Find a good spot on the sofa. The NFL Thanksgiving 2019 slate is here, an all-day buffet for followers of the secular religion of watching football.
The Thanksgiving games this year include the traditional home dates for the Detroit Lions, who welcome the division rival Chicago Bears while down to their third-string quarterback, and the Dallas Cowboys, who are in turmoil despite leading the NFC East and face a visit from the upstart Buffalo Bills.
The tripleheader concludes with a matchup of the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, which surely looked better when the schedule-makers drew it up months ago.
Here’s a guide to how to follow the Thanksgiving day NFL action:
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
Betting line: Lions +3, O/U: 38.5
TV: Fox
Live-stream: fuboTV (free trial)
The Lions (3-7-1) have lost four games in a row and seven of their past eight. And they have been forced to turn to third-string quarterback David Blough for this early-afternoon game with Matthew Stafford out due to a back injury and Jeff Driskel serving as the backup due to a hamstring injury. Marvin Jones (56 catches, 701 yards, eight touchdowns) and Kenny Golladay (43, 792 yards, eight touchdowns) are a top wide receiver tandem.
The Bears (5-6) are just 2-5 since a promising 3-1 start to their NFC North title defense, and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has endured some troubling regression in Year 3. Cam Newton in 2020, anyone? The Bears rank 29th in the NFL in total offense (269.3 yards/game) and 28th in scoring offense (17.1 points/game). But they’re kept afloat by the league’s fourth-ranked defense. Khalil Mack leads the team with 6.5 sacks.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
When: 4:30 p.m. ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Betting line: Cowboys -6.5, O/U: 46
TV: CBS
Live-stream: fuboTV (free trial)
The Cowboys (6-5) are in first place in the NFC East, have the No. 1 ranked offense in the NFL (433.4 yards/game) and feature quarterback Dak Prescott playing at a near-MVP level. But after last week’s 13-9 loss to the New England Patriots, head coach Jason Garrett’s seat is hotter than the oven roasting the turkey. Such is life in Jerry’s World. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is seventh in the NFL with 919 rushing yards. The Cowboys are ranked sixth in rushing defense and 15th in passing defense.
The Bills (8-3) are firmly in playoff position in the AFC, the No. 5 seed if the postseason began today and holding a two-game lead over the next wild-card contender. How is Sean McDermott’s club getting it done? The Bills rank third in total defense and scoring defense behind the outrageous San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots; they’re third against the pass and 14th against the run. A league-average offense is helmed by second-year quarterback Josh Allen (60.2 completion percentage, 15 touchdowns, eight interceptions), and the ageless Frank Gore combines with Devin Singletary and Allen for the NFL’s fifth-best rushing attack.
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
When: 8:20 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
Betting line: Falcons +7, O/U: 49
TV: NBC
Live-stream: fuboTV (free trial)
The Saints (9-2) can clinch the NFC South title with a victory here. Drew Brees — the quarterback on the team with the second-best record this year (shoutout Teddy Bridgewater, who went 5-0 when Brees was sidelined due to a thumb injury) — is back in charge of the NFL’s ninth-ranked passing attack (12th in total offense). Brees is completing 75.7 percent of his passes in his age-40 season. It helps to throw to Michael Thomas, who is on pace to shatter the league’s single-season receptions record at 104 and counting.
The Falcons (3-8) enjoyed their highlight of an otherwise grim season when they bumped off the Saints, 26-9, in Week 10 in New Orleans. Last week, they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by two touchdowns at home. Groan. Quarterback Matt Ryan is supplying his typical brand of competence (2,934 yards, 18 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 93.9 QB rating) guiding the league’s 10th-ranked offense. Julio Jones (64 catches, 950 yards) is good, as always. The problem is a ghastly defense that is allowing 376.3 yards (26th) and 27 points (28th) per game.