gave Week 13 schedule for 2024 NFL season Thanksgiving Day kicks off with a great slate of matchups, and we’ve got you covered with what you need to know about three of the holiday matchups.
Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, and analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each contest. The ESPN research team provides a great stat to know and a Betting nugget for each matchup, while our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with game projections. Fantasy analyst Eric Moody found Fantasy Football The X-Factors, and three analysts — Moody, Walder and Kellan Kahler — give us the final score chooses for every game. Plus, we look at the best moments from each team’s Thanksgiving history.
Let’s start with the bear and the lion, who will meet On Turkey Day 20th time.
Go to a matchup:
CHI-DET | NYG-DAL | MIA-GB
12:30 pm ET | CBS | ESPN BET: DET -10 (48.5 O/U)
A bear story to watch: Wide receiver DJ Moore The Bears went from averaging 9.8 yards per target to 1.9 in weeks 1-10 after the draft. Thomas Brown Their offensive coordinator in Week 11. Moore caught all seven of his targets that came against him behind the line of scrimmage. Packers And The Vikings for 96 yards and a touchdown. He has produced 120 yards after the catch, a league high over the past two weeks. Detroit’s defense has allowed 4.3 yards per target on passes behind the line of scrimmage, the fourth-lowest average in the league, according to NFL NextGen stats. — Courtney Cronin
Lions Tale to Watch: In one short week, can the Lions deliver their first Thanksgiving victory since 2016? Although they are at their best. 90 yearsDetroit will try to limit distractions during the annual holiday game, as coach Dan Campbell’s message this week was to rest, recover and focus on the job. The Lions have scored more than 40 points in three straight home games and will look to continue that momentum. The quarterback Jared Goff Said the following Sunday’s win Over Indianapolis — Eric Woodyard
Stats to Know: The Lions will be the seventh team in the past 40 seasons to play as the NFL’s top-scoring offense on Thanksgiving. Each of the last six teams won their games.
Bold Predictions: Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson Will stop Goff. Johnson is having another great season, allowing 0.9 yards per coverage snap, which is below the 1.2 average for outside corners (per Next Gen Stats). — Walder
Fantasy X Factor: Lions are running behind. Jameer Gibbs. Detroit’s offensive line is 12th in run block win rate, and third on the team in rushing attempts per game. As David Montgomery With a short week to deal with a shoulder injury, expect the Lions to lean even more heavily on Gibbs. The Bears’ defensive front ranks 26th in run-stop win rate, so Detroit’s ground game could have a big day. Check out the Week 13 rankings. — Mood
Batting Nugget: The Bears are 1-4 in their last five games against the spread (ATS), and four of their last five games have gone under the total. Read more.
Kahler’s Choice: Lions 28, Bears 21
Moody’s Choice: Lions 30, Bears 17
Choice of Waller: Lion 27, Bear 20
FPI Forecast: DET, 76.2% (average of 11.0 points)
Thanksgiving Day Throwback: It is the second most common matchup on Thanksgiving Day after the Packers and Lions have met 22 times. Chicago is 11-8 in the Thanksgiving series, including three straight wins in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Detroit last won in 2014, when Calvin Johnson recorded 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Read more.
Must Read Matchups: Caleb Williams is improving under OC Thomas Brown. … Cairo Santos accepts blame for ‘stink’ with blocks … How the Lions went from perennial underdog to sportsbook’s worst enemy.
4:30 pm ET | Fox ESPN BET: Dal-4 (37.5 O/U)
Giants story to watch: Giants come pouncing and on the verge of slipping. They have dropped six straight, and Call the players their effort to “soft” in Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers After the bye week. New York has been outscored and outscored 148-74 during that streak. Tommy DeVitoFirst Third-string quarterbacklast week. De Vito was fired four times and is now a Long shot Due to an arm injury, he has to play on Thursday. It holds Drew Lock In line for his first start with the Giants. — Jordan Ranan
Cowboy story to watch: Can they put the winning streak together? Can they really win games at home? The Cowboys won two straight last time out. Week 4 And 5 And has yet to win a game at AT&T Stadium this season. They have trailed by more than 20 points in each of their past six home games, including the playoffs, which is an NFL record. But it is the giants, who are facing a shameful end. Week 12 performance. And the Cowboys have won seven straight games against them at AT&T Stadium. — Todd Archer
Facts to Know: Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II By Week 7 there were nine sacks, the most in the NFL. He has zero sacks since then, but one more would make him the third Giants player with double-digit sacks through 12 games in the last 15 seasons.
Bold Predictions: Malik Naberus Will record over 90 receiving yards. He is still blocking 99 open scores. via ESPN’s Receiver ScoreMost likely, that means he’s doing his job to get open — whether his quarterback can get him the ball or not. I think lock starting is a good thing for Nabors (relative to De Vito), especially after that Complained About not getting the first half goal last week. — Walder
Injuries: The giants | Cowboys
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Fantasy X Factor: Cowboys wide receiver CD Lamb. In regular season games without The quarterback Doc PrescottLamb averaged 12.0 goals and 16.8 fantasy points per game. With a rush Under the centerhe should get plenty of looks, especially since the Giants have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 70.8% of their passes. Check out the Week 13 rankings. — Mood
Batting Nugget: The unders are 5-0 when the Giants play teams with a losing record this season. Read more.
Kahler’s Choice: Cowboys 17, Giants 12
Moody’s Choice: Cowboys 26, Giants 19
Choice of Waller: Cowboys 19, Giants 16
FPI Forecast: DAL, 52.6% (1.2 points average)
Thanksgiving Day Throwback: In 1993, Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett attempted to recover a block-winning field goal attempt. The ball was fumbled by Lett and recovered by the Dolphins at the 2-yard line. Miami connected on its next field goal attempt and won 16–14. Read more.
Must Read Matchups: Eli Manning is destined for the Hall of Fame, but when? … Is the Cowboys’ wild win a stepping stone for a late playoff push? … Win against the commanders inside the wild cowboys
8:20 pm ET | NBC/Universo/peacock | ESPN BET: GB -3.5 (46.5 O/U)
Dolphin story to watch: The Dolphins are winless under coach Mike McDaniel in temperatures below 40 degrees — and temperatures in Green Bay are expected to drop below freezing. McDaniel said his team is all too familiar with the narrative of not being able to play in cold weather. But Miami is bringing one of the most efficient offenses of the last month to this matchup. No NFL team has scored more than the Dolphins (56.3%) since Week 8. — Marcel Louis Jacques
Packers story to watch: The Packers may have finally solved their red zone issues. He scored a touchdown on all five of his red-zone drives (including three scoring Josh Jacobs) in Sunday’s win More than the 49ers after ranking 27th in touchdown percentage inside the 20 before the game. Since the Dolphins rank seventh in red zone defense, this Thanksgiving contest could reveal whether this is for real or a fluke. — Rob Demofsky
Stats to Know: The Packers forced three or more takeaways for the sixth time this season. Against the 49erswhich is the most in the NFL. He scored 22 points off turnovers, his most in a game since. Week 17 of 2022
Bold Predictions: Dolphin Edge Robinson bite Will record two or more sacks. The rookie pass rusher is really coming on. Strong recently. i Week 12he led edge rushers in pass rush win rate (42.1%) for the second straight week. — Walder
Fantasy X Factor: Dolphins running back. De Von Achene. He’s crucial in this must-win game for Miami, as it looks to get back into it. AFC Playoff Race. Why not lean on one of its most dangerous playmakers? Achane has scored more than 20 fantasy points in four of his last five games. The Packers’ defense has allowed the ninth-most receiving yards per game to a running back this season, making his dual-threat skills especially valuable. Check out the Week 13 rankings. — Mood
Batting Nugget: The Packers are 8-3 straight up and ATS in games when it’s 32 degrees or below under coach Matt LaFleur, including the playoffs. Read more.
Kahler’s Choice: Packers 28, Dolphins 27
Moody’s Choice: Packers 34, Dolphins 28
Choice of Waller: Packers 24, Dolphins 20
FPI Forecast: GB, 66.3% (average of 6.5 points)
Thanksgiving Day Throwback: This is only the third time the Packers have played at home on Thanksgiving. The other matchup was a 1923 win over Hammond Pro and A In 2015, the Bears lost 17-13. Against Chicago, Green Bay had 22 seconds left on fourth-and-goal. Read more.
Must Read Matchups: Tyreek Hill’s traffic citations were dismissed after officers failed to appear. … McDaniel points to ‘Tantrum’ to avoid Calais Campbell trade … Jacobs, the rushing game gives the Packers something to rely on.