Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Football and Thanksgiving have been a deadly combo for 100 years and even the pandemic won’t stop the tradition. While the Ravens-Steelers game has been postponed, there are still two games on the Thanksgiving slate. This article will highlight both games and I will give a couple things to expect and a couple things to look out for in both games. These games may not be that desirable to big fans, but you can make the most out of it while you’re chowing down on some turkey and all of those magnificent side dishes.

GAME 1

Houston Texans (3-7) at Detroit Lions (4-6); 12:30pm EST on CBS

The Texans are a 3-point road favorite going into this contest and will look to gain even more momentum after beating the New England Patriots last week. It is kind of surprising to see Houston as the favorite because they’re both pretty similar. Both teams are way below average on defense and both offenses are average to slightly above average. This will be the Lions 81st Thanksgiving game and the 2nd for the Texans. The Texans only Thanksgiving Day game has been against the Detroit Lions in 2012 and they happened to win the game in OT, 34-31. Matt Schaub was the game-winning QB with 315 yards passing and Arian Foster had 102 yards on the ground including 2 big TDs. Matthew Stafford had 441 yards passing in the losing effort and Andre and Calvin Johnson had 188 and 140 receiving yards respectively.

What to Expect

- A Big Game From Deshaun Watson

Even with a bad team surrounding him, Watson has thrived this year. This will be his first meeting against the Detroit Lions and the fact that it is on national TV on Thanksgiving makes his first matchup with them even more impactful. Detroit is 8th worst in passing defense and 3rd worst in rushing defense. Watson is a threat to do both and I don’t think it is a stretch to say he could easily walk away with 400 yards of total offense and 4 total TDs.

- Detroit RBs to Step Up

Detroit has the 4th worst rushing offense in football, but when you’re facing the worst rushing defense in the NFL, you run the ball. The Lions have a lot of injuries on offense. Matthew Stafford, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Hall, Danny Amendola, D’Andre Swift, and TJ Hockenson are all listed on the injury report heading into today’s game. Excluding the OL, this is their whole starting offense. Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson are the available and healthy RB options for the game and if Swift isn’t available, expect these two to have a lot of volume against the league’s worst rush defense.

Things to Look Out For

- Bet the Over

Life’s Too Short to Bet the Under. This philosophy could be pertinent for Game 1. The O/U line in this matchup is currently at 51.5 and that may seem like a lot, but with these two teams, it can happen. The Texans have had 5 of their 10 games to go over and the Lions have had 6/10 go over. Both teams average 22.7 PPG on offense, but allow 28.7 (Lions) and 27.2 (Texans) PPG. If you don’t gamble, this could still be an interesting thing to look out for, but I feel like there will be a lot of offensive action today, especially if the Lions have most of their starting offense playing.

- Lions Injuries

I mentioned this earlier, but the Lions have a multitude of injuries this week. Mostly on their offense. If Matt Stafford is a no-go, Chase Daniel is their backup. While there are worse options, this isn’t ideal going into a meaningful game. The Lions can still sneak into the playoffs with a good stretch in the 2nd half of the year, but with a lot of injuries and a lot of uncertainty, it is likely another disappoint year for Lions fans

GAME 2

Washington Football Team (3-7) at Dallas Cowboys (3-7); 4:30pm EST on FOX

Washington and Dallas are in a deadlocked NFC East division yet again and every game from here on out is crucial for each team. All teams are 3-7, except the Eagles, who only have a tie advantage over the rest. This game will mark Dallas’s 53rd year playing on Thanksgiving and surprisingly, only the 12th time that Washington has played on the holiday. Of the 11 times that Washington has played on Thanksgiving, they have met Dallas 9 times and Dallas has won 8 of those meetings. Dallas has struggled not only this season, but also on Thanksgiving as of late. They haven’t beat a team other than Washington, since 2013 on Thanksgiving Day. Dallas is a 3-point favorite, despite getting demolished, 25-3, in their Week 7 matchup this season.

What to Expect

- Offense on 4th Down

This may not be that interesting, but Dallas leads the NFL in play attempts on 4th Down. This could go into the Things to Look Out For category also, but the kickers on both teams are on the injury report. Both kickers are expected to play, but don’t expect them to be very active if there is concern for injury. Going for 4th Down conversions definitely makes the game more interesting and if successful, could be very meaningful to the outcome of the game. Considering these are two teams that are very likely going to be in the hunt for a playoff berth with losing records, expect them to take a lot of risks in a game like this one.

- Washington’s D Will Be a Force

Regardless if they win or lose, Washington has a stout defense and it will be on full display this afternoon. While their rush defense is around league average, their pass defense is elite. Don’t expect Andy Dalton to have a career game. Kendall Fuller is a big reason why their pass defense is so impressive. If the ball is thrown his way, expect him to defend the ball well.

Things to Look Out For

- The Cowboys are Horrible Against the Spread

This season, the Cowboys are 2-8 against the spread and those two wins are in the last two games. In those two games, they happened to be 7 and 14-point underdogs respectively, which seems difficult not to cover. If you are betting, be very cautious picking the Cowboys as a 3-point favorite. Like I said earlier, Washington beat the Cowboys 25-3 in Week 7. While this doesn’t exactly bode well for Dallas, the circumstances are slightly different in Week 12 and the division is well within reach for the Cowboys and the Football Team. Pick cautiously.

- Terry McLaurin Could Be the First to Reach 1000 This Week

Scary Terry is one of the most underrated WRs in football and with a big game today, he could feasibly reach 1,000 yards receiving for the season. He needs 129 yards to reach the milestone and out of the 24 games he has played in his short career, he has eclipsed 100 yards 6 times. Considering how much uncertainty Washington has had at QB over the last two years, this is very impressive. He has exceeded 129 only once in his career, but I think he can do it today against a bad Dallas defense.

Yacs

2020 Thanksgiving Football Guide

GAME 1

GAME 2