Houston and Detroit will meet on Thanksgiving this year, in a game that won’t carry many playoff implications. It does promise to be an exciting matchup, though, with both teams boasting quarterbacks playing with a chip on their shoulder. The winner of the game will still have a sub-.500 record when it’s time to sit for turkey.
The yearly tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving game will continue for the Lions. They have gone 37-41-2 in their time playing on Turkey Day. The last time they picked up a win here came in 2016 when they snuck past the Vikings 16-13.
The Houston Texans have only played one game on Thanksgiving, and it was against the Lions. Because Dallas and Detroit get hosting preference, an AFC team is less likely to have consistent appearances in the earlier slots. Houston defeated the Lions in 2012 and will hope that nothing has changed for them eight years later.
The spread for this game favors Houston by 2.5 points. The over/under is set at 50.5.
Texans Looking for Rare Winning Streak
From the first day they traded DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, things have not gone well for Houston. The losses have been piling up, and they have gone 3-7 to date. They decided to fire head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start, but at that point, the damage to the season was already done.
Deshaun Watson has still found a way to post big numbers, as he did in guiding the team to a surprising win over the mediocre Patriots on Sunday. Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller were both able to shake off slow-ish starts to the season to become consistent threats in the offense. However, the run game has continued to be practically non-existent; their 846 rushing yards on the season is second-worst in the NFL.
J.J. Watt and the guys up front will strive to make things difficult for Matthew Stafford. Watt leads the team in sacks (four) and passes defended (seven).
Lions Look for Thanksgiving Luck
Last year, Stafford did not play, and the team had to turn to David Blough. Blough wasn’t horrible, but he wasn’t good enough to lift the team to a victory against the Bears. Detroit will have Stafford in the lineup this time around, and the Lions must rebound from last week. The Lions were shut out 20-0 by a Panthers team without its starting quarterback and starting running back.
Keep an eye on D’Andre Swift‘s injury status. If he plays, he’ll face a Texans defense allowing a league-worst 159.3 rushing yards per game. Swift could be poised for a big game if he’s good to go.
The Lions are averaging one giveaway and one takeaway per game. However, they allow the eighth-most passing yards per game and fourth-most points per game. Amazingly, Detroit has already surpassed last year’s win total.
Lions Get It Done
In this Thanksgiving Day showdown, expect the Lions to emerge as the winners. It may be an ugly game, but it will be a fun way to start the holiday.
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