Lions vs. Bears: NFL Thanksgiving Showdown Preview

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00:00Growing up for me, out on the West Coast, to wake up around 9, 9.30am, especially maybe

00:10in my high school or college years, when the libations started to flow on the night before

00:16Thanksgiving known as Blackout Wednesday, you get back with the people, you're having

00:21a fun time.

00:22It was a little bit difficult to wake up for that 9.30am Pacific time.

00:27However, with the Lions, right?

00:30Not anymore.

00:32Not the same old Lions.

00:34It's appointment television.

00:36Anytime the 10 and 1 Detroit Lions take the football field and an NFC North duel to start

00:43off Thanksgiving hosting the Chicago Bears.

00:47It is though a rather large spread to start off Turkey Day, a 10.5 point number in favor

00:53of Detroit.

00:54Total at 48.5.

00:56What can we expect for the first course on Thanksgiving?

01:00Yeah, well, a blowout.

01:04Thanksgiving has told us over the years, Ben, that the chalk is really dominated these games

01:11in Thanksgiving.

01:12In fact, I believe since 2004, favorites on Thanksgiving, Ben, 48.9, straight up 38.19

01:21against the spread.

01:22And if you're a double digit favorite, well, those are 9 and 0 against the number on Thanksgiving

01:27since 2005 and 11 and 0 since the wildcard era back in 1990.

01:33So it has always been profitable to back the chalk on Thanksgiving here, even the double

01:40digit kind.

01:42And when that chalk is the best cover team in the National Football League in the last

01:46three and a half years, you can feel even a tad more confident.

01:50Detroit since the start of 2023, 19 and 7 against the spread this year in their 10 victories,

01:57they have covered nine times.

01:59Meanwhile, Chicago, two covers in a row or at least a push, depending on where you got

02:05that closing number on Sunday against the Vikings.

02:08But anytime Chicago has covered a number or not lost against the spread, a pure non-cover

02:16Joe.

02:17They've been at home short week, early start on the road in Detroit.

02:23Not necessarily a recipe for success.

02:27The Bears have lost five straight games.

02:29They had gone under in their first four of these five straight losses.

02:34They went over, of course, against Minnesota in a large way even before over time with

02:40that rally down by two touchdowns in the fourth and final quarter.

02:45So we know that the favorites are generally going to win rather comfortably and maybe

02:50even cover as a double digit favorite on Thanksgiving.

02:54Just so many benefits of being at home, being there on a short week.

03:00And it's not short week prime time.

03:02Those additional hours crucial.

03:03This is short week, 1230 p.m.

03:06Local time start in the Motor City.

03:09But Joe, what does that mean then for points?

03:1148 and a half is a lot for a short week Thursday night game, especially a short week Thursday

03:18game that kicks a little bit after lunch.

03:21Yeah.

03:22And another one of these situations, Ben, where the overs have actually been not a bad

03:28look in these in these games here, a little less defense, a little more offense, especially

03:34when we're talking about a team, Ben, that has already dropped 50 plus points.

03:38How many times this year and should not have a problem doing it again?

03:44I don't think they are in jeopardy of losing like we saw Green Bay beat them with Detroit

03:50being a favorite a year ago, which ruined the hopes and dreams of a lot of people that

03:55were in a survivor pool last Thanksgiving.

03:57I don't see that happening again this year with Detroit.

04:01I do think a lot of points could very well be coming in this game.

04:05I mean, how many had Minnesota lighten them up last week against that defense?

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