NFL Thanksgiving Games Predictions

 

Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions throws the football during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, WI. The Packers defeated the Lions, 27-13. (William Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Week 13 of the 2025 NFL regular season is officially upon us, and it's only fitting that Thanksgiving week has arrived because we have three appetizing matchups on the slate this coming Thursday that will all have a huge impact on the playoff picture heading into December.

To start it off, the Green Bay Packers will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions in a game that will have monster implications for the NFC North division race. Then, Patrick Mahomes and the reigning three-time AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs go to Dallas to take on Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in a marquee inter-conference matchup. Then, lastly, the Cincinnati Bengals will try to keep their faint playoff hopes alive as they take on Lamar Jackson and a red-hot Baltimore Ravens squad in a primetime AFC North showdown.

With that being said, let's get into my predictions for all three of these blockbuster matchups.

Jayden Reed #11 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the football during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, at Ford Field, in Detroit, MI. The Packers defeated the Lions, 29-23. (Lon Horwedel/USA TODAY SPORTS)

Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) @ Detroit Lions (7-4): 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

This is a huge game for both the Packers and the Lions. Both teams are currently looking up at the Chicago Bears (8-3) in the NFC North division, and since the Bears will play on Friday in what will be a difficult matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, there's a solid chance that the winner of Packers-Lions will take possession of first place in the NFC North heading into Week 14.

The first matchup between Green Bay and Detroit took place all the way back in Week 1, where the Packers dominated the Lions at Lambeau Field in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. The story of that game was Green Bay's defence, as they held Jared Goff and a high-powered Detroit offence to just 13 points and 3.8 yards per play in superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons' debut with the team. Meanwhile, Jordan Love enjoyed a turnover-free outing and threw two touchdown passes to steady the Packers' offence.

Both teams have suffered from startling bouts of inconsistency so far this season, but something tells me both of these bitter division rivals will get up for this game. The Lions' offence has been red-hot at home (42 ppg in four games this season), but the Packers' defence, led by Parsons, has been performing at an elite level all year (fourth in total defence, fifth in points allowed per game). I think Green Bay's defence will be able to slow down Lions superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs just enough, which will allow Parsons and the Packers' pass rush to get after Goff. Meanwhile, Love (who was fantastic against the Lions during their 2023 Thanksgiving matchup) and the Packers' offence take care of the rest to help Green Bay sweep their season series with Detroit and keep pace with the Bears in the division race.

The pick: Packers 30, Lions 24

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws the ball during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, MO. The Chiefs defeated the Cowboys, 19-9. (Associated Press)

Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1): 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS/Paramount+)

This is shaping up to be a must-win contest for both teams, as both Kansas City and Dallas are currently sitting outside the playoff picture with only six weeks remaining in the regular season. 

Both teams are coming off potentially season-saving come-from-behind wins from last week, as the Chiefs erased an 11-point deficit in the second half to defeat a very good Colts team in overtime, while the Cowboys came back down 21 points to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

The key matchup to watch for in this game will be between the Chiefs' defence and the Cowboys' offence. Led by star quarterback Dak Prescott (2,941 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, seven interceptions), talented running back Javonte Williams (896 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns), and a dominant wide receiver duo of George Pickens (67 catches, 1,054 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns) and Ceedee Lamb (44 catches, 632 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns), Dallas's offence has played at an elite level in 2025, as they currently rank first in total offence, and fourth in points per game. So it's safe to say that Chiefs' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his unit (which currently ranks sixth in total defence, and fourth in points allowed per game) will have their work cut out for them on Thursday afternoon.

My guess here is that the Cowboys' offence, led by Prescott, Pickens, and Lamb, will get the upper hand against Spagnuolo and their rapidly-improved defence will do just enough to slow down Mahomes to help Dallas go over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The pick: Chiefs 23, Cowboys 26

Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens embraces with Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals after an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, at M&T Bank Stadium, in Baltimore, MD. The Ravens defeated the Bengals, 35-34. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarborough)

Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) @ Baltimore Ravens (6-5): 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

After beginning the season with a dreadful 1-5 record, the Ravens have won five consecutive games to surpass the Pittsburgh Steelers for the top spot in the AFC North division. Meanwhile, on the flip side, the Bengals have lost four straight games, though it does appear that their superstar quarterback Joe Burrow will make his long-awaited return to the lineup after missing the last two months of play with a turf toe injury.

The biggest reason for the Ravens' midseason turnaround has been the play of their ultra-talented defence. Throughout the first five games of the season, Baltimore's defence struggled mightily, allowing an average of 35.4 points per game (the highest in any five-game span in franchise history). However, during their current five-game winning streak, the Ravens' defence has played at an elite level, holding opponents to a league-low 13.4 points over that span. By making multiple adjustments--such as playing All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage--the Ravens have been able to stifle opposing offences, which has been paramount for the team's success since their own offence has kind of looked out of sorts recently, as superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson has dealt with numerous injuries so far this season.

It will be fun to watch Burrow sling the football to his all-world pass catchers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in his return to action and the Bengals will likely need to win their final six games to have any chance of making the playoffs so they'll have plenty of motivation to win this game, but this is a bad matchup for Cincinnati. They've had trouble stopping the run all season long (31st in the NFL), and I don't think that trend is about to reverse itself on Thursday against Ravens future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry and Baltimore's sixth-ranked rushing offence. It will be competitive, but look for the Ravens to win this game and officially slam the door shut on the Bengals' playoff hopes.

The pick: Bengals 20, Ravens 30