Betting Picks

Week 12: NY Giants at Washington TNF NFL Betting Preview and Pick

The NFL started playing games on Thanksgiving in 1920. The Detroit Lions started their tradition of hosting one of the games in 1935. The Dallas Cowboys jumped in on the hosting holiday fun in 1966. And from that year through 2005, those were the only two games on Turkey Day.

Other NFL owners were jealous of the annual national attention the Lions and Cowboys received and wanted to host their own games. Plus, the NFL was looking to get more subscribers to its NFL Network, so in 2006 a prime-time Thanksgiving game on that network with rotating hosts was born. This Thursday night, now shown on NBC, the Washington Redskins will host a Thanksgiving game for the first time and they are 7.5-point favorites over the NFC East rival New York Giants.

It’s the first-ever meeting between the two on the holiday. Washington did play last Thanksgiving and lost in Dallas. The Giants haven’t played on Thanksgiving since 2009 in Denver.

Both the Redskins and Giants had playoff aspirations entering 2017, but that’s not happening for New York (2-8 SU, 4-6 ATS) and it’s not likely for Washington. If the Redskins (4-6 SU, 4-6 ATS) miss the postseason by a single game, they will look back and kick themselves for losing this past Sunday in New Orleans. Washington had a 31-16 lead with just under three minutes left but allowed two Saints touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to tie. It was almost fait accompli that Washington would lose in overtime, and it did 34-31.

To make matters worse, Washington lost one of its best offensive players to a broken leg in Chris Thompson. He has been one of the best receiving tailbacks in the NFL with 39 catches for 510 yards and four scores. Thompson also had rushed for 294 yards and two touchdowns. Now it’s rookie Samaje Perine as the featured back. He had a career-high 117 yards rushing and a TD vs. New Orleans. Kirk Cousins also played well with 322 yards passing and three scores but committed a boneheaded intentional grounding call late that pushed Washington out of field-goal range.

Many in the New York media thought the Giants would fire Coach Ben McAdoo following back-to-back embarrassing losses at home to the Rams and at the previously winless 49ers. Ownership, however, said it would wait until after the season to make any potential changes. The Giants then went out and pulled off the biggest upset of Week 11, beating Kansas City 12-9 in overtime as a 10-point home dog. McAdoo pulled out all the stops with a few trick plays.

It was easily the Giants’ best defensive game of the season as they forced three Kansas City turnovers. That was doubly shocking because Chiefs coach Andy Reid had been 16-2 in his career coming out of a bye and had never lost to a team with a losing record.

The Giants and Redskins split last year, each winning on the road. New York’s Week 17 19-10 victory with nothing to play for (it already had clinched a playoff spot) and as a 9-point underdog kept Washington from a wild-card spot.
Washington has covered nine of its past 13 vs. teams with a losing record, while the Giants have failed to cover their past four following a win. Take the Redskins.