NFL Thanksgiving Betting Strategy & Game Odds Preview

Thanksgiving Thursday in the NFL stands out as more than just two halves of football—it’s a full-day betting spectacle.

Whether you’re in the mood to bet NFL games online, or you’re refining your NFL Thanksgiving Day betting strategy, this year’s slate offers a wealth of opportunities: pre-game lines, live-in-play angles, prop-bet depth and same-game parlays galore.

Here’s how to approach it with discipline, value and actionable insight.

NFL Thanksgiving Game Schedule 2025

Three iconic matchups headline Thanksgiving Thursday — offering early, mid, and primetime betting action.

Early Game

Detroit Lions TBD

12:30 PM ET — Ford Field

Lions are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving
Typically high-scoring early window

Afternoon Game

Dallas Cowboys TBD

4:30 PM ET — AT&T Stadium

⭐Cowboys hold a 33-22-1 Thanksgiving record
Public favorites often inflated lines

Night Game

Primetime Matchup TBD

8:20 PM ET — NBC

National audience means sharper lines
Monitor for live-bet swings and totals

Plan your bets by game window — early, mid, and late — and manage bankroll exposure across all three.

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What Teams Are Playing in the NFL Thanksgiving Games This Year?

Before diving into sportsbook odds, props or live bets, you must review the Thanksgiving NFL game schedule and teams.

Pre-game preparation is key when you want to bet on NFL games online smartly.

Traditionally, the holiday features three marquee matchups: the host team Detroit Lions at home early afternoon, then the home-team Dallas Cowboys in the mid-afternoon slot, and a national night game filling out the primetime window.

This matters because:

Leap-in injuries and short-week preparation affect performance.
Divisional rivalries (common on Thanksgiving) carry extra intensity and weather/travel factors.
Early line movement often reflects sharp action when these high-profile teams hit the betting market.

So before you jump into odds or props, map out the matchups, check injury reports, note the rivalry context—and only then pull up the lines to apply your online betting on NFL games framework.

Team	All-Time Thanksgiving Record	Betting Trend
Detroit Lions	37-45-2	Underdogs cover 57% in early slots
Dallas Cowboys	33-22-1	Favorites often over-bet by the public
Primetime Teams	Varies yearly	Totals trend Over 55% since 2015

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What Are the Latest Betting Odds (Spread and Moneyline) for the Thanksgiving NFL Games?

When viewing the board at MyBookie, focus on the Thanksgiving NFL betting odds moneyline spread for each game.

Because of high-visibility teams and national coverage, lines can move quickly—and offer value if you act early.

Bankroll discipline is especially critical here: use Thanksgiving NFL bankroll management tips.

For example: if your usual Sunday wager is $100, you might cap each Turkey-Day game wager at $30–$35 to spread risk across all three games.

Combine smaller pre-game bets with prop and live markets to diversify.

Effective units pre-game free you up to take advantage of in-play swings without blowing your stack early on the first kickoff.

Compare spreads, moneylines and totals across sportsbooks: if the Cowboys open at –6.5 and move to –8 by Wednesday, you’re seeing public-heavy action on Dallas, and potential value on the underdog.

Thanksgiving Bankroll Tip

If your normal Sunday wager is $100, cap each Thanksgiving game at $30–$35. This spreads risk across all three matchups and keeps your live-bet budget flexible.

Learn Smart Bankroll Management

What Are the Best Prop Bets, Player and Game, for the Thanksgiving Day Football Slate?

The holiday setting creates unique opportunities for best prop bets Thanksgiving NFL markets.

With high TV exposure, star players and rivalry juices flowing, the prop market gets juicy.

Focus on two categories:

Player props — “Anytime TD scorer,” “Over/under receiving yards,” etc.
Game props — First-score, team to score last, etc.

Combine them into same-game parlays for potential outsized payouts: e.g., QB passes for 250+ yards + WR scores his first TD.

Use your NFL Thanksgiving same-game parlay picks framework to stack correlated props rather than random ones.

And don’t forget live game props: if a team dominates early possession, a live over or second-half total might flip value.

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What Live Betting In-Play Opportunities Tend to Arise During Thanksgiving NFL Matchups?

For holiday bettors eyeing dynamic opportunities, NFL Thanksgiving live betting tips can offer major upside.

With large audiences and emotionally charged games, live odds often swing dramatically.

Examples:

A favored team starts slowly but controls the line of scrimmage; their live moneyline may convert to plus-money mid-game—prime entry point.
Halftime hedging: if you took a prop pre-game and it’s going against you, live markets let you reduce risk.
Second-half totals: short-week fatigue might slow offenses, so if the first half suggests a grinding pace, a live under might make sense.

When you bet NFL games online on Thanksgiving, pencil in a portion of your bankroll for live action—but only after mapping out pre-game value so you don’t go all-in on impulse.

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Do Favorites or Underdogs Typically Cover the Spread on Thanksgiving?

History provides context.

The best-known hosts, the Lions and Cowboys, have their own Thanksgiving legacies—and those affect how lines and public money behave.

The Detroit Lionss are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving games.

The Dallas Cowboys hold a 33-22-1 record in Thanksgiving games.

What does this mean for your spread plays?

Although favorites tend to have a slight edge, the public often overloads them, leading to inflated lines and Thanksgiving NFL underdog value bets lurking.

For example: since 2018, underdogs have covered roughly 57% of the time on Thanksgiving when matched in early kickoffs.

As part of your NFL Thanksgiving Day betting strategy, use this to guide selection: don’t just pick the “popular” favorite—look for value underdogs in primetime games or those with low public backing.

Thanksgiving Betting Trends (2015-2024)

Underdogs

57 % ATS Cover Rate

Early Kickoffs

Public fades create line value
Weather & short prep impact favorites

Totals

55 % Over Rate

Afternoon Games

Fatigued defenses yield scoring bursts
Monitor pace & tempo stats live

Live Bets

+12 % ROI Potential

Second Half In-Play

Target momentum reversals
Exploit overreactions in odds

Use trends as indicators — not guarantees — for sharper Thanksgiving betting strategy.

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What Are the Best Same-Game Parlay Picks for Thanksgiving NFL Games?

Thanksgiving provides fertile ground for creative sprees:
NFL Thanksgiving same-game parlay picks can include game props + team or player outcomes.

Here’s how to structure:

Start with a foundational leg such as “Team A ML” or “favorite covers.”
Add 1–2 correlated player props (e.g., WR Anytime TD, QB Over 250 yards).
Tie in a team total or first-half prop for higher variance.

Example: Toss in “Lions ML + WR St. Brown Anytime TD + Team total over 23” into one parlay.

Because they’re playing at home and trending upward, you get combined odds and amplified payout—just ensure you’re comfortable with the risk.

When you bet NFL games online, same-game parlays increase excitement—but use them as a smaller fraction of your bankroll (for example 5–10% of your total allocation for the day) so you’re still aligned with your Thanksgiving NFL bankroll management tips.

⚡ Example Same-Game Parlay

Lions ML + St. Brown Anytime TD + Team Total Over 23 Points
Correlated plays amplify value — but limit exposure to 5–10% of your bankroll.

Build Your Parlay at MyBookie

What Is the Detroit Lions’ All-Time Record on Thanksgiving Day?

The Detroit Lions’ legacy on Turkey Day is storied—and worth factoring into pre-game mindset.

They are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving Day.

This losing overall mark may feed into public expectations and hence line value.

If Detroit is the favorite this year, strong historical underperformance might indicate value elsewhere.

If they’re underdogs, the narrative can shift quickly.

Use this historical context when evaluating the Thanksgiving NFL winner odds.

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What Is the Dallas Cowboys’ All-Time Record on Thanksgiving Day?

As for the Dallas Cowboys, their math on Turkey Day is stronger: 33-22-1 in their Thanksgiving appearances.

Because Dallas has performed relatively well historically, the public tends to lean heavy on them when favorites—which means they may be over-bet and lines may move away quickly.

That makes underdog plays against Dallas especially interesting.

Insert this understanding into your NFL Thanksgiving Day expert picks and adjust your strategy accordingly.

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Are the Thanksgiving Games Typically High-Scoring? Does the Over Usually Hit?

Totals are a tough yet profitable arena on Thanksgiving.

On one hand, short-week preparation and travel can hamper offense.

On the other hand, tired defenses and emotional games often produce quick points.

Since 2015, the Over has hit in about 55% of Thanksgiving games.

(Afternoon games tend to see more points.) Use this trend when assessing your totals: pair the “Over” angle on fatigued defenses or early afternoon kickoffs and consider the “Under” when both teams show short-week fatigue, key injuries or game flow suggesting ground-and-manage.

In your NFL Thanksgiving Day betting strategy, integrate travel, weather and team-form into the totals decision—not just the box-score numbers.

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Final Thoughts: How to Bet Smarter on NFL Thanksgiving Games

Thanksgiving is more than tradition—it’s a high-volume, high-visibility betting day.

To bet NFL games online with discipline and edge:

Start with short-week prep, injuries, rivalry intensity and historical context (Lions/Cowboys legacy).
Analyze early movements in spreads and moneylines to identify sharp money or inflated public lines.
Use Thanksgiving NFL bankroll management tips: spread your budget across games, diversify bet types (moneyline/spread/prop/live).
Build pre-game value first, then earmark a portion for NFL Thanksgiving live betting tips—opportunistic in-play exists.
Mix in Thanksgiving NFL prop bets and same-game parlay picks for upside—but in moderated sizing.
Monitor how favorites and underdogs behave: underdogs often cover more than casual bettors expect.
After kick-off, stay flexible: hedge or scale in/out based on game flow and your original scenario-planning.

When you’re ready to proceed, open your MyBookie account and scan the board for the Thanksgiving NFL games odds: spread, moneyline, props.

Let the above strategy inform your selections rather than chasing hype.

May your Turkey Day bets be as mindful as your mid-game parlay swings.

Let’s turn that high-volume day into a disciplined win.

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The NFL needs to flex out the Thanksgiving night game.

For the sake of every football fan around the world. pic.twitter.com/taMs3GtvEC
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 8, 2025

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2025 NFL Thanksgiving Day Schedule

Kickoff Time (ET)	Matchup	Location	TV Network
1:00 PM	Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions	Ford Field (Detroit)	FOX
4:30 PM	Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys	AT&T Stadium (Arlington)	CBS / Paramount+
8:20 PM	Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens	M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)	NBC / Peacock

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Blast from the Past: Check Last NFL Thanksgiving’s Games

2024 Thanksgiving Thursday Picks: Betting Analysis for All 3 NFL Week 13 Games

As we look ahead to the Thanksgiving Thursday picks for 2024, all three games carry significant playoff implications, with matchups like Dolphins vs Packers, Bears vs Lions, and Giants vs Cowboys offering exciting opportunities for NFL bettors.

Writer’s Breakdown and Thanksgiving Picks for the Games

Thanksgiving NFL Odds

Here’s how the betting odds look for Thanksgiving Day NFL.

Game 1: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

NFL Thanksgiving Pick: Detroit Lions 31, Chicago Bears 17

Game 2: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

NFL Thanksgiving Pick: Dallas Cowboys 24, New York Giants 10

Game 3: Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers

NFL Thanksgiving Pick: Green Bay Packers 27, Miami Dolphins 24

This was the funniest thing I saw while watching NFL all Thanksgiving.

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About the Author

D.S. Williamson
Since 2008, D.S. Williamson has written about sports and sports handicapping. His philosophy is value-based, meaning stats and other handicapping factors are only worth something in comparison to wagering odds. He believes money management and making value-based wagers is the single more important factor that distinguishes successful sports bettors from non-successful sports bettors.