This year’s slate of NFL Thanksgiving games is … grim.
We’ll start the day by chasing away the Macy’s parade with a game between the 0-9-1 Detroit Lions and a Chicago Bears team without Justin Fields, Khalil Mack and potentially Allen Robinson. Next comes a Las Vegas Raiders-Dallas Cowboys matchup that should feature plenty of points but also a Dallas team that’s favored by more than a touchdown and a Vegas squad that’s on a three-game losing streak.
Finally we’ve got the Buffalo Bills, mired in a slump that’s taken them from Super Bowl favorite to second place in the AFC East vs. the New Orleans Saints, who’ll be playing without their starting quarterback, top wideout, starting tight end and potentially their Pro Bowl tailback as Alvin Kamara has been held out due to injury the past two weeks.
There’s not a lot to like there, but we can hope a lineup with limited stars can form a constellation as a nation flops onto its couches like spoiled milk dropped onto a sidewalk, looks to the NFL, and demands the kind of entertainment that can sustain three-plus hours of near-comatose digestion. Even bad games can create lasting memories. New York Jets fans know this all too well.
While we probably won’t get another moment as magical as the Butt Fumble, we can still dream. And hopefully make a little bit of money while stacking up Thanksgiving leftovers and trundling back to the table for the king of all sandwiches. All lines are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.