NFL Thanksgiving predictions, betting tips & odds

Thanksgiving NFL predictions

• Green Bay Packers +7.5 – 10/11 with bet365
• Logan Thomas anytime TD - 7/2 with BoyleSports
• Logan Thomas over 36.5 receiving yards - 10/11 with bet365
• Under 44.5 points in 49ers vs Seattle – 20/27 with Betway

It’s Thanksgiving on Thursday and for our American cousins , that means a feast of food and football. 

Here in the UK, we’ll likely have to go without the feast and instead gorge ourselves on the triple-header of NFL action, featuring three divisional match-ups.

It all kick-offs at 5.30pm when the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions collide in Motor City.

That’s followed by the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Washington Commanders and Turkey Day wraps up with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers going head-to-head in the Bay Area.

All three games carry the same theme of one team being a significant underdog, battling to stay in the play-off hunt, going up against a divisional rival seemingly destined for the postseason. 

We’ve been through the Thanksgiving slate on betting sites to come up with at least one NFL prediction per game on Thursday.

Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers prediction

(5.30pm, Sky Sports NFL)

The Detroit Lions have been a staple of Thanksgiving since 1934 and will look to mark their latest outing on the US holiday by edging closer to a first NFC North title in 20 years. 

The Lions sit at 8-2 after winning three straight games with a high-powered offence averaging over 27 points per game helping Dan Campbell’s team steamroll the majority of opponents, including the Packers.

The Lions strolled to a fourth successive win over Green Bay in September, leaving Lambeau Field with an impressive 34-20 win. 

That result forms part of a disappointing season for the Packers, who sit at 4-6, but there have been a few encouraging signs of late. 

Green Bay beat the LA Chargers last time out, their second win in three games, and quarterback Jordan Love is arguably playing his best football of the year behind an improving Packers offensive line.

Love will hope to have another strong outing against a struggling Detroit defence that’s recently given up 38 points to the Baltimore Ravens and Chargers, and was last week manhandled by a mediocre Chicago Bears offence. 

Detroit’s offence was able to bail out the defence against LA and Chicago, and will likely need to be on point here. 

Such a leaky defence makes the 7.5-point handicap look a little large and Green Bay’s trend for playing close games on the road makes them the pick on the handicap with our first NFL prediction.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions tip: Packers +7.5 – 10/11 with bet365

Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Commanders prediction

(9.30pm, Sky Sports NFL)

For the third game in a row, the Dallas Cowboys are double-digit favourites on new UK betting sites for NFL’s Thanksgiving main course against the Washington Commanders.

The Cowboys have comfortably covered those last two handicaps, helping them improve to 7-3 on the season. 

The Dallas offence has gone up a gear recently and is averaging a league-best 35 points per game the last three weeks, while star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has gone over 100 receiving yards in four of the last five games. 

Lamb is expected to shake off an ankle injury in time to face a Washington team that dropped to 4-7 with a shock home loss to the New York Giants in Week 11.

The Commanders are 4-7 and need a repeat of their stunning 41-16 win over Dallas on Thanksgiving in 2020 to keep them in the Wild Card play-off picture. 

Washington quarterback Sam Howell beat Dallas in his NFL debut last season and he could cause them a few issues again by throwing to his tight end Logan Thomas. 

Dallas have had problems defending tight ends this year, allowing six touchdowns in the last six games to players in that position. 

They’ve also allowed over 44 receiving yards per game to tight ends on average and Thomas figures to be a big part of the Washington game plan on Thursday. 

Thomas is third in receptions on the Commanders, has had at least four catches in five straight games and has gone over 40 receiving yards in four of those fixtures.

As a regular red zone target too, Thomas to score a touchdown at 7/2 with BoyleSports and to go over 36.5 yards on his receiving yards prop are our Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys predictions. 

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys tips: Logan Thomas anytime TD - 7/2 with BoyleSports & Logan Thomas over 36.5 receiving yards - 10/11 with bet365

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers predictions

(1.20am Friday, Sky Sports NFL)

Seattle (6-4) are experiencing a wobble after two defeats in the last three games and face a tough slate over the next four weeks, including two meetings with NFC West rivals, San Francisco (7-3).

The 49ers have won three straight against the Seahawks and have looked back to their best in recent wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Seattle are hopeful quarterback Geno Smith will be fit enough to face the Niners after missing a chunk of last week’s loss to the LA Rams with an elbow injury.

Running-back Kenneth Walker is out though and there’s the potential a Seattle offence that averaged 14.3 points per game in three meetings with San Francisco last season could be undermanned.

The 49ers are seven-point favourites for the trip to Lumen Field and their offence looks in good order now top lineman Trent Williams and the versatile Deebo Samuel are back in the line-up. 

Seattle’s defence will need to up their game to slow down this Niners offence, but San Fran have been a little sloppy of late with their red zone conversion rate dropping below 50 per cent over the last three weeks.

Factor in the under landing regularly in prime-time games this season and going 11-5 in this late Thanksgiving spot, and there’s reason to believe this might not be high-scoring, especially if Smith is missing.

With our final NFL prediction, we’re backing under 44.5 points in the NFC West showdown in Seattle.

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks tip: Under 44.5 points – 20/27 with Betway