NFL Thursday Night Football Betting – Season Recap
Since Thursday Night Football became a permanent part of the NFL schedule nearly two decades ago it’s been a fixture for fans starting the betting week. The NFL has tried to showcase as many teams as possible while not putting others at a competitive disadvantage working on short weeks. I think we can say it’s been a success. During the 2024 season 26 of the 32 teams were featured on TNF with eight teams making two appearances. The Los Angeles Rams used the format in their quest for the NFC West title winning both of their appearances. The New York Jets had a dismal season but performed will on TNF winning their two games. They were the only teams to play multiple TNF games without a loss. No team appeared more than twice.
NFL Betting Odds
One of the arguments against playing on Thursday night is the short week for teams that play the prior Sunday. Teams have fewer days to prepare with the visiting squad seen as being at a disadvantage due to travel. That appeared to be the case in 2024, especially in the second half of the season. The home team won 11 of 17 TNF games, including a seven-game winning streak from Week 8 to Week 14 and eight of the last 10 games.
There was a TNF first during the 2024 season. The NFL installed a rule allowing games not on Sunday to be flexed, and the Week 16 matchup between AFC West rivals Denver and the Chargers was moved replacing the originally scheduled contest that had AFC North rivals Cleveland at Cincinnati. The rule allows Thursday games to be flexed between Weeks 13 and 17 with a four-week notice. The Browns stunk all season making the move much easier for the NFL.
The Week 5 tilt between Tampa Bay and Atlanta gave viewers another rarity. The Falcons prevailed, 36-30, in overtime, the first game to go beyond regulation in two years and the sixth overtime game since TNF expanded to a full season in 2012. There is one week remaining the regular season, but the Thursday night finale in Week 17 was the lowest scoring game of the NFL season. It was a tough way to close the year with Seattle beating Chicago 6-3. That game was the exception, however, with nine other contests seeing the victor score at least 30 points.
There were a number of tight games during the season with none closer than the Week 10 game between Cincinnati and Baltimore. Two of the NFL’s top offenses combined for 859 yards and 69 points with a failed 2-point conversion attempt deciding the 35-34 Ravens win. Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and four TDs in the losing effort. There were 11 one-score games on the TNF slate with the last four games all decided by a converted TD or less. All in all it was another exciting season of Thursday Night Football.
Thursday Night Football Schedule
Amazon Prime Video gets its first Thursday night game in Week 2 when the Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills. These two bitter rivals have shared the same division since 1966. Last year, the Bills overtook the Dolphins on the final day of the 2023 regular season with a 21-14 win in Miami. Miami lost its final two games of the regular season to blow the division title.
In Week 3 another AFC East matchup will be on Prime Video when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots. The Jets and Patriots have shared the same division since 1960 as charter members of the American Football League. Last year, the Patriots reached rock bottom and fired the man who many view as the GOAT of NFL coaches. Bill Belichick is gone, and his assistant, Jerod Mayo, is the new head coach. Owner Robert Kraft wants a more collaborative approach but whether it works or not remains to be seen.
New England took QB Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and it would not be a surprise if Maye cracks the lineup, overtaking Jacoby Brissett, currently #1 on the depth chart.
One of the best and oldest rivalries from the NFC East will be renewed in Week 4 when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants. Head coach Brian Daboll took a huge step back after leading the G-Men to a playoff win in 2022. QB Daniel Jones is also under intense scrutiny after cashing in on the success of the 2022 campaign.
Dallas is Dallas, which means a highly hyped team that is probably not as good as advertised. But owner Jerry Jones is a marketing genius who keeps the Cowboys in the headlines. This year, the focus will be on head coach Mike McCarthy and QB Dak Prescott, who could both be in the final season of their time in Dallas. Jones is friends with Bill Belichick, who will be rumored to take over for McCarthy every time something goes wrong. Dak Prescott is in the option year of his contract, with Trey Lance waiting in the wings. McCarthy and Prescott are under fire for past playoff failures.
In Week 6, the Seattle Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers in renewal of what, at times, is the hottest rivalry in the NFC West. Seattle has a new head coach, Mike Macdonald, who replaces long time HC Pete Carroll. Macdonald made his hones as a defensive coordinator with the Michigan Wolverines and the Baltimore Ravens. Seattle took a step back in 2023 and is eager to rebound.
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