NFL Thanksgiving Betting Guide 2026: Best Bets, Odds & Historic Trends
Thanksgiving means three things: Turkey. Football. And more football. Here's our annual NFL Thanksgiving Betting Guide for 2026. The NFL serves up three games on the holiday.
The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys occupy their traditional spots on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the Chicago Bears visit the Lions at 1 p.m. ET (CBS). The Cowboys then play host to what's left of the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX). The NFL's Thanksgiving nightcap has the Kansas City Chiefs hitting Buffalo to face Josh Allen in what will be hyped as a potential AFC Championship Game preview. The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
RELATED: NFL Best Bets For This Week
The Lions first played on Thanksgiving in 1934. Save for a break during World War II (1942-45), the Lions have played on the holiday ever since. They were joined by the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 1966. The Cowboys have occupied the late afternoon Thanksgiving Day spot every year since, save for 1975 and '77.
The NFL added a nightcap in 2006.
There are two other games bracketing the holiday. On Wednesday night, the Packers and Rams come off their byes and meet at SoFi Stadium. On Black Friday, you can catch the Broncos at Pittsburgh on Amazon Prime at 3 p.m. while running up your credit card bills and forcing down one more plate of leftovers.
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2026 NFL Thanksgiving Day Best Bets
Thursday, Nov. 26
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions - 1 p.m. (CBS)
Buzz: Turkey, Lions and Bears! Oh, my! This is the 87th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic in the Motor City. The Bears beat both Super Bowl 60 entrants (Patriots and Seahawks) in back-to-back games entering November. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson continue to carve up defenses with power and finesse. The acquisition of Jeffrey Simmons stiffened Chicago's defensive front and sent a Bat Signal that the Bears are all-in on winning Super Bowl 61. The Lions' defense remains among the worst in the league in terms of points and yards allowed. The Bears
Best Bet: TBD FanDuel via OddsJam
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys - 4:30 p.m. (CBS)
Buzz: A decimated Eagles team visits Jerry World on Thanksgiving. Philly lost Jalen Hurts for the season and may well be playing out the string for a high draft pick in the spring. Then there's the fate of head coach Nick Sirianni. The Cowboys, meanwhile, find themselves in danger of slipping out of range of the first-place Giants. This one's a must-win in terms of playoff viability for Dak & Company.
Best Bet: TBD FanDuel via OddsJam
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Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills - 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Buzz: NBC serves up a dandy dessert on Thanksgiving Night. Chiefs-Bills triggers memories of some classic playoff clashes. Anyone have 13 seconds to discuss? This time, it offers a potential AFC Championship Game preview. Josh Allen and the Bills hold a 6–1 record in regular-season games against Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs. Of course, Mahomes holds serve over Allen at 4-0 in the posteason.
Best Bet: TBD FanDuel via OddsJam
NFL Thanksgiving Day Betting Trends Of Note
Here are some of the historic and unique NFL betting trends to watch in our NFL Thanksgiving Betting Guide.
- Favorites are 38-23 (62.2%) against the spread (ATS) on Thanksgiving since 2005. Going back to 2000 season, favorites have gone 43-28 ATS (60.5%) and 56-15 straight up (SU) (78.7%) on Thanksgiving. Last year, however, bettors backing the favorites on Thanksgiving choked on their wish bones, as all three favorites lost outright. The Packers (+2.5) beat the Lions 31-24. The home dog Cowboys (+3.5) beat the Chiefs 31-28. The Bengals beat the Ravens 32-14 as 7-pound underdogs.
- The Dallas Cowboys are 4-11 (26.6%) ATS on Thanksgiving since 2011. Fade the Cowboys against the point spread on Thanksgiving. But enjoy your pie.
- Since the 1970 merger, the Dallas Cowboys are 11-0 outright and 10-3 ATS as double-digit favorites on Thanksgiving.
- The Detroit Lions have lost eight of their past nine Thanksgiving games outright, and have gone just 3-6 ATS. Overall, the Lions are 38-46-2 on the holiday. They missed the cover as 10.5-point favorites in 2024 in a 23-20 win over the Bears. And lost outright 31-24 to the Packers last season.
- No team has won the Super Bowl after playing on Thanksgiving since the 1995 Dallas Cowboys. Furthermore, last season was the first time since 2019 that a team playing on Thanksgiving did not make the Super Bowl
- Road favorites have gone 22-12 ATS (50%) and 29-5 SU (85.2%) on Thanksgiving Day since 2000.
- When in doubt, go with the crowd on Thanksgiving. Favorites with 60%+ of the betting wagers are 27-12 ATS (69.2%) since 2005. Overall, teams with 51%+ of the betting wagers are 38-21 ATS (64.4%) in the same span.
- Road favorites of 7-plus points are 9-1 ATS (90.09%) and 10-0 on Thanksgiving since 2003.
- And when you go back for seconds on Thanksgiving night, make sure you back the favorites. The night-game favorites on Thanksgiving are 14-5 ATS (73.6%).
- The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, however, have not both covered on Thanksgiving since 2001. Parlay bettors beware of this – and Aunt Karen’s fruit cake.
- The Detroit Lions are 11-3 SU (78.5%) as a favorite on Thanksgiving since 1990.
- Overall, double-digit favorites have gone 10-3 ATS since 2005.
- The Detroit Lions have played at home on Thanksgiving every year since 1934 -- except when games were paused from 1939 to 1944 during World War II.
- The Cowboys first played on Thanksgiving in 1966, beating the Cleveland Browns 26-14 at the Cotton Bowl. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have played on every Thanksgiving Day since -- except in 1975 and 1977.
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Why Do The Detroit Lions Play On Thanksgiving
The Lions' first player on Thanksgiving Day in 1934. The Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans were sold for $8,000 and moved to Detroit. The owner of the team put the game on Thanksgiving to give the NFL a national NBC radio audience. The game was a massive success; a Detroit-record crowd attended the game while listeners across the U.S. enjoyed the gridiron action over the airwaves.
Why Do The Dallas Cowboys Play On Thanksgiving?
When the NFL added a second Thanksgiving Day game in 1966, then-Cowboys owner Tex Schramm offered his team as tribute. But with a hitch – Dallas had to be the home team. He believed having the home Thursday game off a short week would give his team a built-in advantage. The NFL flirted with the then-St. Louis Cardinals as the 2nd Thanksgiving Day game in 1975 and 1977. But America demanded “America’s Team” on this American holiday. And the Cowboys have played at home on Thanksgiving every year in the late-afternoon time slot since 1978.
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When Did Thanksgiving Night Games Begin?
The rotating prime-time game was added in 2006 to complete our NFL Thanksgiving Betting Guide.
Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Game Results Year-By-Year
- 1934: vs. Chicago Bears L, 19-16
- 1935: vs. Chicago Bears W, 14-2
- 1936: vs. Chicago Bears W, 13-7
- 1937: vs. Chicago Bears L, 13-0
- 1938: vs. Chicago Bears W, 14-7
- 1945: vs. Cleveland Rams L, 28-21
- 1946: vs. Boston Yanks L, 34-10
- 1947: vs. Chicago Bears L, 34-14
- 1948: vs. Chicago Cards L, 28-14
- 1949: vs. Chicago Bears L, 28-7
- 1950: vs. New York Yanks W, 49-14
- 1951: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 52-35
- 1952: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 48-24
- 1953: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 34-15
- 1954: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 28-24
- 1955: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 24-10
- 1956: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 24-20
- 1957: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 18-6
- 1958: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 24-14
- 1959: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 24-17
- 1960: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 23-10
- 1961: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 17-9
- 1962: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 26-14
- 1963: vs. Green Bay Packers T, 13-13
- 1964: vs. Chicago Bears L, 27-24
- 1965: vs. Baltimore Colts T, 24-24
- 1966: vs. San Francisco 49ers L, 41-14
- 1967: vs. Los Angeles Rams L, 31-7
- 1968: vs. Philadelphia Eagles L, 12-0
- 1969: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 27-0
- 1970: vs. Oakland Raiders W, 28-14
- 1971: vs. Kansas City Chiefs W, 32-21
- 1972: vs. New York Jets W, 37-20
- 1973: vs. Washington L, 20-0
- 1974: vs. Denver Broncos L, 31-27
- 1975: vs. Los Angeles Rams L, 20-0
- 1976: vs. Buffalo Bills W, 27-14
- 1977: vs. Chicago Bears L, 31-14
- 1978: vs. Denver Broncos W, 17-14
- 1979: vs. Chicago Bears W, 20-0
- 1980: vs. Chicago Bears L, 23-17 (OT)
- 1981: vs. Kansas City Chiefs W, 27-10
- 1982: vs. New York Giants L, 13-6
- 1983: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers W, 45-3
- 1984: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 31-28
- 1985: vs. New York Jets W, 31-20
- 1986: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 44-40
- 1987: vs. Kansas City Chiefs L, 27-20
- 1988: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 23-0
- 1989: vs. Cleveland Browns W, 13-10
- 1990: vs. Denver Broncos W, 40-27
- 1991: vs. Chicago Bears W, 16-6
- 1992: vs. Houston Oilers L, 24-21
- 1993: vs. Chicago Bears L, 10-6
- 1994: vs. Buffalo Bills W, 35-21
- 1995: vs. Minnesota Vikings W, 44-38
- 1996: vs. Kansas City Chiefs L, 28-24
- 1997: vs. Chicago Bears W, 55-20
- 1998: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers W, 19-16 (OT)
- 1999: vs. Chicago Bears W, 21-17
- 2000: vs. New England Patriots W, 34-9
- 2001: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 29-27
- 2002: vs. New England Patriots L, 20-12
- 2003: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 22-14
- 2004: vs. Indianapolis Colts L, 41-9
- 2005: vs. Atlanta Falcons L, 27-7
- 2006: vs. Miami Dolphins L, 27-10
- 2007: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 37-26
- 2008: vs. Tennessee Titans L, 47-10
- 2009: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 34-12
- 2010: vs. New England Patriots L, 45-24
- 2011: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 27-15
- 2012: vs. Houston Texans L, 34-31 (OT)
- 2013: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 40-10
- 2014: vs.Chicago Bears W, 34-17
- 2015: vs. Philadelphia Eagles W, 45-14
- 2016: vs. Minnesota Vikings W, 16-13
- 2017: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 30-23
- 2018: vs. Chicago Bears L, 23-16
- 2019: vs. Chicago Bears L, 24-20
- 2020: vs. Houston Texans L, 41-25
- 2021: vs. Chicago Bears L, 16-14
- 2022: vs. Buffalo Bills L, 28-25
- 2023: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 29-22
- 2024: vs. Chicago Bears W, 23-20
- 2025: vs. Green Bay Packers L, 31-24
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Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Results Year-By-Year
- 1966: vs. Cleveland Browns W, 26-14
- 1967: vs. St. Louis Cardinals W, 46-21
- 1968: vs. Washington Redskins W, 29-20
- 1969: vs. San Francisco 49ers T, 24-24
- 1970: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 16-3
- 1971: vs. Los Angeles Rams W, 28-21
- 1972: vs. San Francisco 49ers L, 31-10
- 1973: vs. Miami Dolphins L, 14-7
- 1974: vs. Washington Redskins W, 24-23
- 1976: vs. St. Louis Cardinals W, 19-14
- 1978: vs. Washington Redskins W, 37-10
- 1979: vs. Houston Oilers L, 30-24
- 1980: vs. Seattle Seahawks W, 51-7
- 1981: vs. Chicago Bears W, 10-9
- 1982: vs. Cleveland Browns W, 31-14
- 1983: vs. St. Louis Cardinals W, 35-17
- 1984: vs. New England Patriots W, 20-17
- 1985: vs. St. Louis Cardinals W, 35-17
- 1986: vs. Seattle Seahawks W, 31-14
- 1987: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 44-38 (OT)
- 1988: vs. Houston Oilers L, 25-17
- 1989: vs. Philadelphia Eagles L, 27-0
- 1990: vs. Washington Redskins W, 27-17
- 1991: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers W, 20-10
- 1992: vs. New York Giants W, 30-3
- 1993: vs. Miami Dolphins L, 16-14
- 1994: vs. Green Bay Packers W, 42-31
- 1995: vs. Kansas City Chiefs W, 24-12
- 1996: vs. Washington Redskins W, 21-10
- 1997: vs. Tennessee Titans L, 27-14
- 1998: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 46-36
- 1999: vs. Miami Dolphins W, 20-0
- 2000: vs. Minnesota Vikings L, 27-15
- 2001: vs. Denver Broncos L, 26-24
- 2002: vs. Washington Redskins W, 27-20
- 2003: vs. Miami Dolphins L, 40-21
- 2004: vs. Chicago Bears W, 21-7
- 2005: vs. Denver Broncos L, 24-21 (OT)
- 2006: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers W, 38-10
- 2007: vs. New York Jets W, 34-3
- 2008: vs. Seattle Seahawks W, 34-9
- 2009: vs. Oakland Raiders W, 24-7
- 2010: vs. New Orleans Saints L, 30-27
- 2011: vs. Miami Dolphins W, 20-19
- 2012: vs. Washington Redskins L, 38-31
- 2013: vs. Oakland Raiders W, 31-24
- 2014: vs. Philadelphia Eagles L, 33-10
- 2015: vs. Carolina Panthers L, 33-14
- 2016: vs. Washington Redskins W, 31-26
- 2017: vs. Los Angeles Chargers L, 28-6
- 2018: vs. Washington Redskins W, 31-23
- 2019: vs. Buffalo Bills L, 26-15
- 2020: vs. Washington Football Team L, 41-16
- 2021: vs. Las Vegas Raiders L, 36-33
- 2022: vs. New York Giants W, 28-20
- 2023: vs. Washington Commanders W, 45-10
- 2024: vs. New York Giants W, 27-20
- 2025: vs. Kansas City Chiefs W, 31-28
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