NFL odds: Lions, Cowboys, Steelers betting favorites for Thanksgiving slate
NFL bettors will be treated to a pair of outstanding divisional matchups on Thanksgiving Day this year, as the Detroit Lions (6-4) host the Minnesota Vikings (6-4) and the Washington Redskins (6-3-1) visit the Dallas Cowboys (9-1).
The Lions are 2.5-point favorites on the NFL point spreads at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com while the Cowboys are seven-point chalk as they look to win their 10th in a row and improve to 10-0-1 against the spread.
Detroit was not expected to compete for the NFC North title this year, as Minnesota was the defending division champion, and the Green Bay Packers (4-6) were expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 campaign. Instead, the Packers have been worse, and the Vikings have endured a roller-coaster season with a new quarterback in Sam Bradford and without their best player Adrian Peterson for most of it.
NFL Week 11 Blanket: Dak Prescott doesn't play like a rookie, but Carson Wentz still does
Peterson is not expected to return from a knee injury until December, so Bradford is being counted on along with the defense to keep Minnesota in contention. After an impressive 5-0 start, the Vikings ended a four-game losing streak last week with a 30-24 home win over the Arizona Cardinals as one-point favorites.
The Lions beat Minnesota during the skid and returned from their bye week with a 26-19 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars as 5.5-point chalk last Sunday, their fifth win in six games.
In the NFC East, the defending division champion Redskins will have a difficult time repeating considering how hot the Cowboys and New York Giants (7-3) are right now. While Dallas owns the league’s best mark after winning nine straight, the Giants have also won their last five.
NFL Odd Jobs: Selfies! Bikinis! Football! Hanging by the pool with a Jaguars lifeguard
Washington is 6-1-1 SU and 7-1 ATS in its past eight games according to the OddsShark NFL Database after starting out 0-2, which included a 27-23 home loss to the Cowboys as three-point betting favorites.
The Thursday night matchup that wraps up this Thanksgiving’s football betting feast may not be a divisional battle, but it is intriguing nonetheless with the Indianapolis Colts (5-5) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) squaring off in a must-win game for both teams.
Unfortunately for the Colts, they might not have starting quarterback Andrew Luck under center due to a concussion, putting their near-perfect home underdog trend at risk. Indianapolis has lost 13 of the last 15 meetings with Pittsburgh but is 10-2 SU and 11-1 ATS in its past 12 games as a home underdog.
