing, and surviving 41-38 in overtime in another.

On one hand, this shows you how well the Bengals can play the Ravens, and that their offense with that lethal Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase connection is no joke. However, Cincy’s defense has been awful lately, and that’s a big reason why Baltimore was able to put up so many points.

It might only get worse, too, as Sam Hubbard retired and fences need to be mended between the Bengals and stud pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson. Heck, even if that happens, the Bengals still might be a bottom 5 defensive team again.

All true, but I can’t ignore that both of last year’s meetings with Baltimore were super tight, and that the Ravens really had no answer for Cincinnati on defense. I expect another shootout, and with the spread where it’s at, I have plenty of faith in the Bengals at least hanging tight until the end.

Bet: Baltimore Ravens (-225), Bengals +5.5 (-110), O 49.5 (-110)

Thanksgiving Football Best Bets

The best bets for NFL Thanksgiving Day football are as follows:

• Green Bay Packers (+3)
• Kansas City Chiefs (-6)
• Cincinnati Bengals (+5.5)

There are only so many Thanksgiving Day odds to work with right now, as the NFL schedule only recently came out and all of the potential lines simply aren’t up everywhere.

Still, I love all three of these bets. Green Bay was a solid playoff team a year ago and despite not being fully healthy, they gave the eventual Super Bowl champs a serious battle. They know the Lions, they played them well last year, and they historically own them on Thanksgiving.

Kansas City is tough to peg. They seem to be a lesser version of themselves with each passing year, and yet they still find a way to win a ton of games and work their way to a Super Bowl. I think this bet is less about them and more about the lack of confidence in Dallas, though.

Cincy is another interesting case. Joe Burrow put up legit NFL MVP production last year, but his defense was so bad that he couldn’t muster a record above .500. He also comes out of the brutal AFC North, so in general, I feel like the Bengals are a little bit better than anyone cares to admit.

The Ravens are probably still winning due to Cincy’s severe defensive limitations, but Burrow will have them in the game. I’ll gladly take Cincy to beat that spread.. The Dolphins are 4-1 ATS in their last five games, while the Packers are 1-4 ATS in that same span.

Thanksgiving Day Records

The following is a list of each NFL team’s record in Thanksgiving football games. These records include a franchise’s previous incarnations.