Thanksgiving Day features a tripleheader of games that will impact the NFC playoff picture, as four of the current top six seeds in the conference will be in action on the greatest of the football and food holidays.
The action kicks off at Ford Field, where the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX). The Lions are off to their best start since 1962.
The Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Commanders (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS), as Dallas will look to stay within striking distance of the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
In the capper, the Seattle Seahawks host the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) in the first of two matchups between the teams over the next three weeks that likely will determine the division’s winner.
USA TODAY Sports will provides updates and highlights from each of the three Thanksgiving Day NFL games (all times are Eastern):
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | FINAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| Lions | 6 | — | — | — | — |
MORE: Catching up with Lions great Calvin Johnson, who has five tips for raising young athletes
1:03 p.m.: Fans of defensive play won’t be pleased with this start. Both offenses are getting whatever they want, as the Packers again rolled down the field for another touchdown drive. Green Bay converted a pair of third downs, including one on the final play of the series, a nine-yard touchdown grab on a play-action rollout to tight end Tucker Kraft.
Jordan Love is now 8-of-9 for 124 yards and two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 QB rating. Green Bay has 150 yards of offense, eight first downs and a 14-6 lead.
12:51 p.m.: Not to be outdone, the Lions answered Green Bay’s impressive opening drive with one of their own. Quarterback Jared Goff completed a couple of key passes early in the series — an 11-yard third-down crossing route to receiver Jameson Williams and a 31-yarder to tight end Sam LaPorta.
Once Detroit got into a goal-to-go scenario, Goff found LaPorta for a seven-yard score. Kicker Riley Patterson’s extra point attempt sailed right, putting Detroit in a one-point hole, 7-6.
12:40 p.m.: The Packers came out swinging. Winners of the coin toss, Green Bay elected to receive the ball and proceeded to march down the field in a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jayden Reed. The play that opened up the series was a 53-yard deep ball to receiver Christian Watson.
The point after touchdown was converted to give the Packers a 7-0 lead.
12:23 p.m.: All teams playing in Thursday’s Thanksgiving games are honoring late NFL coaching legend John Madden with a circular patch on their jerseys.
Madden died December 2021 but was a prominent presence during the FOX broadcast of Thanksgiving games, alongside long-time play-by-play partner Pat Summerall.
A commemorative Madden coin is also being used in all three games for the coin toss; the heads side features a silhouette of Madden’s face and the tails side features an image of a six-legged turducken.
Noon: The Packers will be without some stars on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball: Running back Aaron Jones is out with an MCL sprain, while cornerback Jaire Alexander will miss the matchup with a shoulder injury.
11:52 a.m.: With just over a half hour until kickoff, there are no real surprises on the Lions inactive list.
John Madden believed Thanksgiving is about family, football, food, tradition and fun.
And the turducken, of course.
The NFL will celebrate his legacy for a second annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration during its tripleheader on Thursday. — Safid Deen
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Packers and Lions renew rivalry on Thanksgiving Day
On Thanksgiving Day, the Packers and Lions will meet for the 189th time (including playoff games) in a rivalry that dates back to 1930. Packers-Lions is the NFL’s second-most played rivalry; Packers-Bears is the most-played (207 meetings, including playoffs). So, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Lions have met the Packers the most of any team on Thanksgiving (22 times, counting this Thanksgiving).
The Lions have prevailed in the majority of those matchups, too, owning a 12-8-1 record against the Packers on the holiday. The most famous of those wins came in 1962, which is a season Detroit fans have become familiar with over the last week. The Lions currently own an 8-2 record, the team’s best start since that 1962 season.
After opening the 1962 season 8-2, the Lions hosted the defending NFL champion Green Bay Packers at Tiger Stadium in what might be Detroit’s most famous win on Thanksgiving. The Packers of 1962 were at the height of their power under the guidance of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. After steamrolling the New York Giants, 37-0, in the 1961 NFL title game, the Packers were a tour de force in 1962 en route to a title repeat. The Packers went 13-1 that season before defeating the Giants again in the championship game. That one blemish? It came against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day … and the game wasn’t even close. The Lions stormed out to a 26-0 lead before the Packers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the final 26-14 tally look closer than the actual game. It was a particularly rough game for Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, who threw two interceptions and was sacked 10 or 11 times (depending on the source; sacks didn’t become an official statistic until 1982).
The 1962 Lions managed to get to 11-2 before losing the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, finishing second to the Packers in the NFL’s West Division. — Jim Reineking
The NFL on Thanksgiving Day has featured some memorable moments, from Clint Longley leading a Cowboys comeback in 1974 and a national TV showcase for the incomparable Barry Sanders to the infamous Butt Fumble in 2012 and Leon Lett’s blunder in 1993.
NFL games on Thanksgiving have been a tradition since the league’s inception in 1920 (there were six games that first season!). — Jim Reineking
Four of the top six seeds in the NFC (if the season ended before the Thanksgiving Day games) are in action on Thursday, which means the tripleheader could profoundly impact the playoff picture.
NFL Thanksgiving games odds
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Lions, Cowboys and 49ers are favored on Thanksgiving Day.
Packers at Lions:
- Spread: Lions (-7.5)
- Moneyline: Lions (-375); Packers (+290)
- Over/under: 47
Commanders at Cowboys:
- Spread: Cowboys (-12.5)
- Moneyline: Cowboys (-700); Commanders (+500)
- Over/under: 48.5
49ers at Seahawks:
- Spread: 49ers (-7)
- Moneyline: 49ers (-350); Seahawks (+270)
- Over/under: 44
The Detroit Lions are among the best bets for NFL Week 12 in their Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers. The Lions are favored by 7.5 points on the road against their NFC North rivals, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.
In the afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys are favored by nearly two touchdowns against the Washington Commanders. According to the top NFL betting apps, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (+1800) has some of the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023.
The San Francisco 49ers are favorites in their NFC West nightcap against the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers (+450) own some of the best Super Bowl betting odds.
Not interested in these games? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds, Monday Night Football odds and more.
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Picks and predictions for Thanksgiving NFL games
These are the USA TODAY Sports’ staff predictions for the Thanksgiving Day games:
Packers at Lions:
- Jarrett Bell: Lions, 20-16
- Chris Bumbaca: Lions, 29-19
- Nate Davis: Lions, 31-17
- Safid Deen: Lions, 30-16
- Tyler Dragon: Lions, 28-19
- Victoria Hernandez: Lions, 28-17
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Lions, 28-23
- Lorenzo Reyes: Lions, 25-21
Commanders at Cowboys:
- Jarrett Bell: Cowboys, 34-24
- Chris Bumbaca: Cowboys, 31-22
- Nate Davis: Cowboys, 37-17
- Safid Deen: Cowboys, 34-17
- Tyler Dragon: Cowboys, 30-14
- Victoria Hernandez: Cowboys, 42-24
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Cowboys, 34-20
- Lorenzo Reyes: Cowboys, 31-12
49ers at Seahawks:
- Jarrett Bell: 49ers, 28-20
- Chris Bumbaca: 49ers, 24-21
- Nate Davis: 49ers, 30-17
- Safid Deen: 49ers, 27-13
- Tyler Dragon: 49ers, 24-16
- Victoria Hernandez: 49ers, 24-16
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: 49ers, 35-21
- Lorenzo Reyes: 49ers, 29-17
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