Thanksgiving Day, which is always celebrated on the last Thursday of November, is one of the most traditional holidays in American culture. It usually begins with religious services in different Christian churches and is followed by a lunch with turkey, gravy, and biscuits. But that’s not all, as afterwards, family and friends spend the afternoon watching NFL games, especially with the cold weather predicted in several areas of the country in the upcoming days.
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During the regular season, the professional American football league only plays one game on Thursday nights, but for Thanksgiving, three special matchups are scheduled. Additionally, the Lions and the Cowboys are always the home teams.
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The NFL now talks about the Thanksgiving "weekend," and taking advantage of Friday also being a holiday, since 2023 it plays a game on Black Friday (named because all commerce offers big discounts).
What are the Thanksgiving Day 2024 games?
- Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions: Thursday 12.30 pm (US Eastern Time). A very uneven match. The Lions are the best team in the National Conference and come in a streak of nine consecutive victories. The Bears are once again in crisis, their season has been a disappointment and they have five straight losses. In Chicago, they take for granted that this Thursday they will add the sixth. CBS broadcast.
- New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: Thursday 4.30 pm (US Eastern time). At the beginning of the season, it seemed like an attractive game, but after quarterback Dak Prescott’s injury in the Cowboys and the Giants cutting Daniel Jones, it is not very appealing to see Cooper Rush against Tommy DeVito. FOX broadcasts.
- Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers: Thursday 8.20 pm (Eastern Time). Since the Dolphins got Tua Tagovailoa back, they have significantly improved their level and come with a three-game winning streak, dreaming of the playoffs. The problem for them is that they visit the almost impregnable home of the Packers at Lambeau Field, and sub-zero temperatures are expected at game time. Broadcasted on NBC.
- Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: Friday 3 pm (US Eastern Time). Another uneven matchup. The Chiefs have only lost one game this season and seem to be on track again to compete in the American Conference final. On the other hand, the Raiders are not only one of the worst teams this season, but they also lost their starting quarterback Gardner Minshew to a fracture.
College football closes the regular season with great rivalries
Thanksgiving weekend is also important for college football, as it marks the end of the regular season and the NCAA typically schedules big rivalry games.
This Thursday there is only one game so as not to compete with the powerful NFL, but for Friday the 29th there are several very attractive matchups, such as Mississippi State vs Ole Miss, Georgia Tech vs Georgia and Nebraska vs Iowa.
On Saturday the 30th, the three most important games will be played: Notre Dame vs USC, Michigan vs Ohio State (simply known as “The Game”), and Auburn vs Alabama (the “Iron Bowl”).