Tag: Thanksgiving

David Blough getting 1st team reps at QB for the Lions

Both Matthew Stafford and Jeff Driskel are saddled with injuries, leaving Blough as the next man up

With the Thanksgiving matchup against the Chicago Bears just two days away, the Detroit Lions quarterback situation remains up in the air. With Matthew Stafford almost certainly ruled out with his broken backbones and backup Jeff Driskel slowed with a hamstring injury, David Blough could be the man under center on Thursday.

Blough took reps with the first-team offense for the first time in Tuesday’s practice, the last full team session on the short week. If Driskel’s hamstring doesn’t improve, the undrafted rookie from Purdue will get his first career action as a starter on national television.

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Blough came to Detroit via a trade with the Cleveland Browns at the roster cutdown deadline, in part because he played well against the Lions in the preseason matchup between the two teams.

 

Falcons Week 13 injury report: Devonta Freeman returns, Julio Jones out

The Atlanta Falcons (3-8) will host the New Orleans Saints (9-2) this Thursday in the NFL’s Thanksgiving night matchup.

The Atlanta Falcons (3-8) will host the New Orleans Saints (9-2) this Thursday in the NFL’s Thanksgiving night game. Practice is altered to help players adjust to the short week, so it’s tough to know who is out for rest and who is actually hurt until Wednesday’s designations are released.

Wide receiver Julio Jones missed practice on Monday and Tuesday while dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered during the team’s Week 12 loss to the Buccaneers. Running back Devonta Freeman returned today, though, and could see his first game action in three weeks.

Check out Atlanta’s full Tuesday injury report for their Thanksgiving showdown with New Orleans.

Player INJ.  Mon.  Tues. Wed. Status
Devonta Freeman Foot  LP  FP
Julio Jones Shoulder  DNP  DNP
Austin Hooper Knee  DNP  DNP
Luke Stocker Back  DNP  DNP
Desmond Trufant Toe  LP  FP
Takk McKinley Shoulder  LP  LP
Sharrod Neasman Shoulder  LP  LP
Tyeler Davison Neck  LP  FP
Jordan Miller Illness  DNP  FP

Come back tomorrow for Wednesday’s injury updates.

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Saints favored by almost a touchdown over Falcons on Thanksgiving

The opening Week 13 NFL odds favor the visiting New Orleans Saints over the hosting Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, but that means little.

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The New Orleans Saints are headlining the NFL’s scheduled games for Thanksgiving with a rematch against the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons in prime-time, at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. That tense matchup follows earlier games hosted by the Detroit Lions (against the Chicago Bears at 11:30 a.m. CT) and Dallas Cowboys (with the Buffalo Bills at 3:30 p.m. CT). And according to the opening line from BetMGM, the Saints-Falcons kickoff is expected to be the day’s barn-burner, with the highest over/under of the day.

The Saints-Falcons game has a projected over/under of 49.5, with New Orleans favored by 6.5 points — nearly a full touchdown. That’s higher than what the Cowboys-Bills game is expected to put up (44.5) as well as what the Lions-Bears tilt (39.5). That over/under also projects a final score of Saints 29, Falcons 21.

Saints fans learned that the projected odds mean little the last time these two teams squared off. The Saints were 11.5-point favorites over the Falcons coming out of their bye week, but Atlanta shocked the Saints by sacking Drew Brees six times and holding the New Orleans offense without a touchdown on the day. The Saints have had time to improve since then, but this will obviously be a big test no matter what each team’s record looks like.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Marshon Lattimore practices, but Julio Jones rests on Saints-Falcons injury report

New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore returned to practice, but Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones was missing on the injury report.

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The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons practiced on Tuesday, releasing updated injury reports after their initial estimations earlier this week. With such a quick turnaround between their last game on Sunday and their upcoming Thanksgiving prime-time kickoff on Thursday night, both teams opted to rest on Monday before getting back to work on the practice field.

That meant a return for star Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Lattimore practiced on a limited basis on Tuesday. If he plays against Atlanta, it will have been 18 days since Lattimore last suited up, having left the first matchup with the Falcons on Nov. 10 after straining his hamstring. The Saints lost that game 26-9, so getting him back would do a lot to help a defense that’s been inconsistent in his absence.

Curiously, the Falcons have rested standout wide receiver Julio Jones (shoulder) for two of their three practice days before Thursday night’s game. His stats deserves attention moving forward, because it almost goes without saying that his absence would be massive for Atlanta if he can’t play this week.

Updated practice participation and injury status are noted in bold text. Here’s what we learned after the Saints and Falcons took the field on Tuesday:

From the Saints

  • G Andrus Peat (forearm), Did not participate
  • FB Zach Line (knee), Did not participate
  • T Terron Armstead (ankle), Did not participate
  • G Will Clapp (back), Limited
  • CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), Limited
  • WR Deonte Harris (hamstring), Limited

From the Falcons

  • TE Austin Hooper (knee), Did not participate
  • WR Julio Jones (shoulder), Did not participate
  • CB Jordan Miller (illness), Full
  • TE Luke Stocker (back), Did not participate
  • DT Tyeler Davison (neck), Full
  • RB Devonta Freeman (foot), Full
  • DE Takkarist McKinley (shoulder), Limited
  • S Sharrod Neasman (shoulder), Limited
  • CB Desmond Trufant (toe), Full
  • S Kemal Ishmael (concussion), Full
  • QB Matt Ryan (ankle), Full

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Falcons RB Devonta Freeman back at practice on Tuesday

The Atlanta Falcons have been without starting running back Devonta Freeman for the past two games while he recovered from a foot injury. Freeman returned to practice on Tuesday and looks on track to play this week.

The Atlanta Falcons have been without starting running back Devonta Freeman for the past two games while he recovered from a foot injury. Freeman returned to practice on Tuesday, though, and looks to be on track to play this week.

With the Saints coming to town on Thanksgiving, the Falcons need all the help they can to try and complete a season sweep of their division rival.

Check back later this afternoon for Atlanta’s complete injury report from Tuesday’s practice.

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Saints-Falcons odds: New Orleans heavy favorite over Atlanta on Thanksgiving

The New Orleans Saints enter as the heavy favorite over the Atlanta Falcons during their Thanksgiving Week 13 NFL matchup.

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The New Orleans Saints (9-2) host the Atlanta Falcons (3-8) during Thanksgiving Day action of Week 13 of the NFL regular season. The game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 28, at 8:20 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and can be watched on NBC. The Saints, despite losing 26-9 to this Atlanta team just three games ago, enter as the very heavy favorite, according to odds from BetMGM.

The Saints (-278) are 6.5-point favorites against the spread (ATS) over the Falcons. New to sports betting? With a spread of -6.5, that means the Saints need to not only beat Atlanta, but they need to win by at least seven points for an ATS wager on them to cash.

Special NFL Thanksgiving Prop Bet!

BET $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) at BetMGM in New Jersey if any NFL team scores a touchdown Thursday, Nov. 28th, 2019. Bet now!
Offer for new customers; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Feeling an upset? A $10 wager on the Falcons (+220) would pay $22 in profit should they win outright. Meanwhile, a $10 wager on the Saints to win outright returns a profit of $3.60.

The Over/Under on the Saints vs. Falcons game has been set at 49.5, which is the highest of all the Thanksgiving Day games, with a -110 price on both sides for this Week 13 NFL matchup.

Want to get some action on this game? Place a sports bet at BetMGM now; and don’t miss out on their special Thanksgiving Day NFL Prop Bet! For more sports betting picks and tips, access SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Bills-Cowboys odds: Dallas heavy favorite over Buffalo on Thanksgiving

The Dallas Cowboys enter as the heavy favorite over the Buffalo Bills during their Thanksgiving Week 13 NFL matchup.

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The Dallas Cowboys (6-5) host the Buffalo Bills (8-3) during Thanksgiving Day action of Week 13 of the NFL regular season. The game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 28, at 4:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium and can be watched on CBS and NFL Red Zone. The Cowboys, surprisingly, enter as the very heavy favorite, according to odds from BetMGM.

The Cowboys (-304) are 6.5-point favorites against the spread (ATS) over the Bills. New to sports betting? With a spread of -6.5, that means the Cowboys need to not only beat the Bills, but they need to win by at least seven points for an ATS wager on them to cash.

Special NFL Thanksgiving Prop Bet!

BET $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) at BetMGM in New Jersey if any NFL team scores a touchdown Thursday, Nov. 28th, 2019. Bet now!
Offer for new customers; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Feeling an upset? A $10 wager on the Bills (+240) would pay $24 in profit should they win outright. Meanwhile, a $10 wager on the Cowboys to win outright returns a profit of $3.29.

The Over/Under on the Cowboys vs. Bills game has been set at 44.5, with a -110 price on both sides for this Week 13 NFL matchup.

Want to get some action on this game? Place a sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, access SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Bears-Lions odds: Chicago favorite over Detroit on Thanksgiving

The Chicago Bears enter as the favorite over the Detroit Lions during their Thanksgiving Week 13 NFL matchup.

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The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) host the Chicago Bears (5-6) during Thanksgiving Day action of Week 13 of the NFL regular season Thursday, Nov. 28, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Ford Field. The game can be watched on FOX and NFL Red Zone. The Bears enter as the favorite, according to odds from BetMGM.

The Bears (-139) are 2.5-point favorites against the spread (ATS) over the Lions. New to sports betting? With a spread of -2.5, that means the Bears need to not only beat the Lions, but they need to win by at least three points for an ATS wager on them to cash.

Special NFL Thanksgiving Prop Bet!

BET $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) at BetMGM in New Jersey if any NFL team scores a touchdown Thursday, Nov. 28th, 2019. Bet now!
Offer for new customers; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Feeling an upset? A $10 wager on the Lions (+115) would pay $11.50 in profit should they win outright. Meanwhile, a $10 wager on the Bears to win outright returns a profit of $7.19.

The Over/Under on the Bears-Lions game has been set at 39.5, with a +100 value on the over and a -121 line on the under for this Week 13 NFL matchup.

Want to get some action on this game? Place a sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, access SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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POLL: Who wins Week 13 contest between Bears and Lions?

The Bears and Lions will face each other for the second straight Thanksgiving. With both teams struggling, who comes out on top?

The Chicago Bears (5-6) will spend a second consecutive Thanksgiving in Detroit as they prepare to face the Lions (3-7-1) on a short week.

The Bears are coming off an unimpressive 19-14 victory over the New York Giants, where their offense showed promise in the third quarter but couldn’t find a rhythm early and consistently. The defense held the Giants to seven points well into the fourth quarter before giving up a garbage-time touchdown late in the game.

The Lions just suffered an embarrassing 19-16 defeat at the hands of the Washington Redskins, where things continue to go from bad to worse. Detroit has now lost seven of their last eight games as Matt Patricia’s seat continues to get warmer by the day.

But there’s always something different about the Lions on Thanksgiving, which the Bears will need to be wary of. As much as there’s been no guaranteed win this season for the Bears, this is certainly a trap game in the making.

Can the Bears’ offense sustain rhythm outside of the third quarter? Will the Bears’ defense contain whichever backup Lions quarterback they face? Can the Be

Who wins on Thanksgiving?

VOTE!

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